In brief
Manoah is a man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, in the days when the Philistines ruled over Israel. His wife was barren. When an angel of the Lord announces to her the birth of a son consecrated to God, Manoah prays that the man of God will come back to teach them. God answers him. Manoah offers a burnt offering and sees the angel go up in the flame of the altar. He becomes the father of Samson, who will be buried in his tomb.
What does the name Manoah mean?
Manoah is generally linked to a Hebrew root that evokes rest. The Bible does not explain this name. Manoah appears only in the story of the birth and life of his son Samson (Judges 13 to 16).
The story of Manoah
A home without a child
Judges 13:1-2Israel again does what is evil in the Lord’s sight, and he gives them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. In this setting lives Manoah, a man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites. The text states at the outset that his wife was barren and had no children. It is in this home marked by waiting that God will prepare a deliverer.
A father’s prayer
Judges 13:6-9His wife tells him that a man of God with an awesome appearance has announced a son consecrated to God. Manoah prays at once, asking that the man of God whom God sent come again to teach them what to do for the child who will be born. And God listened to the voice of Manoah.
What must be observed?
Judges 13:10-14The angel appears again to the woman, who runs to fetch her husband. Manoah follows her and asks the man what the rule for the child will be, and what they are to do for him, once his word comes true. The angel repeats his instructions: the woman is to eat nothing that comes from the vine and nothing unclean.
A wonderful name
Judges 13:15-18Manoah wants to keep his visitor and prepare a young goat for him, not knowing he is the angel of the Lord. The angel directs him to offer a burnt offering to the Lord. Manoah then asks him his name, so that they may honor him when his word comes true. The answer is mysterious: why ask his name, seeing it is wonderful?
The angel in the flame of the altar
Judges 13:19-23Manoah offers the young goat and the grain offering on the rock. As the flame goes up from the altar, the angel of the Lord goes up in the flame, and Manoah and his wife fall on their faces to the ground. Seized with fear, he says they will surely die, for they have seen God. His wife reassures him: if the Lord had meant to kill them, he would not have accepted their burnt offering.
Samson’s father
Judges 14:1-4The woman gives birth to a son, Samson, whom the Lord blesses (Judges 13:24). Later, when Samson wants to marry a Philistine woman of Timnah, his parents are troubled: is there no woman among their own people? They did not know that this was from the Lord. After his death, Samson is buried in the tomb of Manoah his father (Judges 16:31).
What Manoah teaches us
- Faced with a promise from God, the best response is to pray to know how to receive it.
- Raising a child is a mission to be received from God: Manoah asks what is to be done for the child who will be born.
- God answers sincere prayers, even when we do not understand everything he is doing.
- Fear before God’s holiness can be calmed by trust in his goodness, as Manoah’s wife showed.
Key verses
Manoah prays that the man of God will come back to teach them what to do for the child. A father’s prayer, wanting to receive God’s promise with seriousness.
To Manoah, who asks his name, the angel answers that it is wonderful. An answer that underlines the divine character of this messenger, whom Manoah will then recognize.
Manoah fears he will die for having seen God. His wife answers that the Lord, by accepting their burnt offering and showing them these things, did not intend to kill them.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Manoah
Frequently asked questions
Who was Manoah in the Bible?
Manoah was a man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, in the days when the Philistines ruled over Israel. His wife was barren until the angel of the Lord announced a son to her. Manoah prayed that the man of God would come back, offered a burnt offering and became the father of Samson (Judges 13).
Why was Manoah afraid of dying?
When the angel went up in the flame of the altar, Manoah understood that he was the angel of the Lord and told his wife they would die because they had seen God (Judges 13:22). She reassured him: the Lord would not have accepted their burnt offering or shown them all this if he had meant to kill them.
Where can I find the story of Manoah in the Bible?
The essentials are in Judges 13, which tells of the announcement of Samson’s birth and Manoah’s meeting with the angel of the Lord. He appears again in Judges 14, with Samson’s mother, when Samson wants to marry a Philistine woman, and Judges 16:31 mentions his tomb, between Zorah and Eshtaol.