Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · Judges · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
AND the children of Israel did evill in the sight of the Lord, and hee delivered V. 1.them into the hands of the Philistims forty yeares. How these 40 yeares are to bee reckoned, is very doubtfull, because they cannot come within the number of yeares that Samson judged Israel being but 20, Chap. 16. 31. Wherefore some will have these yeares to bee the time of an interregnum betweene Abdon and Samson; some to begin 20 yeares before Samson, in the time … the other Judges, and to continue all his time; and some reckon 20 of these yeares to Samson, and 20 to Ely, who is said to have judged Israel 40 yeares, 1 Sam. 4. 18. The first of these cannot bee admitted, because so the number of yeares from their comming out of Egypt to the building of Solomons Temple, will exceed that number, 1 King. 6. 1. as hath been shewed upon Josh. 24. 32. Against the second this seemeth to make, that they are not said to have been delivered into the Philistims hands, till after the death of Abdon: and against the third this maketh, that it is said of Samson before he was borne, that he should begin to deliver Israel out of the Philistims hands, V. 5. Therefore the Philistims oppressed them before that Samson was Judge. How any thing can bee answered to that which is objected against the first and third, I see not; but to that against the second, it may bee said, although their doing evill, and being delivered into the Philistims hands be not spoken of till after Abdons death, yet this might be done before, not long after the beginning of the time of the first of these three Judges, because all things in the sacred History are not alwayes set downe in the same order wherein they were done. Yet Eusebius, Genebrard, Lyra, and Euseb. in Chron. Genebrardus, &c.Tostatus are for the third, because Samson did but begin to deliver Israel from the Philistims, and they were still grievous enemies to them in Elies time. Wheras it is objected, that Israel was under the oppression of the Philistims before Samson was borne: it is answered, that this is no where plainly affirmed, but when Samson was a man growne, Chap. 14. 4. and therefore that of his beginning to deliver Israel out of the Philistims hands, might bee spoken by way of Prophesie, before that Israel fell into their hands; and to this, as most probable of all these Opinions doe I subscribe. The next words then, wherein the history of Samson is begun: There was a man of Zorah, of the family of the V. 2.Danites, whose name was Manoah, &c. are not so to bee understood, as if before this Israel had sinned, and was delivered to the Philistims, but because the Lord would have the whole history of Samson knowne, from his birth to his death; the manner of his birth, which was many yeares before, is here set downe. From the time of the Philistims having dominion over Israel, viz. 40 yeares, Ferus noteth, that this was a greater punishment then any that they had yet suffered, for they were never under any enemy so long; which intimateth, Ferus.that they which sinne againe and againe after punishments and deliverances, shall bee punished more grievously, according to that, Goe thy way and Note. sinne no more, lest a worse thing befall thee. Of Zorah, the City, of which Manoah was, see Josh. 19. 41. and most aptly was one raised up of this place and tribe against the Philistims, because it was neare unto them. Josephus saith, that Manoah was the best man among the Danites, and that his wife was very Ioseph Anti{que} lib. 5 c. 10.faire, and that he was jealous of her, and much grieved because hee had no childe by her; for which cause hee prayed most earnestly to the Lord, who sent an Angel to her being alone, to bring her this joyfull message, that shee should conceive and beare a sonne. In Samson God shewed his power, saith Ferus, more then in any of the Judges before-going, in that he caused a barreu Ferus.Woman to beare him, and gave him such extraordinary strength, as if hee would raise them up a deliverer out of the stones, that his power being herein acknowledged, they might at length begin to feare and serve him.
The Angel appearing to Manoah his wife, told her, that although shee had been hitherto barren, yet now shee should conceive and bear a sonne, bidding V. 3, 4.her to abstaine from wine and strong drinke, and from eating any thing uncleane, V. 5.because he should be a Nazarite from the wombe, therefore no rasour must come upon his head; and hee saith, that he should begin to deliver Israel from the Philistims. 1. Hee telleth her that shee was barren, that shee might bee the more attentive to him, as to an Angel or Prophet of God, which knew secrets, as the woman of Samaria gathered that Christ was a Prophet, because Joh. 4.hee told her of her husbands. 2. Because this childe should bee a Nazarite, he forbiddeth her wine and strong drinke, as is forbidden to Nazarites, Numb. 6. to teach, that a mother which would have an holy childe, must her selfe be h…y and temperate, for the childe commonly taketh after the mother. 3. According to the law of Nazarites, hee saith, that no rasour should come upon his head all his life time, other Nazarites were such but for a time, and then they were shorne, but this childe must be a Nazarite for ever. 4. Hee saith, that he should deliver Israel, a man separated to serve God in a strict and austere kind of living in private, and never exercised in feates of Armes; that he should at length come forth and fight against whole Troopes of the Philistims alone, and beat them downe, was admirable; but thus God to shew his power ordained that it should bee, whose wayes are not like mans wayes, but by contemptible and unlikely meanes worketh wonders when he pleaseth; thus Ferus. But shee is forbidden wine and strong drinke also, and the eating of things uncleane by the Law, Levit. 11. because the childe in the mothers womb, partaketh with her, and liveth upon the same nourishment, that her child therefore might live according to the law of Nazarites, both from the wombe and in the womb, these things are injoyned her: and it is to be held, that it was meant that she should continue in this abstinence all the time that shee gave him suck, there being still the like reason in regard of the childe. Touching the eating of any uncleane thing forbidden her, which is more then is spoken of in the law of Nazaritisme, Numb. 6. and more then needed, because this was forbidden to all the people of God, Levit. 11. it may bee conceived that the corruption of those times was such, that they lived not according to the Law; and therefore shee in particular was put in mind of this also, as being a thing as much to bee shunned, by a Nazarite especially, as Wine or strong drinke.
Hee shall begin to deliver Israel; this is spoken to shew that hee should not, as other Deliverers, utterly subdue the Philistims at once, but by little and little waste and destroy many of them, and weaken them so, as that they should not bee able so powerfully to oppresse the Israelites as in former times, but they should by his meanes have some respite from their tyranny.
Vers. 6, 7. Manoahs wife having seen and heard all this alone, telleth it to V. 6, 7. V. 8, 9, 10.her husband, who prayed unto God, that the man of God might come again, and was heard, and the Angel was sent againe, &c. In Manoah's wife, saith Ferus, wee may see an example of the womans subjection to her husband, and Ferus.of the unity wherein they lived together, in that shee rested not in the vision which shee had seene, but first told her husband, that shee might have his counsell; a thing wherein Evah failed when the Serpent spake unto her, and so fell most foully; and he likewise having heard his wives relation of a man comming to her alone, upbraided her not, but being confident touching his wives chastity, prayed, that the Angel appearing in the likenesse of a man, might come againe to instruct them touching the ordering of the childe. For touching the woman, hee had heard already what shee should beware of, but no particular instructions had been given touching the childe, wherein he gave an example of an holy sollicitude to all Parents about the education of their children according to the will of God. And in all these things this marryed couple are to bee imitated by all others in the same estate, by the wives being subject to her owne husband, and taking his advice in all matters of moment, their living together in love and unity and in their solicitude about the good education V. 13, 14.of their children. The Angel appearing againe and being desired by Manoah to give him directions, how to order the childe, answereth nothing touching him, but touching his mother, as before, supposing, that hereby it would easily be understood, that hee should abstaine from the same things, seeing he was to be a Nazarite. Then Manoah prayeth him to stay, till he V. 15, 16, V. 17, 18. Lyra.had made ready a kid, and hee refusing to eate, hee craved his name, but was denyed it, the Angel saying, why dost thou inquire after my name, which is secret? that is, according to Lyra, because Angels have names according to message, that they are sent about, and so hee that is called by one name now, varyeth his name afterwards, when hee is sent upon another message, and because hee knoweth not, what that shall be, till that it is revealed unto him, hee saith here, that his name is secret: thus hee following the Hebrews, who ground this upon Esa. 6. where the Angel, that touched Esays lips with a coale from the Altar, is called Seraphim, because of that imployment, but was not of the order of the Seraphim. I thinke rather with Ferus, that hee reproveth Ferus.him for asking after his name, as being a point of curiosity and no way tending to edification, and herein we are all forbidden to enquire after such things, and to pry into the secrets of the Lord: so likewise to Iacob asking the name of the Angel, that wrestled with him, hee said, Why dost thou inquire after my Gen 23 19.name? For the Angels doubtlesse have names, whereby they are distinguisht one from another, as Michael and Gabriel, and Raphael, but they are not to be knowne by us in this mortall life any further, then it pleaseth God to reveale them. For these words, which is secret, the Vulgar Latine hath, which is wonderfull, and Junius, fuit que mirificus, the reason of which he saith, may Junius.bee gathered from that, which followeth, v. 19. the Angel of the Lord did wonderfully: and the text favoureth this, because the same word foreign, which is here used, is againe used there, and it signifyeth either secret or wonderfull; neither is there any word in the Hebrew signifying which is, but according to Junius, and hee was wonderfull.
So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering; and offered it upon a rocke, and the V. 19.Angell did wonderfully, &c. If it be demanded, how Manoah being no Priest could offer sacrifice, and that out of the place appointed, viz. the place of the Tabernacle? It is easily answered, that this was extraordinarily done by particular direction, as Gedeons sacrifice before. But Lyra and some others Lyra Bonfrerius.say, that Manoah offered it not, but brought it to the Angel, who offered it, hee and his wife onelyonly looking on: but because v. 16. the Angel bad him offer a burnt-offering to the Lord, it is rather to bee held, that hee offered it, and the Angel went up in the flame, which it seemeth came miraculously out of the rock, as before when Gedeon offered. v. 21. Then V. 21. 22:Manoah knew, that it was an Angel of the Lord, and said, wee shall surely dye; because wee have seene God, &c. In the like feare was Gedeon, Ch. 6. 22, 23. of the ground of which feare see Exod. 33. 20. but his wife useth divers strong Arguments V. 23.to expell this feare out of him. Then the woman conceived and bare a V. 24.sonne and called his name Samson, &c. This name is thought by Jerom to come of foreign the Sunne, so that Samson signifyeth either their Sun according to some, or a little Sunne being a disinutive word, according to others; Josephus Hugo Cardin. Mercerus.expoundeth it Robustus, because as the strength of the Sunne in the heat thereof, so his strength was irresistible. And the childe grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of God moved him at times in the tents of Dan. That is, the Lord put the Spirit of fortitude and strength into him, extraordinary, some signes whereof hee shewed amongst those of his tribe, viz. the Danites, who dwelt in tents, at such times as the Spirit moved him hereunto, whereby some hope might bee conceived of his future valiant acts to bee done against the enemie.