Read Judges 13 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
13:1 {p} Israel forsook YHVH/ the Philistines oppressed them 40 years
13:2-7 {p} The Angel of YHVH announced Samson’s birth to a woman of Dan
13:8-14 {s} The Angel of YHVH confirms His word to the woman’s husband
13:15-18 {p} Manoah’s hospitality, but the Angel suggested a burnt offering instead
13:19-25 {p} The Angel departs / His word came to pass/ Samson born
Judges 13:1-25 Chiastic Structure:
There are only three other places in Scripture, that I can find, where an angel comes to a barren woman to announce that she will conceive a son: Sarah, that she will conceive Isaac, the son of the promise (Gen 18); Elizabeth, that she will conceive John the Baptist (actually the angel came to Zechariah and not Elizabeth); and Mary, that she will conceive Jesus (although Mary was not barren, however, it was not possible for her to conceive a child, being a virgin; both instances are recorded in Luk 1). That is very distinguished company Samson’s mother finds herself in. Since Samson was born to begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines (Jud 13:5), he is a Prophetic Type for Messiah.
Samson is set apart to God from birth as a Nazirite. The law concerning Nazirites is found in Numbers 6. “Nazir” in Hebrew means “separate, consecrate.” God declared Samson to be set apart to Him from birth, and the mark of Samson’s consecration is his unshorn hair (Jud 13:4).
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