Judges 13:3

3 1And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.

Judges 13:3 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 13:3

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman
According to Josephus F11, it was in a plain without the city; and that he appeared in the form of a man is certain from ( Judges 13:6 ) but was not a mere man, a prophet of the Lord, nor a created angel, but the uncreated one, the Angel of the covenant, the Son and Word of God, who often appeared in an human form; since his name is said to be "Wonderful", and he to do wonderful things, and is called "Jehovah", ( Judges 13:18 Judges 13:23 ) ,

and said unto her, behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not;
barren at that time, and so she had been ever since she was married to that time; and this is observed, that it might appear the more wonderful that she should after this have a child:

but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son;
which to do, must be ascribed to divine power, that one in her circumstances should bear a son; as the prediction of it was owing to divine omniscience, and a proof of it.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 2.

Judges 13:3 In-Context

1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children.
3 And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4 Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,
5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines."

Cross References 1

  • 1. Judges 6:12; Luke 1:11, 13
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.