Judges 13:15

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) A kid for thee.—Literally, before thy face. The narrative is closely analogous to that of the appearance of the angel to Gideon, and there is the same uncertainty in the terms used, so that we cannot certainly decide whether Manoah’s object was to offer a sacrifice or to offer hospitality. The verb gnasoth, like the Greek rezein (LXX., poisin) and the Latin facere, means either “to do” or “to sacrifice.” A kid was a special delicacy (Genesis 27:9; 1Samuel 16:20). (See Augustine, Quaest., in Jud. vii. 53.)

Benson Commentary

Jdg 13:15-16. Until we shall have made ready a kid — He supposed him to be a man and a prophet, to whom he would in this manner express his respect, as was usual to strangers. I will not eat of thy bread — That is, meat, as bread is commonly taken in Scripture. If thou wilt offer a burnt- offering — As Manoah had made no mention of a burnt-offering, but only desired the angel, whom he took for a prophet, to accept of a repast with them, Le Clerc’s translation of this passage is to be preferred. But (not and, as we render it) if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering to the Lord, do it: that is, if thou desirest to express thy thankfulness to the Lord, thou mayest do it by offering a burnt-offering.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:15-23 What Manoah asked for instruction in his duty, he was readily told; but what he asked to gratify his curiosity, was denied. God has in his word given full directions concerning our duty, but never designed to answer other questionings. There are secret things which belong not to us, of which we must be quite contented to be ignorant, while in this world. The name of our Lord is wonderful and secret; but by his wonderful works he makes himself known as far as is needful for us. Prayer is the ascent of the soul to God. But without Christ in the heart by faith, our services are offensive smoke; in him, acceptable flame. We may apply this to Christ's sacrifice of himself for us; he ascended in the flame of his own offering, for by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, Heb 9:12. In Manoah's reflections there is great fear; We shall surely die. In his wife's reflection there is great faith. As a help meet for him, she encouraged him. Let believers who have had communion with God in the word and prayer, to whom he has graciously manifested himself, and who have had reason to think God has accepted their works, take encouragement from thence in a cloudy and dark day. God would not have done what he has done for my soul, if he had designed to forsake me, and leave me to perish at last; for his work is perfect. Learn to reason as Manoah's wife; If God designed me to perish under his wrath, he would not give me tokens of his favour.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The language of Manoah, like that of Gideon Judges 6:18, seems to indicate some suspicion that his visitor was more than human. The word rendered "made ready," is also the proper word for "offering a sacrifice," and is so used by the Angel in the next verse. By which it appears that the Angel understood Manoah to speak of offering a kid as a burnt-offering. Hence, his caution, "thou must offer it unto the Lord." (Compare Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:8; Acts 10:25-26.)

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Jud 13:15-23. Manoah's Sacrifice.

15. Manoah said unto the angel …, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid—The stranger declined the intended hospitality and intimated that if the meat were to be an offering, it must be presented to the Lord [Jud 13:6]. Manoah needed this instruction, for his purpose was to offer the prepared viands to him, not as the Lord, but as what he imagined him to be, not even an angel (Jud 13:16), but a prophet or merely human messenger. It was on this account, and not as rejecting divine honors, that he spoke in this manner to Manoah. The angel's language was exactly similar to that of our Lord (Mt 19:17).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

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 Genesis 18:5 Judges 6:18.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord,.... Being satisfied with what he had said, and perceiving that he chose to say no more, and was about to depart:

I pray thee let me detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee; to eat a meal with them, in token of gratitude for the trouble he had been at in bringing these messages to them, taking him to be a man, a prophet of the Lord, for whom they were wont to make entertainments; and Abarbinel thinks Manoah proposed this, on purpose to detain him, in hope that while they were eating together he would reveal some secrets unto him.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. that we may make ready a kid for thee] The prep, has a pregnant sense: ‘prepare a meal and set it before thee’; cf. Jdg 6:19 and Genesis 18:6-8. The words might mean offer a kid in thy presence; but under the circumstances this rendering is not probable.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - Let us detain thee, etc. He wishes to detain him as a guest till he has had time to cook a kid for him (cf. Genesis 18:7). For thee. The Hebrew is before thee. The phrase is elliptical. The full sentence would be, until we have dressed a kid and set it before thee, as in Genesis 18:8. Judges 13:15

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

As Manoah had not yet recognised in the man the angel of the Lord, as is observed by way of explanation in Judges 13:16, he wished, like Gideon (Judges 6:18), to give a hospitable entertainment to the man who had brought him such joyful tidings, and therefore said to him, "Let us detain thee, and prepare a kid for thee." The construction לפניך נעשׂה is a pregnant one: "prepare and set before thee." On the fact itself, see Judges 6:19.