Judges 13:6 and other angel visits?
How does Judges 13:6 connect to other angelic visitations in Scripture?

The Moment in Judges 13:6

“Then the woman went to her husband and said, ‘A man of God came to me; his appearance was like that of the Angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask where He was from, and He did not tell me His name.’” (Judges 13:6)


Echoes of Earlier Encounters

Genesis 16:7, 13 – “The Angel of the LORD” finds Hagar, speaks promise, and she names Him “the God who sees me.”

Genesis 18:2, 10 – Three visitors (one identified as the LORD) announce Isaac’s birth; Abraham responds with reverence.

Genesis 28:17 – Jacob awakes from the ladder vision and says, “How awesome is this place!”

Exodus 3:2 – “The Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush,” commissioning Moses.

Judges 6:12, 22 – Gideon meets “the Angel of the LORD,” receives a mission, and fears for his life afterward.


Common Threads Across Angelic Visitations

• Dual identity—seen first as a man, then recognized as divine.

Judges 13:6; Genesis 18:2; Joshua 5:13-15.

• Overwhelming awe and fear.

Judges 13:20-22; Luke 2:9; Matthew 28:4.

• Promises of miraculous births or deliverance.

– Isaac (Genesis 18:10); Samson (Judges 13:3-5); John the Baptist (Luke 1:13); Jesus (Luke 1:31).

• Withholding of the messenger’s name.

Genesis 32:29; Judges 13:17-18; Revelation 19:12.


The Angel of the LORD—More Than a Messenger

• Speaks as God, receives worship, and exercises divine authority, pointing to a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ (Genesis 16:10; Exodus 3:6; Judges 6:14).

Judges 13:6 fits this pattern: Manoah’s wife senses divinity even before the Angel reveals His identity fully (v. 18, “Why do you ask My name, since it is beyond understanding?”).


Carried Into the New Testament

Luke 1:11-20 – Gabriel appears to Zechariah in the temple; he is “gripped with fear.”

Luke 1:26-38 – Gabriel greets Mary with a birth announcement, echoing Sarah and Manoah’s wife.

Matthew 28:2-7 – An angel rolls away the stone; the guards “trembled and became like dead men,” the women receive a message of deliverance.


Key Takeaways

Judges 13:6 stands in a long, consistent line of literal, historical encounters where God sends a heavenly messenger to advance His redemptive plan.

• The hallmarks—human form yet divine authority, awe, withheld name, and a saving promise—link Samson’s birth announcement to the broader tapestry of Scripture, climaxing in the incarnation of Christ announced by angels.

What can we learn from Manoah's wife's response to the angel's appearance?
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