וַיֹּסִפוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' וַיִּתְּנֵם ה' בְּיַד פְּלִשְׁתִּים אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה

The children of Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

וַיְהִי אִישׁ אֶחָד מצָּרְעָה מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת הַדָּנִי וּשְׁמוֹ מָנוֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ עֲקָרָה וְלֹא יָלָדָה

There was a certain man from the city of Tzora, from the family of the Danites, whose name was Mano’ah; his wife was barren, and had not given birth, and remained childless for an extended period.

וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ ה' אֶל הָאִשָּׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ הִנֵּה נָא אַתְּ עֲקָרָה וְלֹא יָלַדְתְּ וְהָרִית וְיָלַדְתְּ בֵּן

The angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her: Behold now, you are barren and have not given birth; but I hereby inform you that you will conceive, and you will give birth to a son.

וְעַתָּה הִשָּׁמְרִי נָא וְאַל תִּשְׁתִּי יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר וְאַל תֹּאכְלִי כָּל טָמֵא

Now, please beware, and do not drink wine or intoxicating drink [shekhar], intoxicating beverages produced from grapes. The term shekhar differs here from its later meaning that includes alcoholic drinks not produced from grapes. And do not eat any impurity.

כִּי הִנָּךְ הָרָה וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן וּמוֹרָה לֹא יַעֲלֶה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ כִּי נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים יִהְיֶה הַנַּעַר מִן הַבָּטֶן וְהוּא יָחֵל לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים

For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son; a razor shall not come upon his head; he may not cut his hair; for the lad will be a nazirite to God from the womb; and he will commence to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. He will be entrusted with a mission, and as you will raise such a unique child, the above prohibitions apply to you as well.

וַתָּבֹא הָאִשָּׁה וַתֹּאמֶר לְאִישָׁהּ לֵאמֹר אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים בָּא אֵלַי וּמַרְאֵהוּ כְּמַרְאֵה מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים נוֹרָא מְאֹד וְלֹא שְׁאִלְתִּיהוּ אֵי מִזֶּה הוּא וְאֶת שְׁמוֹ לֹא הִגִּיד לִי

The woman came, and she told her husband about her meeting with the angel, who she assumed was a prophet, saying: A man of God came to me, and his appearance was impressive, like I imagine would be the appearance of an angel of God, very awesome; I did not ask him from where he was, and he did not tell me his name. He simply arrived and prophesied to me.

וַיֹּאמֶר לִי הִנָּךְ הָרָה וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן וְעַתָּה אַל תִּשְׁתִּי יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר וְאַל תֹּאכְלִי כָּל טֻמְאָה כִּי נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים יִהְיֶה הַנַּעַר מִן הַבֶּטֶן עַד יוֹם מוֹתוֹ

He said to me: Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, and do not eat any impurity, as the lad will be a nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death. The angel did not say that the child would be a nazirite all his life; however, Mano’ah’s wife modified the angel’s instructions and added this detail on her own accord. Alternatively, it is possible that the verse added certain details here that were omitted from the earlier account of the angel’s instructions, which is not uncommon.

וַיֶּעְתַּר מָנוֹחַ אֶל ה' וַיֹּאמַר בִּי אֲדוֹנָי אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַחְתָּ יָבוֹא נָא עוֹד אֵלֵינוּ וְיוֹרֵנוּ מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה לַנַּעַר הַיּוּלָּד

Mano’ah entreated the Lord, and said: Please, my Lord, the man of God whom You sent, let him come again to us, and instruct us what we shall do with the child who will be born.

וַיִּשְׁמַע הָאֱלֹהִים בְּקוֹל מָנוֹחַ וַיָּבֹא מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים עוֹד אֶל הָאִשָּׁה וְהִיא יוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּשָּׂדֶה וּמָנוֹחַ אִישָׁהּ אֵין עִמָּהּ

God heeded the voice of Mano’ah, and the angel of God came again to the woman; she was sitting in the field, and once again Mano’ah her husband was not with her.

וַתְּמַהֵר הָאִשָּׁה וַתָּרָץ וַתַּגֵּד לְאִישָׁהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הִנֵּה נִרְאָה אֵלַי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בָּא בַיּוֹם אֵלָי

The woman hurried, and ran, and told her husband; she said to him: Behold, the same man who came to me on that day appeared to me. Some commentaries explain that it was the very same day, and that she said: The man who came to me today.

וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ מָנוֹחַ אַחֲרֵי אִשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּבֹא אֶל הָאִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַאַתָּה הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ אֶל הָאִשָּׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אָנִי

Mano’ah rose, went after his wife to the field, and came to the man, and said to him: Are you the man who previously spoke to the woman? He said: I am that man.

וַיֹּאמֶר מָנוֹחַ עַתָּה יָבֹא דְבָרֶיךָ מַה יִּהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַנַּעַר וּמַעֲשֵׂהוּ

Mano’ah said: Now let your words come, tell us: What will be the arrangement for the lad, and his actions? Mano’ah did not seem to be convinced that his wife had been precise in her report. He thought that she might have exaggerated, or fabricated certain things, therefore he wanted to hear the instructions directly.

וַיֹּאמֶר מַלְאַךְ ה' אֶל מָנוֹחַ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֶל הָאִשָּׁה תִּשָּׁמֵר

The angel of the Lord said to Mano’ah: From everything that I said to the woman let her beware.

מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִגֶּפֶן הַיַּיִן לֹא תֹאכַל וְיַיִן וְשֵׁכָר אַל תֵּשְׁתְּ וְכָל טֻמְאָה אַל תֹּאכַל כֹּל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיהָ תִּשְׁמֹר

Like a nazirite, she shall not partake from anything produced from the grapevine; she shall not drink wine or intoxicating drink, and she shall not eat any impurity; everything that I commanded her, she shall observe. It is possible to translate this verse as the angel’s direct command to Mano’ah, indicating that he too is required to observe these strictures. However, the simple explanation is that these instructions pertain specifically to his wife.

וַיֹּאמֶר מָנוֹחַ אֶל מַלְאַךְ ה' נַעְצְרָה נָּא אוֹתָךְ וְנַעֲשֶׂה לְפָנֶיךָ גְּדִי עִזִּים

Mano’ah said to the angel of the Lord: Please let us detain you and invite you into our home, and we will prepare a young goat before you. You are a most distinguished guest, who speaks in the name of God and prophesies to us. We wish to honor you by preparing a meal for you.

וַיֹּאמֶר מַלְאַךְ ה' אֶל מָנוֹחַ אִם תַּעְצְרֵנִי לֹא אֹכַל בְּלַחְמֶךָ וְאִם תַּעֲשֶׂה עֹלָה לַה' תַּעֲלֶנָּה כִּי לֹא יָדַע מָנוֹחַ כִּי מַלְאַךְ ה' הוּא

The angel of the Lord said to Mano’ah: Even if you detain me and invite me to stay, I will not eat of your food. If you would prepare a burnt offering, offer it as a sacrifice up to the Lord, rather than give it to me. For Mano’ah had invited the angel for a meal because he did not know that he was an angel of the Lord, but had assumed that he was a prophet.

וַיֹּאמֶר מָנוֹחַ אֶל מַלְאַךְ ה' מִי שְׁמֶךָ כִּי יָבֹא דְבָרְךָ וְכִבַּדְנוּךָ

Mano’ah said to the angel of the Lord: What is your name? Alternatively, this can be translated: Who are you? Tell us who you are so that when your words come to pass we may honor you, by publicizing that your prophecy came true.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מַלְאַךְ ה' לָמָּה זֶּה תִּשְׁאַל לִשְׁמִי וְהוּא פֶלִאי

The angel of the Lord said to him: Why do you ask my name? It is inscrutable. I am a messenger of God.

וַיִּקַּח מָנוֹחַ אֶת גְּדִי הָעִזִּים וְאֶת הַמִּנְחָה וַיַּעַל עַל הַצּוּר לַה' ומַפְלִא לַעֲשׂוֹת וּמָנוֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ רֹאִים

Mano’ah took the young goat and the accompanying meal offering, and he offered it up on the rock to the Lord; he, the angel, acted wondrously, as he performed marvelous actions not described here, such as cutting the kid into pieces, and Mano’ah and his wife were watching the amazing acts unfolding before their eyes.

וַיְהִי בַעֲלוֹת הַלַּהַב מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וַיַּעַל מַלְאַךְ ה' בְּלַהַב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וּמָנוֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ רֹאִים וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל פְּנֵיהֶם אָרְצָה

It was with the ascension of the flame from upon the altar toward the heavens that the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. Mano’ah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground.

וְלֹא יָסַף עוֹד מַלְאַךְ ה' לְהֵרָאֹה אֶל מָנוֹחַ וְאֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ אָז יָדַע מָנוֹחַ כִּי מַלְאַךְ ה' הוּא

The angel of the Lord did not appear again to Mano’ah or to his wife. Had the angel used the fire in a regular manner there would have been no proof that the mysterious figure was an angel, but since he ascended and disappeared in the flames, then Mano’ah knew that he was not a mortal but an angel of the Lord.

וַיֹּאמֶר מָנוֹחַ אֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ מוֹת נָמוּת כִּי אֱלֹהִים רָאִינוּ

Mano’ah said to his wife: We will die, because we have seen God. He thought that no human could live after having seen an angel.

וַתֹּאמֶר לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ לוּ חָפֵץ ה' לַהֲמִיתֵנוּ לֹא לָקַח מִיָּדֵנוּ עֹלָה וּמִנְחָה וְלֹא הֶרְאָנוּ אֶת כָּל אֵלֶּה וְכָעֵת לֹא הִשְׁמִיעָנוּ כָּזֹאת

His wife said to him: Had the Lord wished to kill us, He would not have taken a burnt offering and a meal offering from our hand. The acceptance of our offering is a sign that we found favor in His eyes. And furthermore, He would not have shown us all these wondrous things if we were about to die, as there would be no one to publicize them. And He would not have told us tidings like these about the child at this time. It is clear from all these considerations that God wants us to live.

וַתֵּלֶד הָאִשָּׁה בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמוֹ שִׁמְשׁוֹן וַיִּגְדַּל הַנַּעַר וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ ה'

The woman bore a son and she called his name Samson [Shimshon], probably derived from the word sun [shemesh]; and the lad grew and the Lord blessed him. His unique qualities were already evident as he matured into early adulthood.

וַתָּחֶל רוּחַ ה' לְפַעֲמוֹ בְּמַחֲנֵה דָן בֵּין צָרְעָה וּבֵין אֶשְׁתָּאֹל

The spirit of the Lord began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, literally the camp of Dan, the name of the place where the tribe of Dan gathered before it wandered north, between Tzora and Eshtaol, in the heart of the portion of Dan. This spirit was not a spirit of prophecy, but divine aid in the form of the tremendous strength with which he was blessed from birth. As Samson matured, his strength further increased.