Judges 13:7 - Prayer Tents

The Birth of Samson

13Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight, so the LORD handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.H1121H3478H6213H7451H3254H5869H3068H3068H5414H3027H6430H705H81412In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children.H259H376H6881H4940H1839H8034H4495H802H6135H32053The angel of the LORD appeared to Manoah's wife and said, "Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son.H4397H3068H7200H802H559H6135H3205H2029H3205H11214So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food

.H8104H8354H3196H7941H398H29315You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines."H2030H3205H1121H4177H5927H7218H5288H5139H430H990H2490H3467H3478H3027H64306The woman ran and told her husband, "A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God's angels, terrifying to see. I didn't ask where he was from, and he didn't tell me his name.H802H935H559H376H559H376H430H935H4758H4758H4397H430H3966H3372H7592H5046H80347But he told me, 'You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.'"H559H2030H3205H1121H7941H3196H8354H398H2932H5288H5139H430H990H3117H41948Then Manoah prayed to the LORD, saying, "Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born."H4495H6279H3068H559H994H136H4994H376H430H7971H935H3384H6213H5288H32059God answered Manoah's prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But her husband, Manoah, was not with her.H430H8085H6963H4495H4397H430H935H802H3427H7704H4495H37610So she quickly ran and told her husband, "The man who appeared to me the other day is here again!"H802H4116H7323H5046H376H559H376H7200H935H311711Manoah ran back with his wife and asked, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife the other day?" "Yes," he replied, "I am."H4495H6965H3212H310H802H935H376H559H376H1696H802H55912So Manoah asked him, "When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy's life and work?"H4495H559H1697H935H4941H5288H463913The angel of the LORD replied, "Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her.H4397H3068H559H4495H559H802H810414She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food."H398H3318H1612H8354H3196H7941H398H2932H6680H810415Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat."H4495H559H4397H3068H6113H6213H1423H5795H644016"I will stay," the angel of the LORD replied, "but I will not eat anything. However, you may prepare a burnt offering as a sacrifice to the LORD." (Manoah didn't realize it was the angel of the LORD.)H4397H3068H559H4495H6113H398H3899H518H6213H5930H5927H3068H4495H3045H4397H306817Then Manoah asked the angel of the LORD, "What is your name? For when all this comes true, we want to honor you."H4495H559H4397H3068H8034H1697H935H351318"Why do you ask my name?" the angel of the LORD replied. "It is too wonderful for you to understand."H4397H3068H559H7592H8034H6383H638319Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the LORD. And as Manoah and his wife watched, the LORD did an amazing thing.H4495H3947H1423H5795H4503H5927H6697H3068H6213H6381H4495H802H720020As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground.H3851H5927H8064H4196H4397H3068H5927H3851H4196H4495H802H7200H5307H6440H77621The angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Manoah finally realized it was the angel of the LORD,H4397H3068H3254H7200H4495H802H4495H3045H4397H306822and he said to his wife, "We will certainly die, for we have seen God!"H4495H559H802H4191H4191H7200H43023But his wife said, "If the LORD were going to kill us, he wouldn't have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn't have appeared to us and told us this wonderful thing and done these miracles."H802H559H3863H3068H2654H4191H3947H5930H4503H3027H7200H6256H8085H206324When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the LORD blessed him as he grew up.H802H3205H1121H7121H8034H8123H5288H1431H3068H128825And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol.H7307H3068H2490H6470H4264H1835H6881H847