Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”
Parallel Translations
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Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you?”
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And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
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And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD: 'What is thy name, that when thy words come to pass we may do thee honour?'
Cross-references (1)
Passages linked to Judges 13:17 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 32:29 Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” He blessed him there.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Jdg 13:17 And Manoah said unto the angel of…
Jdg 13:17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What [is] thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
Ver. 17. What is thy name?] This he asketh, not out of curiosity, but of an honest intent to do him honour, by some munus honorarium, honorary present, and all due respect besides; such as the Shunamite gave Elisha, and as that good woman in the Book of Martyrs gave Dr Sands, who departing the land for fear of Queen Mary, told her, who had been married eight years, and was childless, that ere one whole year was past, she should have a son: and it came to pass accordingly, that time twelveth month, lacking but one day. {a}
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{a} Act. and Mon., 1894.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Either by making honourable mention of time, or by…
Either by making honourable mention of time, or by performing respect and service to thee, by a present, which they usually gave to prophets, 1Sa 9:7,8; 1Ki 14:3.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord,…
And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, what is thy name,.... Who art thou, and by what name art thou called? for since he could not prevail upon him to stay and eat a meal with him, he desired to know his name, and where he lived, that when he heard his name mentioned he might speak well of him, or send to him upon occasion; or if any message was sent from him, as Jarchi suggests, that he might show a respect to him, and observe it: and particularly:
that when thy sayings come to pass, we may do thee honour? say that such a prophet, whose name is such, and lives in such a place, foretold these things; or that they might send him a present, in gratitude for, and as a reward of his service and trouble; so the reward of a labourer, and the maintenance of a Gospel minister, is called "honour", Ti1 5:17 and thus Josephus (o) understood it, that they might give him thanks, and send him a present.
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(o) Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 3.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain honour - Either by making honourable mention of thee,…
honour - Either by making honourable mention of thee, or by shewing respect to thee, by a present, which they usually gave to prophets.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Jdg 13:17-18. That when thy sayings come to pass,…
Jdg 13:17-18. That when thy sayings come to pass, we may do thee honour — Either by making honourable mention of thee, or by showing respect to thee by a present, such as they usually gave to prophets. Seeing it is secret — Meaning, not only, that it would be of no importance or service to him to know his name; but that his name was hidden from mortal men, and wonderful, as the word פלאיpeli signifies, and is translated Isa 9:6, where it is applied to Christ, the wonderful child born, and son given, who has the government upon his shoulders, and is the mighty God. The angel means, My nature and essence, often signified by name in the Scriptures, are incomprehensible. This shows, that this was the Angel of the covenant, the Son of God, that spoke to Manoah.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Do thee honor - If applied to a man,…
Do thee honor - If applied to a man, it would be by gifts, such for instance as Balak promised to the prophet Balaam Num 22:17, and such as were usually given to seers 1Sa 9:7-8; 2Ki 5:5, 2Ki 5:15 : if to God, it would be by sacrifices Isa 43:23.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Honour thee with a suitable reward, 1 Timothy v.…
Honour thee with a suitable reward, 1 Timothy v. 17.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Manoah said unto the angel . . ., What…
Manoah said unto the angel . . ., What is thy name?--Manoah's request elicited the most unequivocal proofs of the divinity of his supernatural visitor--in his name "secret" (in the Margin, "wonderful"), and in the miraculous flame that betokened the acceptance of the sacrifice.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 17. Still uncertain what to think, Manoah puts a…
17. Still uncertain what to think, Manoah puts a direct question. may do thee honour as a prophet whose word (Hebr. marg.) comes true; cf. Num_22:17; Num_22:37, 1Sa_9:6.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (17) What is thy name?—Comp. Gen_32:29; Exo_3:13; Pro_30:4.
(17) What is thy name?—Comp. Gen_32:29; Exo_3:13; Pro_30:4.
We may do thee honour.—Especially by a gift, which is the commonest Eastern notion of the word (Num_22:17; Jos. Antt. v. 8, § 3).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain What is thy name? See note to ver. 6.…
What is thy name? See note to ver. 6. The phrase is very peculiar, literally, Who is thy name? as if he had been going to say, Who art thou? and then changed the form to is thy name. The Hebrews seem to have attached great importance to names, a circumstance due, in part, to every name being significant in the spoken language. (see Gen_4:1, 25 5:29 16:5, etc.; Gen_17:19 Gen_25:25, 26 Ge 29 and Ge 30 1Sa_1:20 Isa_9:6 Isa_62:4 Jer_23:6 Eph_1:21 Php_2:9, 10 Rev_19:16, etc., and many other passages) Compare also the phrase, the name of the Lord. (Isa_30:27 Exo_23:21 Exo_33:19 Exo_34:5, Exo_34:6, Exo_34:7) Manoah had certainly some suspicious as to the mysterious character of his visitor, and expected the name to reveal his true nature. We may do thee honour. Manoah seems throughout to use ambiguous language, suitable either to a man, if he was speaking to a man, or to a celestial visitant, should he be angel or God.
Vers. 17, 18. The wonderful name.
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The balance of critical authority is in favour of the rendering "wonderful," or wonder-working, and not that of "secret." It is to be taken as expressive not only of the general character of God as mysterious, glorious, and ineffable, but as doing wonders, i.e. mighty deeds of manifestation and salvation. This characteristic of God is to be studied as
I PROVOCATIVE OF CURIOSITY. The Divine element has ever maintained its presence in human life, has kept the horizons of human consciousness wide apart and constantly extending, and has exercised the counteractive and saving influence required by the action of the world-spirit upon the nature of man. God has never left man alone. Ere a single page of inspiration was penned he dwelt "in the conscious breast," and drew reverent eyes and feet after his marvels in the physical world. Man is, perforce of his moral constitution being linked and blended with his physical, a being "between two worlds." The gate is ajar, and no mortal can ever effectually close it. Led by this "presence of the threshold," the fathers of faith began that religious movement that received its loftiest impulse and satisfaction in Christ. There were partial and progressive revelations, each new "wonder" laying firmer hold upon the imagination and the heart. Jacob at Bethel and at Penuel, (Gen_32:24-30) Moses at Horeb, Elijah in the cave of the desert, and David at the threshing-floor of Araunah, are grand typical figures, milestones in this spiritual pilgrimage. And there is no individual life, even of this secularised modern world, that is not the theatre of "even greater works than these," speaking in it of a heavenly Father, and keeping it within sound of his voice. If we are true to our own inner selves and to our spiritual history we must be worshippers of him whose name is Wonderful.
II IN PROCESS OF REVELATION THROUGH MIRACLES. "And the angel did wondrously," i.e. true to his name, he acted miraculously. Creation, providence, the unfolding work of the world"s salvation, are so many series of revelations in act and work. The general impression produced upon the mind by the scheme of the universe is enhanced and led up into religious fervour by these miracles, of which our latest physical science does not well know how to dispose. The moral and spiritual lessons they teach, and the impression they produce upon the human heart, run parallel with, but indefinitely above, the ordinary lines of (so-called) "natural religion," and constitute a distinct revelation, of which the core is reached in the miracles of Jesus Christ. As this moral or Divine side of miracle is increasingly studied, the riches of the Word made flesh will grow upon us, fascinate and convert the soul. At the tribunal of Jerusalem the old, old question is asked anew, and again in effect is the answer returned, "My name is Wonderful.
III ASSERTIVE OF JEHOVAH AS THE SUPERNATURAL CAUSE OF THE DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL. It is not Moses, or any judge, or David even, who is able to save. Jehovah is the great Deliverer, and he works above nature in a realm in which he can have no co-worker. Samson even is a "child of the promise," and no product of the influences of his time. His strength is to be from above, and its great exercises and feats are distinctly miraculous.
IV PREPARING MEN FOR THE MESSIAH, IN WHOM IT WAS MOST PERFECTLY MANIFESTED. The depths of the world"s consciousness, in seer and saint, are ceaselessly stirred until the look of the ages fastens itself on him whose name is "Wonderful, Counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace". (Isa_9:6) And as we look back on the brief episode of his life, ever new wonders declare themselves, and we feel that his example, his sufferings, his sacrifice, his resurrection, and ascension are potent to save and to sanctify, etc. Truly "his name is Wonderful. M.
Vers. 17, 18. The mystery of a name.
Names denote persons and describe characters. The nameless one wraps both his individuality and his nature in mystery. Naturally Manoah, like Jacob, desires to solve such a mystery, (Gen_32:29) and in response to this wish, unlike "the traveller unknown," the angel reveals a name, though one of partial mystery.
I MANOAH"S QUESTION (see ver. 17).
1. Manoah does not know that his visitor is an angel of the Lord (ver. 16). Divine visitations are not always recognised. The true nature of Christ was unknown to most of his contemporaries. We cannot always trace the hand of God in his providential action. Heaven is about us unnoticed; unseen ministries attend our lives; God is nearer to us than we suspect.
2. Manoah desires to know the name of his mysterious visitor
1. from natural curiosity,
2. from a desire to strengthen his faith in the message of the unknown,
3. from a wish to give him thanks when his promise should be fulfilled.
The thirst to solve the strange questions which surround our spiritual life is natural, and not inconsistent with humility nor with faith. It would be better if we were more anxious to inquire for indications of God and of his character in the experience of life.
II THE ANGEL"S REPLY (see ver. 18).
1. He begins his reply with a question. We should not assail heaven with unjustifiable prayers, but should be ready to give a reason for our petitions. Revelation is not intended to quench human thought, but to stimulate it. Every new voice from heaven, while it answers some questions, starts new questions.
2. The angel implies that Manoah"s request was needless, either
(1) because he ought to have recognised the nature of his visitant from the character of his message and conduct, or
(2) because it was more important to consider the meaning of the message than to inquire into the nature of the messenger. We sometimes pray for more light when we only need better eyes to use the light we have; not a fresh revelation, but discernment, reflection, spiritual feeling to appreciate the revelation already received. God"s truth is more important than the person of the prophet, apostle, or angel who brings it to us.
3. The angel gives Manoah a name. He is "Wonderful." This was a partial answer to Manoah"s question.
(1) It carried his thought to God, who is the supreme mystery, and suggested the greatness, the wonder, the awe of all that pertained to him. Thus it was a revelation of the Divine.
(2) Nevertheless the name was but a partial explanation, as its very meaning suggested the unknown. The deepest questions cannot be solved on earth. But it matters little that the rays of revelation seem to melt into the darkness of the Infinite if only they shine bright and clear on our path of duty. A.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain (See Scofield "Heb 1:4").
angel
(See Scofield "Heb 1:4").
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 your words come true
your words come true
"what you have said comes true"
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Why do you ask my name?
The angel asks this question as a rebuke. This question can be written as a statement. AT: "You should not ask me what my name is." (See: Rhetorical Question)
It is wonderful
It may be helpful to explain more explicitly why they should not ask his name. AT: "It is too wonderful for you to understand" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
angel
Yahweh
honor
true
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.