Judges 13:2
And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
Judges 13:2 (KJV)
Context
The book of Judges describes Israel’s history after they settled in the Promised Land but before they had a king. During this time, the people went through a repeated cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. The events of Judges 13 took place when Israel was under the oppression of the Philistines for forty years (Judges 13:1).
This verse introduces Manoah, a man from Zorah, a town in the tribal territory of Dan on the border between Judah and Dan (Joshua 15:33; 19:41). His name and tribal affiliation give a specific setting for the events that follow.
Meaning
Manoah’s wife was barren and had not borne a child. In biblical times, barrenness was a deep sorrow and often carried shame, since children were seen as a sign of God’s blessing and a means of continuing the family line. Her condition also seemed to block the hope of descendants, a promise central to God’s covenant with Israel.
Yet Scripture repeatedly shows that barrenness sets the stage for divine intervention. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Hannah all faced the same inability to conceive, and in each case God acted to bring about His purposes. Manoah’s wife joins this list, and her barrenness highlights that the coming birth would be God’s work, not a human achievement.
Biblical connections
The immediate context reveals that the angel of the LORD appears to the woman and promises a son who would be a Nazirite from the womb and would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:3-5). This verse, then, establishes the humble and seemingly hopeless circumstances from which God would bring a deliverer.
God’s choice of a barren woman to be Samson’s mother shows His sovereignty. He often chooses unlikely people and situations to display His power and accomplish His plans, so that the outcome is clearly from Him.
Application
The story of Manoah and his wife encourages us to trust in God’s timing and His ability to bring life and blessing even in impossible situations. It reminds us that God can use the weak and the unlikely to fulfill His purposes, and that His plans often surpass human understanding.
Reflection
When we face situations that seem barren or hopeless, this verse invites us to remember that God sees, and He is able to intervene. The same God who opened the womb of Manoah’s wife and raised up a deliverer for Israel is at work in our lives, bringing forth His purposes in His own time.
