Judges 13:21

13:21 The Lord’s messenger did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. After all this happened Manoah realized that the visitor had been the Lord’s messenger. ¹ 

Judges 16:20

16:20 She said, “The Philistines are here, ²  Samson!” He woke up ³  and thought, ⁴  “I will do as I did before ⁵  and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him.

Judges 13:16

13:16 The Lord’s messenger said to Manoah, “If I stay, ⁶  I will not eat your food. But if you want to make a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, you should offer it.” (He said this because Manoah did not know that he was the Lord’s messenger.) ⁷ 

[13:21]  ¹ tn Heb “Then Manoah knew that he was the Lord’s messenger.”

[16:20]  ² tn Heb “are upon you.”

[16:20]  ³ tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[16:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “and said.”

[16:20]  ⁵ tn Heb “I will go out as before.”

[13:16]  ³ tn Heb “If you detain me.”

[13:16]  ⁴ tn The words “he said this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Manoah should have known from these words that the messenger represented the Lord. In the preceding narrative the narrator has informed the reader that the visitor is the Lord’s messenger, but Manoah and his wife did not perceive this. In vv. 5 and 7 the angel refers to “God” (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim), not the Lord (יְהוַה, yÿhvah). Manoah’s wife calls the visitor “a man sent from God” and “God’s messenger” (v. 6), while Manoah prays to the “Lord” (אֲדוֹנָי, ’adonay) and calls the visitor “a man sent from God” (v. 8).