The Birth of Samson

Judges 13

1 And the people of Israel again u did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them v into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

2 There was a certain man of w Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. x And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 y 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 z and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. a No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be z a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall b begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines." 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, c "A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. d I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name, 7 but he said to me, e 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"

8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, "O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born." 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, "Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me." 11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to this woman?" And he said, "I am." 12 And Manoah said, "Now when your words come true, f what is to be the child's manner of life, and what is his mission?" 13 And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, g neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe."

15 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "Please let us detain you and h prepare a young goat for you." 16 And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, "If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord." (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.) 17 And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, i "What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?" 18 And the angel of the Lord said to him, j "Why do you ask my name, seeing k it is wonderful?" 19 So l Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works 1 wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. 20 And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, m and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. n Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, n "We shall surely die, for we have seen God." 23 But his wife said to him, "If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these." 24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. o And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 p And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between q Zorah and Eshtaol.

  1. Cross References
    Judges 2:11
    And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals.
  2. Cross References
    Judges 3:31
    After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.
    Judges 10:7
    So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites.
    1 Samuel 12:9
    But they forgot the Lord their God. And he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them.
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 19:41
    And the territory of its inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh.
    Joshua 15:33
    And in the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah.
  4. Cross References
    1 Samuel 1:2
    He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
    Luke 1:7
    But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
  5. Cross References
    Judges 6:12
    And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.
    Luke 1:11
    And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
    Luke 1:13
    But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
  6. Cross References
    Judges 13:7
    But he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'
    Judges 13:14
    She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.
    Numbers 6:2 - 3
    Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord.
    Luke 1:15
    For he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
  7. Cross References
    Judges 16:17
    And he told her all his heart, and said to her, "A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.
    1 Samuel 1:11
    And she vowed a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.
    Numbers 6:5
    All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.
  8. Cross References
    Judges 13:4
    Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 7:13
    So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
    2 Samuel 8:1
    After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
    1 Chronicles 18:1
    After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.
  10. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 33:1
    This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death.
  11. Cross References
    Judges 13:17 - 18
    And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, "What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?
  12. Cross References
    Judges 13:3 - 5
    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.
  13. Cross References
    Luke 1:66
    And all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.
  14. Cross References
    Judges 13:4
    Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
    Judges 13:7
    But he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
  15. Cross References
    Judges 6:19
    So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them.
    Genesis 18:5 - 8
    While I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on - since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said.
  16. Cross References
    Judges 13:6
    Then the woman came and told her husband, "A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name.
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 32:29
    Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him.
  18. Cross References
    Isaiah 9:6
    For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
  19. Cross References
    Judges 6:19 - 21
    So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them.
  20. Cross References
    Leviticus 9:24
    And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
    1 Chronicles 21:16
    And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
    Ezekiel 1:28
    Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
  21. Cross References
    Judges 6:22
    Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.
  22. Cross References
    Judges 13:21
    The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord.
  23. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:21
    Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.
    1 Samuel 3:19
    And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
    Luke 1:80
    And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
    Luke 2:52
    And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
  24. Cross References
    Judges 3:10
    The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
  25. Cross References
    Judges 18:11
    So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
    Joshua 15:33
    And in the lowland, Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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