For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, Yahweh’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
Parallel Translations
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For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, Yahweh’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
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For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
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For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar; and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
Cross-references (8)
Passages linked to Judges 13:20 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Leviticus 9:24 Fire came out from before Yahweh, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
- 2 Kings 2:11 As they continued on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
- 1 Chronicles 21:16 David lifted up his eyes, and saw Yahweh’s angel standing between earth and the sky, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
- Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of Yahweh’s glory. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
- Matthew 17:6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.
- Genesis 17:3 Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,
- 1 Chronicles 21:26 David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on Yahweh; and he answered him from the sky by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
- Hebrews 1:3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (7 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Jdg 13:20 For it came to pass, when the…
Jdg 13:20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on [it], and fell on their faces to the ground.
Ver. 20. When the flame went up toward heaven.] As it doth naturally. God can draw up our spirits as a heave offering. {Exo 29:27} As we see the flame ascend, we are to think of it as of a sheet let down by God from heaven, to take up our love and affections in, like the flame of this sacrifice wherein the angel ascended.
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That the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar.] This did most sweetly represent and shadow forth, saith a grave interpreter, the office of Christ, whose work it is to present all our services before God, and to procure them to be graciously accepted of him.
And fell on their faces to the ground.] Partly through fear, and partly in way of thankfulness to God.
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 The flame; either arising from the fire which Manoah…
The flame; either arising from the fire which Manoah brought for the offering, or produced by the angel out of the rock in a miraculous manner.
From off the altar, i.e. from that part of the rock which served instead of an altar, upon which the sacrifice was laid.
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The angel ascended in the flame, to manifest his nature and essence to be spiritual, because not capable of hurt by the fire; and celestial.
Fell on their faces; partly in reverence to that glorious presence manifested in so wonderful a manner; and partly out of a religions horror and fear of death upon this occasion, as is expressed Jdg 13:22, for the prevention whereof they fell down in way of supplication to God.
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 For it came to pass, when the flame went…
For it came to pass, when the flame went up towards heaven from off the altar,.... That is, from the rock, which served instead of an altar, and from whence perhaps the fire sprung which consumed both the burnt offering and the meat offering, the flame of which went up to heaven; this rock or altar having no covering, but was "sub dio", open to the heavens:
that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar; making use of the smoke, as Josephus (r) says, as a vehicle in which he openly went up to heaven:
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and Manoah and his wife looked on it; on the flame and smoke, and the angel in it as he ascended; just as the disciples of Christ looked steadfastly on him as he went up to heaven, when a cloud received him out of their sight, Act 1:9.
and fell on their faces to the ground; with astonishment and surprise at what they saw, through fear and reverence of the divine Being, of whose presence they were now sensible, and as worshipping of him, and praying to him.
(r) Ibid. (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 The altar - That is, from that part of…
The altar - That is, from that part of the rock which served instead of an altar, upon which the sacrifice was laid. Ascended - To manifest his nature and essence to be spiritual. Fell - Partly in reverence to that glorious presence manifested in so wonderful a manner: and partly, out of a religious horror and fear of death; for the prevention thereof they fell down in way of supplication to God.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 20. in the Flame of the altar] as though…
20. in the Flame of the altar] as though it were His native element, Exo_3:2. The sign may well have suggested a more spiritual view of Jehovah’s nature (Kittel l.c.). The flame is that kindled by Manoah; contrast Jdg_6:21.
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 (20) From off the altar.—The rock (tsor) of Jdg_13:19…
(20) From off the altar.—The rock (tsor) of Jdg_13:19 is now hallowed into an altar (mizbeach).
Fell on their faces.—Comp. Lev_9:24; Num_14:5; Eze_1:28.
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 Looked on it. There is no occasion for the…
Looked on it. There is no occasion for the italic it, the phrase is identical with that at the close of ver. 19; but the rendering would be better, And when Manoah and his wife saw it, they fell, etc.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.