15 Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord , "Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young e goat e for you." 16 The angel of the Lord said to Manoah , "Though you detain me, I will not eat your food , but if you prepare a burnt offering , then offer it to the Lord ." For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord . 17 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord , " What is your name , so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?" 18 But the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask my name , seeing it is wonderful ?" 19 So Manoah took the young e goat e with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the Lord , and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. 20 For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven , that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar . When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground . 21 Now the angel of the Lord did not appear to Manoah or his wife again e . Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord . 22 So Manoah said to his wife , " We will surely die , for we have seen God ." 23 But his wife said to him, "If the Lord had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands , nor would He have shown us all these things , nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 13:15-23
Commentary on Judges 13:15-23
(Read Judges 13:15-23)
What Manoah asked for instruction in his duty, he was readily told; but what he asked to gratify his curiosity, was denied. God has in his word given full directions concerning our duty, but never designed to answer other questionings. There are secret things which belong not to us, of which we must be quite contented to be ignorant, while in this world. The name of our Lord is wonderful and secret; but by his wonderful works he makes himself known as far as is needful for us. Prayer is the ascent of the soul to God. But without Christ in the heart by faith, our services are offensive smoke; in him, acceptable flame. We may apply this to Christ's sacrifice of himself for us; he ascended in the flame of his own offering, for by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, Hebrews 9:12. In Manoah's reflections there is great fear; We shall surely die. In his wife's reflection there is great faith. As a help meet for him, she encouraged him. Let believers who have had communion with God in the word and prayer, to whom he has graciously manifested himself, and who have had reason to think God has accepted their works, take encouragement from thence in a cloudy and dark day. God would not have done what he has done for my soul, if he had designed to forsake me, and leave me to perish at last; for his work is perfect. Learn to reason as Manoah's wife; If God designed me to perish under his wrath, he would not give me tokens of his favour.