Annunciating Samson

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting October 12 to study Judges 13.  This chapter almost sounds like Luke 1, with Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary.

You will want a few translations for this chapter.  I recommend at least a King James in addition to the NIV favorite.  The NASB and ESV are also very good for this chapter.  If you can, try to review all four.

All those should get you reading the chapter through a few times.  Make sure you jot down questions and insights.  Once you have your own notes, review a commentary or two.  Revise your questions and notes, and then go through the questions below:

• The new "bad guy" is the Philistines.  Look at a map of Canaan and see where this particular enemy is located.  Where is the "Tribe of Dan"?  What do you see that's odd about that?
• Manoah is named, but his wife is not.  Yet the Angel only goes to meet the mother.  Why do you think that might be?  Which of the parents is the "primary" character?
• Look up the "Nazarite" vow here.  From the article, we find that the vow was unusual to be a 'lifetime' vow, and never by the individual.  So, what do you think this lifetime vow meant for Samson growing up and during his adulthood?
• Notice that his mother also has to follow the "Nazarite" life during her pregnancy.  Why do you think that is, and what difference do you think this is supposed to make?
• The woman goes to tell her husband immediately.  From her description, who do you think she thinks came to visit her?
• Why do you think she would include the detail about where the "man of God" was from or his name?
• Manoah entreats (literally, prays) Yahweh to send back the "man of God".  And God does so.  Why do you think Yahweh listens to such a request?  Why is this in God's best interest?
• The Angel of Yahweh (v.3) and the Angel of God (v.9) are the same person.  Why do you think the writer uses different references here?
• The Angel of God appears to the woman sitting in a field.  What do you think she was doing there?  Why "sitting"?
• The woman runs to get Manoah, and he "gets up" to follow her?  Why do these two spend so much time "sitting"?  What do you think he's doing?
• Manoah begins to question the Angel of God.  He asks two questions, and the Angel seems perturbed and refers to the woman obeying what he has said.  What is the writer doing here, naming Manoah, but clearing putting the woman in front as the focus of Yahweh's attention?
• Then Manoah wants to be hospitable (prepare a goat).  But the Angel will not eat, why do you think that might be?
• The Angel suggests an offering to Yahweh, and the writer adds, "for Manoah did not know that he was the Angel of the Lord."  What difference do you think that would have made for what Manoah suggests?
• Verse 17 is weird.  It harkens back to the woman's comment about where the "man of God" was from and his name.  Why do you think that would be so important to Manoah? What do you think he means by, "honor" (and this is the normal Hebrew word for "honor")?
• What does the response of the Angel of God to Manoah tell you about how Yahweh feels about Manoah's request?
• Notice the Angel doesn't address the point about "honoring" him once the child happens.  Why do you think the name is a problem, but honoring him isn't?
• Verse 19 is difficult to translate, because the writer wasn't specific about who performed wonders.  So, the NIV has one view, the King James another, and the ESV yet another.  Other modern translations opt for the literal, "He performed wonders", avoiding the issue almost entirely.  So, who do you think performed the wonders before Manoah and his wife?
•  The Angel of Yahweh ascends in the flame to heaven.  From Manoah's and his wife's reaction, who do you think they think the Angel was?
• The Angel disappears, and Manoah knows he is the Angel of Yahweh (v. 21). From what he says to his woman, what seems to be the prevailing view about this Angelic Character?
• The nameless woman has a very different view from her husband, Manoah.  What does this tell you about this woman?  Why do you think she remains nameless?  What could be the writer's point?
• This term, "the Spirit of the Lord began to stir in him..." isn't found often (if at all) elsewhere in Scripture.  What do you think it means here?  Read ahead, do you still think that?

That should be enough oddities for our discussion.  It's a short chapter, but a fascinating beginning to one of the best Judges stories so far.  Remember to ask yourself what our Master is revealing to you about Himself, and your relationship with Him?