Judg. 13 The Philistines again oppress Israel, Judg. 13:1. An angel appeareth to Manoah’s wife, promising her a son that should be a Nazarite, and deliver Israel, Judg. 13:2–5. She informs her husband hereof: he prayeth, and obtaineth a return of the angel, Judg. 13:6–14.

Did evil, i.e. fell into idolatry, &c., not now after the death of Abdon the last judge, but in the days of the former judges. Forty years, to be computed not from Abdon’s death, but before that time, as is evident both from Judg.

Zorah; a city, of which see Josh. 15:33, Josh. 19:41. Of the family, i.e. of the tribe or people, as family sometimes signifies, Josh. 7:17, Jer. 8:3, Jer. 10:25, Amos 3:1, Mic. 2:3, Zech. 14:18.

The angel of the Lord; the Son of God, oft so called in the Old Testament, as may be gathered from Judg. 13:18, yet distinguished from the Lord, because he appeared here as it were in the form of a servant, as a messenger sent from God, and was really a distinct person from God the Father.

Beware, I pray thee; because the child was to be a Nazarite from the womb, Judg. 13:5, and from the conception; and because the mother’s pollution extends to the child, she is enjoined from this time to observe the following rules belonging to the Nazarites.

A Nazarite; a person separated from others, and consecrated to God’s service. He shall begin to deliver Israel; and the deliverance shall be carried on and perfected by others, as it was in part by Eli, and Samuel, and Saul; but especially by David.

A man of God; a prophet, or sacred person, sent with a message from God. Very terrible, or, venerable, or awful, full of majesty.

Let thy words come to pass; or, thy words shall come to pass; I firmly believe that thy promises shall be fulfilled. How shall we order the child? what rules shall we observe about his education?

Whilst the child is in her womb, and after the child is born, let him observe the same orders.

Supposing him to be a man and a prophet, to whom he would in this manner express his respect, as was usual to strangers. See Gen. 18:5, Judg. 6:18.

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.

Either by making honourable mention of time, or by performing respect and service to thee, by a present, which they usually gave to prophets, 1 Sam. 9:7–8, 1 Kings 14:3.

Or, hidden from mortal men; or, wonderful, such as thou canst not comprehend; my nature or essence (which is oft signified by name in Scripture) is incomprehensible. This shows that this was the Angel of the covenant, the Son of God.

Meat-offerings were generally joined with the chief sacrifices. Offered it upon a rock; the angel’s presence and command being a sufficient warrant for the offering of sacrifice by a person who was no priest, and in a place otherwise forbidden.

The flame; either arising from the fire which Manoah brought for the offering, or produced by the angel out of the rock in a miraculous manner. From off the altar, i.e. from that part of the rock which served instead of an altar, upon which the sacrifice was laid.

Or, at this time; the particle as noting here, not likeness, but the truth and reality of the thing, as it doth Num. 11:1, Deut. 9:10, and elsewhere. This expression seems to have some emphasis in it, to enhance God’s mercy to them, as being afforded them in a time of such public and grievous…

i.e. Endowed him with all those graces and gifts of mind and body which were necessary for the work he was designed for.

To move him at times, i.e. to stir him up to heroical designs; to show forth his power in him in the frame of his mind, and in the strength of his body, discovered to his neighbours in extraordinary actions; to incline his heart to great attempts to the help and deliverance of God’s people; and to…