Judges 13:19-20
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Manoah's offering isn't just a meal for a guest; it's a deliberate act of worship directed to the One who "works wonders," mirroring the divine nature just revealed. This detail highlights that, even in the ordinary act of preparing food, Manoah and his wife are recognizing and responding to God's extraordinary power.
So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the LORD went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh from their encounter with the mysterious visitor who foretold Samson’s birth, Manoah and his wife are instructed to prepare a special meal. This isn't just a dinner party; Manoah is to offer a young goat and grain offering to the LORD. The angel, who they now understand is a divine messenger, will then miraculously consume the sacrifice, validating their obedience and confirming the incredible news.
Manoah offers a sacrifice, but not at the Tabernacle. How could this be okay?
In the turbulent era of the Judges, strict adherence to Levitical law wasn't always the norm. While the Tabernacle was the designated place for worship, God's presence and a direct command from His angel could supersede location. Manoah's offering on a rock, though unconventional by later standards, was sanctioned by the divine messenger. This highlights God's flexibility and His ability to meet His people where they are, even in times of spiritual and political disorder.
Think of it this way:
Manoah offers his sacrifice 'to the one who works wonders.' What makes this title so significant here?
The angel is identified here not just by a name, but by his actions and God's nature. Manoah’s offering is directed 'to the LORD, to the one who works wonders.' This isn't just a poetic phrase; it’s a recognition of God's power demonstrated right before their eyes. The angel’s presence, the miraculous conception of Samson, and the consumption of the sacrifice by divine fire are all 'wonders.'
This title reminds us:
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Manoah and his wife 'were watching.' What does their joint observation signify?
This simple phrase, 'Manoah and his wife were watching,' speaks volumes. It underscores that this profound encounter wasn't just Manoah's experience; it was a shared, intimate moment for the couple. They both witnessed the miracle of the sacrifice being consumed by divine fire and the angel’s subsequent ascent. This shared experience strengthens their bond and their collective faith in God's miraculous intervention in their lives.
Their watching signifies:
Understand the original words
minchah · Hebrew Noun
A gift of cereal or plant-based produce given to God as a tribute or act of worship, often accompanying animal sacrifices.
mizbeach · Hebrew Noun
A structure, often made of stone or earth, designated for sacrificial worship, serving as the meeting place between the holy God and sinful humanity through the shed blood of a sacrifice.
panim · Hebrew Noun
A posture of deep reverence, humility, and awe before the manifested presence or glory of God, acknowledging His supreme holiness.
Manoah's sacrifice occurred during the chaotic 'lawless days' of the Judges, a time when strict adherence to Levitical law was often secondary to divine encounters. The angel's miraculous acceptance of the offering on a rock, bypassing the Tabernacle, highlights God's direct intervention and power even outside prescribed religious structures.
c. 1170 BC
The Period of the Judges Begins
Following Joshua's death, the Israelites entered a period marked by cycles of disobedience, oppression, deliverance, and peace, with leaders called Judges to guide them.
c. 1160 BC
Israel Under Philistine Oppression
The Philistines, a sea-faring people who had settled on the coast, became a dominant force in Canaan, often oppressing the Israelites and limiting their freedom.
c. 1160 BC
Birth Announcement of Samson
An angel of the LORD appears to Manoah's wife, announcing she will bear a son who will begin to save Israel from the Philistines. This son, Samson, is to be a lifelong Nazirite.
c. 1160 BC— this verse
Manoah's Encounter and Sacrifice
Manoah meets the angel, seeks instruction on how to raise his son, and then offers a goat and grain offering. The angel miraculously consumes the offering with fire from the rock, revealing his divine nature and then ascends.
c. 1159 BC
Samson Begins His Ministry
Samson, now grown, begins his divinely empowered exploits against the Philistines, marked by supernatural strength and daring feats.
c. 1137 BC
Samson's Capture and Death
After a life of conflict, Samson is eventually betrayed, captured, blinded, and ultimately brings about the death of many Philistines along with his own.
This passage describes a similar miraculous event where an angel causes fire to consume a sacrifice, highlighting the theme of God working wonders through His messengers.
Leviticus 2:1-3This Levitical instruction details the 'grain offering' (or 'meat offering' in some translations) that accompanied other sacrifices, showing the ritual context of Manoah's offering.
Hebrews 9:12This New Testament passage speaks of Christ entering the Most Holy Place with his own blood, drawing a parallel to the ascended angel and the efficacy of sacrifice.
1 Kings 18:34Elijah's sacrifice at Mount Carmel, consumed by fire from heaven, echoes the wonder of Manoah's sacrifice and shows a pattern of divine acceptance.
Isaiah 9:6This prophecy names the coming Messiah as 'Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,' connecting to the 'one who works wonders' mentioned in the verse.
gillJudges 13:19: "So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on."
So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering,.... The kid which he proposed to make an entertainment with, for the man of God, he took him to be, he fetched and brought for a burnt offering, at the hint which the angel had given him, and joined to it a meat offering, as was usual whenever burnt offerings were made; see Numbers 15:3 ,…
bensonJudges 13:19: "So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on."
Jdg 13:19-20 . And offered it upon a rock — The presence and command of the angel being a sufficient warrant for the offering of sacrifice by a person who was no priest, and in a place otherwise forbidden. Vitringa, however, supposes that “it was the angel who upon this occasion performed the principal functions of the priest; the…
Manoah's offering isn't just a meal for a guest; it's a deliberate act of worship directed to the One who "works wonders," mirroring the divine nature just revealed. This detail highlights that, even in the ordinary act of preparing food, Manoah and his wife are recognizing and responding to God's extraordinary power.
Fresh from their encounter with the mysterious visitor who foretold Samson’s birth, Manoah and his wife are instructed to prepare a special meal. This isn't just a dinner party; Manoah is to offer a young goat and grain offering to the LORD. The angel, who they now understand is a divine messenger, will then miraculously consume the sacrifice, validating their obedience and confirming the incredible news.
Fresh from their encounter with the mysterious visitor who foretold Samson’s birth, Manoah and his wife are instructed to prepare a special meal. This isn't just a dinner party; Manoah is to offer a young goat and grain offering to the LORD. The angel, who they now understand is a divine messenger, will then miraculously consume the sacrifice, validating their obedience and confirming the incredible news.
"So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the L…" — Manoah's offering isn't just a meal for a guest; it's a deliberate act of worship directed to the One who "works wonders," mirroring the divine nature just revealed. This detail highlights that, even…
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Last reviewed October 2026
