Judges 13:12 Study Bible: Manoah said, "Now let your word happen. How shall the child be raised and what is he to do?"

◄ Judges 13:12 ►

Then Manoah asked, "When your words come to pass, what will be the boy's rule of life and mission?"

Then Manoah asked
The name "Manoah" in Hebrew means "rest" or "quiet." Manoah's inquiry reflects a deep desire for understanding and guidance, a common theme in the lives of those who seek God's will. His approach is one of humility and faith, as he seeks clarity from the divine messenger. This moment underscores the importance of seeking God's direction in parenting and life decisions.

When your words come to pass
This phrase demonstrates Manoah's faith in the angel's message. The certainty in "when" rather than "if" indicates a strong belief in God's promises. In the Hebrew context, words from God are seen as powerful and certain, reflecting the belief that God's declarations are as good as done. This faith is a model for believers, encouraging them to trust in God's promises even before they see them fulfilled.

What will be the boy’s rule of life
The term "rule of life" suggests a divinely ordained path or set of guidelines. In Hebrew culture, a "rule" often refers to a way of living that aligns with God's commandments. Manoah's question reveals a desire to understand the specific calling and lifestyle that God has planned for his son, emphasizing the importance of raising children according to God's will.

And mission
The word "mission" implies a purpose or task assigned by God. In the context of Samson, the mission was to begin the deliverance of Israel from the Philistines. This highlights the biblical theme that each person has a God-given purpose. For conservative Christians, this serves as a reminder that every life has a divine mission, and it is crucial to seek and fulfill that purpose in accordance with God's plan.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Manoah
A man from the tribe of Dan, Manoah is the father of Samson. He is characterized by his desire to understand God's will for his son.

2. Angel of the LORD
A divine messenger who appears to Manoah and his wife, announcing the birth of Samson and his future role as a Nazirite dedicated to God.

3. Samson
The future son of Manoah, who is to be a Nazirite from birth. His life and mission are central to the account of Judges 13-16.

4. Zorah
The town in the territory of Dan where Manoah and his family lived.

5. Nazirite Vow
A special vow of dedication to God, which includes abstaining from wine, not cutting one's hair, and avoiding contact with the dead.

Teaching Points

Understanding God's Will
Manoah's question reflects a desire to understand God's specific plan for his son. As believers, we should seek to understand God's will for our lives and the lives of those we influence.

Faith in God's Promises
Manoah's faith is evident in his question, "when your words come to pass," showing confidence in God's promises. We are called to trust in God's promises, even when the details are not fully revealed.

Raising Godly Children
The passage highlights the responsibility of parents to seek God's guidance in raising their children according to His purposes. Parents today should pray for wisdom and guidance in nurturing their children's spiritual growth.

Divine Purpose and Mission
Samson's life was set apart for a specific mission. Each believer has a unique calling and purpose in God's kingdom, and we should seek to fulfill it faithfully.

The Role of Divine Messengers
The appearance of the Angel of the LORD underscores the importance of divine guidance. We should be attentive to God's messages, whether through Scripture, prayer, or other means.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Manoah's approach to understanding God's will for his son challenge or inspire your own approach to seeking God's guidance in your life?

2. In what ways can the Nazirite vow inform our understanding of living a life set apart for God today?

3. How can the faith demonstrated by Manoah in this passage encourage us to trust in God's promises, even when we do not have all the details?

4. What practical steps can parents take to seek God's guidance in raising their children according to His purposes?

5. How can we discern and pursue the unique mission and purpose God has for each of us, as seen in the life of Samson?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Numbers 6
This chapter outlines the Nazirite vow, providing context for the lifestyle and mission that Samson is to follow.

1 Samuel 1
The account of Hannah and the birth of Samuel parallels the miraculous birth of Samson, highlighting themes of divine intervention and dedication to God.

Luke 1
The announcement of John the Baptist's birth shares similarities with Samson's account, emphasizing the role of divine messengers and the special calling of individuals from birth.

Sermons

Cheer for the Faint-Hearted	Spurgeon, Charles Haddon	Judges 13:1-25
Education of Children	W. A. Scott, D. D.	Judges 13:1-25
Fears Removed	W. Jay.	Judges 13:1-25
God and His People	Thomas Kirk.	Judges 13:1-25
God's Past Mercies a Ground of Hope for the Future	W. A. Scott, D. D.	Judges 13:1-25
Manoah and His Wife	Homilist	Judges 13:1-25
Manoah and His Wife	R. Halley, D. D.	Judges 13:1-25
Manoah's Wife	J. Parker, D. D.	Judges 13:1-25
Manoah's Wife and Her Excellent Argument	Spurgeon, Charles Haddon	Judges 13:1-25
Money Bequeathed by Parents to Their Children	W. Arnot.	Judges 13:1-25
Mysteries of Providence	A. P. Peabody.	Judges 13:1-25
Past Tokens of Divine Favour an Encouragement Against Fears		Judges 13:1-25
Some Lessons of Catastrophes	John Jamieson, M. A., Arthur Ritchie.	Judges 13:1-25
The Angelic Appearances to Manoah and His Wife	H. J. Bevis.	Judges 13:1-25
The Spectacle of Life and the Opposite Conclusions Drawn from It	W. W. Newton.	Judges 13:1-25
The Spirit World	Homilist	Judges 13:1-25
Unrecognised Angels	Wm. Ewen, B. D.	Judges 13:1-25
Parental Anxiety and its Satisfying	A.F. Muir	Judges 13:12-14

People

Dan, Danites, Manoah, Samson

Places

Eshtaol, Mahaneh-dan, Pirathon, Zorah

Topics

Boy's, Child, Custom, Fulfilled, Manner, Manoah, Mano'ah, Mode, Order, Ordering, Pass, Rule, Vocation, Youth

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Judges 13:2-14

4458 grape

Judges 13:2-23

8474 seeing God

Judges 13:2-25

5652 babies

Judges 13:3-22

1511 Trinity, relationships in
5976 visiting

Judges 13:9-16

4478 meat

Library

The Wonderful.
Isaiah ix:6. HIS name shall be called "Wonderful" (Isaiah ix:6). And long before Isaiah had uttered this divine prediction the angel of the Lord had announced his name to be Wonderful. As such He appeared to Manoah. And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor. And the angel of Jehovah said unto Him "why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is Wonderful" (margin, Judges xiii:17-18). This angel of Jehovah, the Person who …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Of the Name of God
Exod. iii. 13, 14.--"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." We are now about this question, What God is. But who can answer it? Or, if answered, who can understand it? It should astonish us in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Characters and Names of Messiah
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. S uch was the triumphant exultation of the Old Testament Church! Their noblest hopes were founded upon the promise of MESSIAH; their most sublime songs were derived from the prospect of His Advent. By faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, they considered the gracious declarations …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
In order accurately to understand the position of woman in Israel, it is only necessary carefully to peruse the New Testament. The picture of social life there presented gives a full view of the place which she held in private and in public life. Here we do not find that separation, so common among Orientals at all times, but a woman mingles freely with others both at home and abroad. So far from suffering under social inferiority, she takes influential and often leading part in all movements, specially …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Incarnation.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that hath been made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was …
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I

A Cloud of Witnesses.
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.... By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Doctrine of God
I. THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: (Vs. Atheism). 1. ASSUMED BY THE SCRIPTURES. 2. PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. a) Universal belief in the Existence of God. b) Cosmological:--Argument from Cause. c) Teleological:--Argument from Design. d) Ontological:--Argument from Being. e) Anthropological:--Moral Argument. f) Argument from Congruity. g) Argument from Scripture. II. THE NATURE OF GOD: (Vs. Agnosticism) 1. THE SPIRITUALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Materialism). 2. THE PERSONALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Pantheism). 3. THE UNITY …
Rev. William Evans—The Great Doctrines of the Bible

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his Adherents, in this Respect, in Tyrannically Oppressing and Destroying Souls.
1. The power of the Church in enacting laws. This made a source of human traditions. Impiety of these traditions. 2. Many of the Papistical traditions not only difficult, but impossible to be observed. 3. That the question may be more conveniently explained, nature of conscience must be defined. 4. Definition of conscience explained. Examples in illustration of the definition. 5. Paul's doctrine of submission to magistrates for conscience sake, gives no countenance to the Popish doctrine of the obligation …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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