And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. Ver. 1. _And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord._] To whom any sin is an eyesore, but especially apostasy and idolatry, the sins... [ Continue Reading ]
And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name [was] Manoah; and his wife [was] barren, and bare not. Ver. 2. _A certain man of Zorah._] Samson's country, much ennobled by his name: as afterwards Co was by Hippocrates, Arpinum by Cicero, Hippo by Augustine, &c. _ An... [ Continue Reading ]
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou [art] barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Ver. 3. _And the angel of the Lord,_] _i.e., _ Christ the Angel of the Covenant, called afterwards by Manoah Elohim, and by his wife Jehovah... [ Continue Reading ]
Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean [thing]: Ver. 4. _Now therefore beware, I pray thee._] Since he must draw nourishment from thee, both in the womb and at the breasts; since the sanctifying of thy son must take beginning from thyself; be... [ Continue Reading ]
For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Ver. 5. _For the child shall be a Nazarite unto God._] And so a type of Christ, the g... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance [was] like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he [was], neither told he me his name: Ver. 6. _Then the woman came and told her husband._] Which because the fir... [ Continue Reading ]
But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean [thing]: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death. Ver. 7. _Behold, thou shalt conceive._] Had her husband been jealous, as Josephu... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. Ver. 8. _Then Manoah entreated the Lord._] So should we as oft as any difficulty ariseth in wedlock, or otherwise, espec... [ Continue Reading ]
And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband [was] not with her. Ver. 9. _And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah._] As he turneth not away any faithful prayer without a comfortable answer. Psa 66:20 _ As... [ Continue Reading ]
And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the [other] day. Ver. 10. _Ran, and showed her husband._] _See Trapp on "_ Jdg 13:6 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, [Art] thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I [am]. Ver. 11. _And Manoah arose, and went after his wife._] Whereby appeareth the unity wherein these two lived together, and that conjugal love which i... [ Continue Reading ]
And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and [how] shall we do unto him? Ver. 12. _How shall we order the child?_] Or, What shall be his office and his work? This their solicitude about the child was very commendable. Let it be parents' care, that “ _Ipsa Deo... [ Continue Reading ]
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. Ver. 13. _Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware,_] _sc., _ For her child's sake. And generally, that mother that would have a holy child, must herself be holy and temperate: for _Partus sequitur... [ Continue Reading ]
She may not eat of any [thing] that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean [thing]: all that I commanded her let her observe. Ver. 14. _She may not eat, &c., _] viz., While she is with child, or a nurse: and let her see that the child do much more refrai... [ Continue Reading ]
And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. Ver. 15. _Let us detain thee, until we shall, &c._] A prophet's reward they held him worthy of, even "double honour," 1Ti 5:17 that is, _Reverentia et alimonia,_ saith Ambrose... [ Continue Reading ]
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 wi... [ Continue Reading ]
And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What [is] thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour? Ver. 17. _What is thy name?_] This he asketh, not out of curiosity, but of an honest intent to do him honour, by some munus honorarium, honorary present, and all due respect bes... [ Continue Reading ]
And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it [is] secret? Ver. 18. _Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?_] Or, Wonderful, that is, incomprehensible. I am called as I am called; but such is thy weakness, that it surpasseth thy conception.... [ Continue Reading ]
_So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered [it] upon a rock unto the LORD: and [the angel] did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on._ Ver. 19. _So Manoah took a kid, &c._] Both the sacrifiser and the altar were extraordinary; but they had Christ's warrant for it. Jdg 19:16 _... [ Continue Reading ]
For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on [it], and fell on their faces to the ground. Ver. 20. _When the flame went up toward heaven._] As it doth naturally. God can... [ Continue Reading ]
But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he [was] an angel of the LORD. Ver. 21. _Then Manoah knew that he was an angel._] Even that Angel of the covenant, the Angel of the great council, as the Septuagint styles him. _a_ _/LXXE _ Isa 9:6 prefixi... [ Continue Reading ]
And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. Ver. 22. _And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die._] The most valiant Gideon said as much in effect. Jdg 6:22 This opinion grew, as it is thought, from the misunderstanding of that text, "There shall no man see... [ Continue Reading ]
But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these [things], nor would as at this time have told us [such things] as these. Ver. 23. _But his wife said unto him._] S... [ Continue Reading ]
And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. Ver. 24. _And called his name Samson._] That is, _Solilus,_ a little sun, a type of Christ "the Sun of Righteousness." Josephus expoundeth it, _Robustus,_ strong; because as the sun in his strength i... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol. Ver. 25. _And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times._] Or, Hither and thither, as the bells which hung in the skirts of Aaron's garment. Those bells have their name _(pagnamon)_ from _pag... [ Continue Reading ]