The Angel of the LORD Appears

By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

The video version of this teaching is available at: https://youtu.be/OnAaJ5ClV04

The scripture reading is Judges 13:2-25

In this week’s Haftarah, we encounter an Angel of the LORD who appears to the wife of a man named Manoah. She is barren, having no children. The angel has a special message for this woman; she is to have a son.  This would not be just any son, but would be a special son, set apart for a special purpose.

Judges 13:2-5 NKJV 2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family 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, "Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 "Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean. 5 "For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

This special son is none other than Samson who’s name is not mentioned until the very end of chapter 13. But there are some interesting things in this Haftarah that are worth exploring.  Why were Manoah and his wife chosen to bring forth this miraculous child?  But most importantly, who is this Angel of the LORD?

Before we explore the identity of this angel, lets look at the context of this story. Verse one of chapter 13 tells us that once again the Children of Israel were doing evil in the sight of the LORD and they were under the control of the Philistines.

Judges 13:1 NKJV 1 Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

In these opening verses we see a pattern of repeated evil in the sight of the LORD. The word evil in this verse is the Hebrew word “Ra” number 7451 in the Strong’s Concordance meaning affliction, bad, calamity, distress or evil. The same word is used in Genesis to describe the time of Noah.

Genesis 6:5 NKJV 5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Another connection with Noah is the name of the “certain man” named in verse 2, Manoah. Number 4494 meaning rest.  The letter mem at the beginning of his name adds the meaning “from.” Manoah literally means “from rest”, or “from Noah”. And like Noah, Manoah was a righteous man before God in a time of rebellion and evil.

The actions of the children of Israel and the presence of the name Manoah take us to a time like that of Noah. Noah’s generation was the tenth generation from Adam and completed the pre-flood era, a time of great evil. Noah found grace in God’s eyes in his generation bringing forth new life after the flood. In the time of Manoah, we see again an evil generation that refuses to repent of its actions.  As a result of their evil, the Children of Israel had come under the oppression of the Philistines for forty years. Yeshua, in His time, said that the Scribes and Pharisees are an “evil and adulterous” generation. Also the time of Yeshua’s return will be like the days of Noah.

Matthew 24:37 NKJV 37 "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

The Philistines always seem to be lurking in the background in the pre-Davidic Israel.  The actual meaning of the name “Philistine” is unclear, but is sometimes translated as “strangers, or foreigners” as found in the Septuagint. In our modern culture, when we describe someone as being a philistine, we are describing them as crude or uncultured.  But the ancient Philistines, although rather war-like and a constant thorn in the side of the people of Israel, are anything but uncultured as recent archeological evidence has revealed.

As we continue, verse 5 of our reading indicates that this special son to be born of the barren wife of Manoah will be a Nazarite. The associated Torah Portion for this week, Numbers 4:21 through 7:89, contains the teaching about the Nazarite vow. From even before birth the woman’s son will be a Nazarite and will be dedicated for a great purpose of God. After the angel appeared to her, bringing her news of this miraculous birth, the woman went to tell her husband about the experience.

Judges 13:6-7 NKJV 6 So the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. 7 "And He said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now drink no wine or similar drink, nor eat anything unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"

One of the outstanding Biblical reasons for a visitation of an angel is to announce the birth of someone important.  There are several examples of this. An angel appeared to Hagar, also to Sarah, Rebecca, and Hannah! In addition, the Angel of the LORD also appeared to Zachariah who’s wife Elizabeth was barren. Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist. The angel also appeared to Miriam, the mother of Yeshua.

Luke 1:26-31 NKJV 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS (Yeshua).

The text of our Haftarah tells us that Manoah’s wife was barren.  There are several such barren women who are granted the gift of bearing a son, such as Sarah, Hannah, and Elizabeth. Each of these were godly women, yet barren. The Expositors Bible Commentary points out:

“Since the Israelites considered children as a gift from God they viewed barrenness as a mark of divine disfavor. To die childless was tragic indeed.”[i]

The angel appearing to Manoah’s wife brought two messages to her. First was the future birth of a son. Also, one must note that there is no rebuke for her. She had done nothing wrong to cause her barrenness.

The second thing the angel tells her is that this son will be a Nazarite from birth, and even before birth! This would require that she would become a Nazarite as well.

The word Nazarite comes from the Hebrew word nazir, number 5139 meaning separate or consecrated. One who takes a Nazarite Vow is totally dedicated or consecrated to God for a special task. First Fruits of Zion in their work Torah Club, Volume 3 explains the primary requirements of the Nazarite.

“In order to accomplish this dedication, the Nazarite was required to observe three things: 1)total abstinence from grapes or all grape products, 2)refrain from cutting his hair during the time of the vow, 3)avoid coming near a corpse. Any breach of these stipulations nullified the period of consecration and a new beginning had to take place.”[ii]

There are only a few references in scripture of a person or persons having taken a Nazarite vow. One that stands out the most is recorded in 1^st Samuel where Elkanah and his entire household take the vow!

1 Samuel 1:20-21 NKJV 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the LORD." 21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

Another prime biblical example of those taking a Nazarite vow is recorded in the book of Acts concerning the apostle Paul.

Acts 21:22-24,26 NKJV 22 "What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 "Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 "Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law… 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.

There is no specific provision for a person to be a Nazarite from birth. This child, to be born of Manoa’s wife was to be unique. Verse 5 give us a hint to the special task set aside for this child. He is to “deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." It was an important enough task that Manoah and his wife were told what the task would be even before the child was born.

Manoah listened to his wife’s account of the visit of this angel and prayed seeking additional knowledge about this special child they were to be blessed with.

Judges 13:8 NKJV 8 Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, and said, "O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born."

In his prayer, Manoah calls this visitor a “Man of God” clearly recognizing him as being in human form. The angel or man again appeared to Manoah’s wife while in the field and she quickly goes to retrieve her husband.

Judges 13:9-11 NKJV 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 Then the woman ran in haste and told her husband, and said to him, "Look, the Man who came to me the other day has just now appeared to me!" 11 So Manoah arose and followed his wife. When he came to the Man, he said to Him, "Are You the Man who spoke to this woman?" And He said, "I am."

The Angel of the LORD relays to Manoah the same instruction that he had earlier given to Manoah’s wife. In verse 15 Manoah implores the man to stay and eat with them. We see a situation very similar to this with Abraham when he is visited by three strangers in Genesis 18.

Genesis 18:1-5 NKJV 1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, "My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 "Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 "And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant."…

In Manoah’s case the angel refused to eat with them. In the near Middle-East culture of the day, this would normally be considered an insult. But Manoah begins to realizes that this visitor is no mere man when he is instructed to instead sacrifice a burnt offering to the LORD.

Judges 13:15-16 NKJV 15 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You." 16 And the Angel of the LORD said to Manoah, "Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD." (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the LORD.)

The gift of hospitality which Manoah directed to the Angel of the LORD, was instead redirected by instruction of the Angel to God! But there is more to be gleaned from this Haftarah about this Angel of the LORD. Manoah further questions him, asking his name.

Judges 13:17-18 NKJV 17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the LORD, "What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?" 18 And the Angel of the LORD said to him, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?"

As we have seen on many occasions in our studies, in the Bible the names of people are very important and more often than not reflect some aspect of their life. Did Manoah think that perhaps this angel’s name went hand in hand with his ability to predict this future son? Would such a name be an additional source of assurance to Manoah that the angel’s words would come to pass? The angel answers saying, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?"

The angel avoids a direct answer very similar to what the angel did in dealing with Jacob in Genesis 32:29.

Genesis 32:29 NKJV 29 Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there.

In Manoah’s case, what was it that was “wonderful?” Was it the work that the angel performed in predicting Manoah’s future son? Or was the name of the angel too “wonderful” for Manoah to know?

The Hebrew word translated as wonderful in verse 18 is “pilee,” number 6383 meaning remarkable, secret, or wonderful. It is from the primitive root word “pawlaw” which means difficult or hidden. It would more likely be an attribute or characteristic of the Angel of the LORD rather than a direct name. The same word is used by Isaiah in reference to the Messiah.

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

As we read on in our Haftarah, we see that Manoah did indeed make a burnt offering to the LORD and Manoah and his wife witness something extraordinary.

Judges 13:19-21 NKJV 19 So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the LORD. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on- 20 it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar-the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. 21 When the Angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the LORD.

So, who is this Angel of the LORD?  Was he the same angel who visited Jacob? Was he the angel who visited Abraham in Genesis 18?  Was he the angel who again visited Abraham on Mount Mariah when Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac? Was this the same angel who appeared to Moses at the burning bush? But with many of these instances, as well as others, the scriptures say that it was the LORD himself who spoke. Was Manoah actually speaking with the Holy One?  How about Abraham and Moses?

It doesn’t take long before we get the impression that the “Angel of the LORD” is indeed some kind of appearance of the Holy One Himself! Perhaps this Angel of the LORD is the Memra, or word as John puts it in his Gospel.

John 1:1-2 NKJV 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Both Menoah and his un-named wife were convinced that they had been visited by the Holy One himself. When they witnessed the Angel of the LORD ascend to heaven on the flame of their burnt offering they immediately fell on their faces on the ground and believed without reservation.

In conclusion, there is one other aspect of the word translated as “wonderful” in verse 18 that we should consider. The same root word is used in this week’s Torah Portion in Numbers chapter 6 to introduce the teaching about the Nazarite.

Numbers 6:1-2 KJV 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD.

The term “shall separate” is also the Hebrew word pawlaw. Perhaps when Manoah heard the Angel of the LORD respond to Manoah’s question about his name, Manoah understood a deeper implication of the word pawlaw!

At the conclusion of the Haftarah we learn that the child of this promise is none other than Samson.  The LORD blessed him and when he became an adult, the spirit of God was with him.

Judges 13:24-25 NKJV 24 So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Manoah and his wife were always faithful to God in a time when the people did great evil in the sight of the LORD. They knew that Samson would be a special son because of the miracle of his birth which was predicted by the Angel of the LORD. They knew that God would carry out the promise that Samson would do a mighty work for the LORD.  Like Messiah to come, described by Isaiah as the wonderful, Samson would deliver his people from those who oppressed them!

Study Questions:

1. Discuss the connection of this teaching to the Torah Portion Naso, Numbers 4:21-7:89.

2. Why would Samson have to be a Nazarite? What is the significance or purpose for a person taking a Nazarite vow?  

3. Discuss the similarities and differences between Samson and the other children born of a barren woman in the Bible such as Samuel and John the John the Baptist?  How about others?

4. How is Samson’s birth and life a shadow of the Messiah? (Hint: You have to read further)

5. Can a person take a Nazarite vow today, following the guidelines found in Leviticus?

6. What new insight did you gain from this teaching? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you realign your life based on this new understanding?

© 2019 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.

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[i] Herbert Wolf, “Judges” from the Expositors Bible Comentary “”EBC”), vol.3,ed. By Frank E Gaebelein, p.461.

[ii] FFOZ Torah Club, Vol. 3 The Haftarah, p. 539