Judges 13 2

Judges 13:2 kjv

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

Judges 13:2 nkjv

Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.

Judges 13:2 niv

A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth.

Judges 13:2 esv

There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children.

Judges 13:2 nlt

In 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.

Judges 13 verses

Judges 13 2 Meaning

This verse introduces Manoah, a man from Zorah, of the tribe of Dan, and his unnamed wife. The core information provided is the wife's barrenness, meaning she was unable to bear children. This crucial detail establishes a foundational narrative theme in the Bible, signifying a humanly impossible situation that necessitates divine intervention for the conception and birth of a child, thereby setting the stage for Samson's miraculous entry into the world as a divinely appointed deliverer.

Judges 13 2 Context

Judges chapter 13 inaugurates the narrative of Samson, beginning with Israel's familiar cycle of sin and subsequent oppression, this time for forty years under the Philistines. The initial verse of the chapter concisely sets this historical backdrop: "The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years." Immediately following, verse 2 introduces Manoah and his barren wife. This barrenness serves as a key literary motif, paralleling the birth narratives of other prominent biblical figures like Isaac, Jacob, Samuel, and John the Baptist. It signals that the upcoming birth will not be a natural occurrence but a miraculous act of God, emphasizing divine initiation and appointment. The location in Zorah and Manoah's tribal affiliation with the Danites, who resided near the Philistine border and faced consistent pressure, sets the geopolitical stage for Samson's future role as a deliverer against Israel's oppressors.

Judges 13 2 Word analysis

• And there was: Hebrew, "wayəhî" (וַיְהִי). This phrase often initiates a new, significant development in biblical narrative.
• a certain man: Hebrew, "ʾîš eḥāḏ" (אִישׁ אֶחָד). Emphasizes he was an ordinary individual, making God's intervention stand out more profoundly.
• of Zorah: Hebrew, "miṣṣor‘â" (מִצָּרְעָה). A town in the Shephelah, the western foothills of Judah. Its strategic location near the Philistine frontier hints at the nature of the upcoming conflict.
• of the family: Hebrew, "mimmišpāḥaṯ" (מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת). Refers to a specific clan or ancestral lineage within the larger tribe.
• of the Danites: Hebrew, "haddānî" (הַדָּנִים). Pertaining to the tribe of Dan, whose territory faced direct Philistine pressure and later migrated northward. This places Samson firmly within a struggling tribe facing Israel's main oppressors.
• whose name was Manoah: Hebrew, "ūšəšmô mânôaḥ" (וּשְׁמוֹ מָנוֹחַ). His name means "rest" or "resting place." This is ironic, given the ongoing oppression and the lack of true "rest" in Israel, which Samson, despite his strength, only began to address.
• and his wife: Hebrew, "wəʾiššətô" (וְאִשְׁתּוֹ). Her name is not initially provided, highlighting that her physical condition is paramount to the narrative's setup, rather than her personal identity at this point.
• was barren: Hebrew, "ʿăqārâ" (עֲקָרָה). Meaning "sterile" or "childless." This recurring biblical motif signifies human inadequacy and provides the perfect backdrop for divine intervention, demonstrating God's sovereign power over creation.
• and bare not: Hebrew, "wəlo’ yāləḏâ" (וְלֹא יָלָדָה). Literally, "and she did not bear/give birth." This reinforces "was barren," emphatically confirming her inability to conceive by natural means, making the miraculous birth a certainty.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "a certain man...of the Danites, whose name was Manoah": This entire phrase grounds the upcoming supernatural events in specific, ordinary human circumstances and within the Israelite tribal and historical context. The details emphasize Samson's roots in a frontier tribe constantly threatened by the Philistines.
• "his wife was barren, and bare not": The repetition strongly emphasizes the absolute nature of her infertility. This serves as the divine narrative cue, signalling that the forthcoming birth is entirely God's doing, not a natural human accomplishment. This sets a trajectory where the child's destiny is inextricably linked to divine purpose, independent of human merit or capability.

Judges 13 2 Bonus section

• The fact that Samson's mother remains unnamed in this introductory verse highlights the literary focus on her condition (barrenness) rather than her individual identity, making the act of conception entirely God's work. Her role is defined by her infertility and then by being the recipient of divine grace.
• The thematic significance of barrenness is deeply theological: it signifies humanity's limits and the absolute need for divine intervention for life, particularly for significant covenant figures. This prepares the audience for a deliverer whose strength and purpose will stem directly from God.
• The historical setting in Zorah, a border town, constantly exposed to Philistine incursions, subtly prefigures the conflict that Samson, as a Danite, would uniquely embody against the oppressive Philistines throughout his tumultuous life.

Judges 13 2 Commentary

Judges 13:2 serves as the dramatic and theological linchpin for the Samson narrative, precisely because of its seemingly simple yet profound declaration of barrenness. This statement is not merely a biographical detail; it's a narrative mechanism God uses throughout Scripture to highlight His direct intervention in human affairs. By rendering Manoah's wife childless, God removes any human agency from Samson's impending birth, unequivocally establishing him as a child supernaturally gifted by divine will for a divine purpose. This pattern connects Samson's birth to the sacred lineage of other patriarchs and deliverers—from Isaac to Samuel and later John the Baptist—all born to mothers previously unable to conceive. Such a beginning prefigures Samson's unique strength and the hand of God upon his life. This initial depiction underscores God's persistent commitment to His covenant people, raising up deliverers even when they are under foreign dominion and at their lowest, using the impossible to demonstrate His power and presence.