Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 13:16
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he [was] an angel of the LORD.
16. I will not eat of thy bread ] in the general sense of food; cf. Gen 3:19; Gen 47:12 , 1Sa 14:24, Psa 136:25. Note the advance in religious ideas: in Gen 18:8 the Angels eat the meal which Abraham provides; in ch. Jdg 6:18 ff. Gideon is allowed to prepare and cook a meal, but it is consumed by fire, not by the Angel; here the very notion of a meal is repelled (cf. Tob 12:19 ); if anything is to be presented it must be a burnt offering, and offered to Jehovah. The clause For M. knew not etc. would come more suitably at the end of Jdg 13:15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 16. I will not eat of thy bread] As I am a spiritual being, I subsist not by earthly food.
And if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering] Neither shall I receive that homage which belongs to God; thou must therefore offer thy burnt-offering to Jehovah.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Bread, i.e. meat, as bread is commonly taken in Scripture.
Unto the Lord; not unto a man, as now thou apprehendest me to be; but unto the Lord, as thou wilt by and by perceive me to be.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah,…. In answer to his request:
though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; that is, should he be prevailed upon to stay awhile with him, until an entertainment should be got ready, he would not eat of any of his provisions; for “bread” is put for all eatables, or whatsoever he might provide for the entertainment:
and if, or “but if” n
thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord; if he meant to provide not a festival entertainment, but a sacrifice, then he should take care that he did not offer it to strange gods, as was now very much the custom with Israel in this their time of apostasy,
Jud 13:1 but to the true Jehovah, and not to a servant of his, a prophet or an angel, but to himself:
for Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord; he took him to be a man, a prophet sent of God, and not an angel; and much less the uncreated one, to whom as such only the sacrifice could be offered.
n “si autem”, V. L. “quod si”, Tigurine version; “sin autem”, Junius Tremellius “si vero”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The angel of the Lord replied, “ If thou wilt detain me (sc., that I may eat), I will not eat of thy food ( with , to eat thereat, i.e., thereof, as in Exo 12:43; Lev 22:11); but if thou wilt prepare a burnt-offering for Jehovah, then offer it.”
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(16) Thou must offer it unto the Lord.Rather, a burnt offering unto the Lord thou mayest offer it. (Comp. Jdg. 6:20.) Angels invariably discourage and reprove that worship of angels (Col. 2:18), which was the tendency of early Gnostic sects (Daniel 10; Rev. 19:10; Rev. 22:8). The angel might have partaken of earthly food, as we see from Gen. 18:8; Gen. 19:3. Hence Milton says:
Food alike these pure
Intelligential substances require,
As doth your rational.Par. Lost, 5:418.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. I will not eat of thy bread But the same Angel did eat of the food (Gen 18:8) which Abraham prepared; why not do the same with Manoah? Abraham, we may answer, was “heir of the world,” (Rom 4:13,) and a far more important person in the history of the Old Covenant than Manoah, and so with him the Jehovah-Angel might well come into closer fellowship than with other saints.
For Manoah knew not This statement is given as a reason for the Angel’s suggestion that Manoah might, perhaps, now appropriately offer a burnt offering to Jehovah. He does not tell him that he is the Angel Jehovah, but he powerfully suggests that thought to the mind of Manoah, and thus leads the latter to inquire after his name.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘ And the Angel of Yahweh said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread, and if you will make ready a burnt offering, you must offer it to Yahweh.” For Manoah did not know that he was the Angel of Yahweh.’
The Angel replied that He would not eat food even if it were brought. This would often be a sign of hostility, but in this case should rather have suggested to Manoah the urgency of his errand and that he had come from an untainted place (compare 1Ki 13:8-9; 1Ki 13:16-17). He then suggested that instead he should prepare a burnt offering for Yahweh, as a sign of worship, dedication and obedience. His gratitude was due to Yahweh. We can compare with this where Gideon prepared a meal but it became a burnt offering (Jdg 6:20-21).
“Manoah did not know that he was the Angel of Yahweh.” From Jdg 13:8 we know that Manoah thought that the visitor was a ‘man of God’, a prophet, and he still held that view. Thus the offer of the meal. His wife may still not have been sure Who the visitor was, or even what God He represented. Thus the Angel’s reply clarified the situation for the wife, and directed Manoah as to where his main responsibility lay. Honour was not to be paid to the messenger but to God Himself.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 13:16. And if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord Manoah, as we observed, supposing this divine personage to be a prophet, was desirous to entertain him in a hospitable manner, and agreeably to his extraordinary commission; See Gen 18:3-4 and ch. Jdg 6:18 but the angel told him, that though he should comply with his request, and stay, yet he would not eat of his food; insinuating thereby who he was “But, continues he, (not and, as we render it,) if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, if thou hast a mind to express thy thankfulness, thou mayest offer a burnt-offering unto the Lord.” A prophet, as Manoah took this to be, might authorize men to sacrifice, though they were not priests, or at the tabernacle; as Elijah did at Mount Carmel. The next words of this verse might be more properly connected with the 17th, thus: Now Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord; therefore he said unto him, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.
It is not strange that Monoah should be unconscious who this angel was: for when our Lord Jesus Christ came in substance of our flesh, and in a more open display of his Person, when he came to his own, his own received him not. Joh 1:11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 13:16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he [was] an angel of the LORD.
Ver. 16. I will not eat of thy bread. ] I need it not, as you mortal wights do, since Animantis cuiusque vita in fuga est, your life must be upheld by food, but not so mine: I am more than a creature. It is by degrees that Christ revealeth himself.
And if thou wilt offer a burnt offering.
Thou must offer it unto the Lord.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
bread. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species). App-6. Put for all kinds of food.
offer = prepare. App-43.
offer it = cause it to ascend. App-43.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
I will not: As I am a spiritual being, I subsist not by earthly food; and cannot partake of your bounty.
and if: etc. Rather, “but if thou wilt offer,” etc.. unto thee, Jdg 13:23, Jdg 6:26
Reciprocal: Gen 16:10 – the angel Gen 18:7 – General Gen 32:29 – Wherefore Jon 1:16 – offered
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
13:16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the {h} LORD. For Manoah knew not that he [was] an angel of the LORD.
(h) Showing that he did not seek his own honour but God’s, whose messenger he was.