◄ Judges 13:18 ►
"Why do you ask my name," said the angel of the LORD, "since it is beyond comprehension?"
Study Bible
“Why do you ask my name,”

Manoah sought greater certainty about the One who had announced Samson’s birth and given Israel hope during Philistine oppression. The angel of the LORD redirected Manoah from seeking mastery over divine identity to receiving God’s revealed word in faith. God makes Himself truly known, yet no human mind can contain the fullness of His being.

Gen 32:29 And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.”…
Exo 3:13-15 Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites…”…
Pro 30:4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?…

said the angel of the LORD,

The angel of the LORD spoke and acted with God’s own authority, received sacrifice, and ascended in the flame from Manoah’s altar (Judges 13:19–20). Manoah rightly feared that he and his wife had seen God, though the Lord preserved them. Such appearances anticipate the Son of God, who reveals the Father while remaining fully divine.

Jdg 6:11-24 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down…
Gen 16:7-13 Now the angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water…

“since it is beyond comprehension?”

The angel’s name is Wonderful, meaning beyond comprehension, belonging to the realm of God’s wisdom and majesty rather than human possession. Isaiah later calls the promised Messiah “Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6), linking divine wonder with the coming Redeemer. Manoah was not given a name to control or explain, but he was given a promise that God would raise up Samson to begin delivering Israel.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,…
Psa 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me…
Job 11:7-9 Can you fathom the deep things of God…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Angel of the LORD
A divine messenger who appears to Manoah and his wife, announcing the birth of Samson. This figure is often seen as a theophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.

2. Manoah
The father of Samson, who seeks to understand the identity and instructions of the Angel of the LORD.

3. Manoah's Wife
The mother of Samson, initially visited by the Angel of the LORD and given the prophecy of Samson's birth.

4. Zorah
The town in the territory of Dan where Manoah and his family lived.

5. Samson
Though not directly mentioned in this verse, he is the promised child whose birth is foretold by the Angel of the LORD.
Teaching Points
The Mystery of God
The Angel of the LORD's response, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?" (Judges 13:18), reminds us of the mystery and majesty of God. We are called to trust in His character even when we do not fully understand His ways.

Reverence for the Divine
Manoah's encounter teaches us to approach God with reverence and awe, recognizing His holiness and our limited understanding.

God's Sovereign Plan
The announcement of Samson's birth underscores God's sovereign plan and His ability to work through unexpected means and people to fulfill His purposes.

Faith in God's Promises
Just as Manoah and his wife believed the Angel's message, we are encouraged to have faith in God's promises, trusting that He will bring them to fruition in His perfect timing.

The Pre-Incarnate Christ
The appearance of the Angel of the LORD can be seen as a foreshadowing of Christ, reminding us of the continuity of God's redemptive plan throughout Scripture.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the Angel of the LORD's response to Manoah's question about His name deepen our understanding of God's nature?

2. In what ways does the encounter between Manoah and the Angel of the LORD parallel other biblical accounts of divine appearances?

3. How can we apply the lesson of reverence and awe in our daily walk with God, especially when we face situations we do not understand?

4. What does this passage teach us about the importance of faith in God's promises, and how can we cultivate such faith in our lives?

5. How does the concept of the pre-incarnate Christ appearing in the Old Testament enhance our understanding of the unity and continuity of the Bible's message?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 32:29
Jacob asks the angel for his name, similar to Manoah's inquiry, highlighting the mystery and divine nature of these encounters.

Exodus 3:14
God's response to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM," parallels the Angel of the LORD's response to Manoah, emphasizing the incomprehensibility and holiness of God.

Isaiah 9:6
The prophecy of the coming Messiah, whose name will be called "Wonderful," connects to the Angel of the LORD's description of His name as "wonderful."
Sermons
Cheer for the Faint-HeartedSpurgeon, Charles HaddonJudges 13:1-25
Education of ChildrenW. A. Scott, D. D.Judges 13:1-25
Fears RemovedW. Jay.Judges 13:1-25
God and His PeopleThomas Kirk.Judges 13:1-25
God's Past Mercies a Ground of Hope for the FutureW. A. Scott, D. D.Judges 13:1-25
Manoah and His WifeHomilistJudges 13:1-25
Manoah and His WifeR. Halley, D. D.Judges 13:1-25
Manoah's WifeJ. Parker, D. D.Judges 13:1-25
Manoah's Wife and Her Excellent ArgumentSpurgeon, Charles HaddonJudges 13:1-25
Money Bequeathed by Parents to Their ChildrenW. Arnot.Judges 13:1-25
Mysteries of ProvidenceA. P. Peabody.Judges 13:1-25
Past Tokens of Divine Favour an Encouragement Against FearsJudges 13:1-25
Some Lessons of CatastrophesJohn Jamieson, M. A., Arthur Ritchie.Judges 13:1-25
The Angelic Appearances to Manoah and His WifeH. J. Bevis.Judges 13:1-25
The Spectacle of Life and the Opposite Conclusions Drawn from ItW. W. Newton.Judges 13:1-25
The Spirit WorldHomilistJudges 13:1-25
Unrecognised AngelsWm. Ewen, B. D.Judges 13:1-25
The Mystery of a NameW.F. Adeney Judges 13:17, 18
The Wonderful NameA.F. Muir Judges 13:17, 18
People
Dan, Danites, Manoah, Samson
Places
Eshtaol, Mahaneh-dan, Pirathon, Zorah
Topics
Angel, Askest, Beyond, Hidden, Messenger, Questioning, Secret, Seeing, Thus, Understanding, Wherefore, Wonder, Wonderful
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Judges 13:2-23

     8474   seeing God

Judges 13:2-25

     5652   babies

Judges 13:3-22

     1511   Trinity, relationships in
     5976   visiting

Judges 13:17-18

     5042   name of God, significance

Library
The Wonderful.
Isaiah ix:6. HIS name shall be called "Wonderful" (Isaiah ix:6). And long before Isaiah had uttered this divine prediction the angel of the Lord had announced his name to be Wonderful. As such He appeared to Manoah. And Manoah said unto the angel of Jehovah, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor. And the angel of Jehovah said unto Him "why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is Wonderful" (margin, Judges xiii:17-18). This angel of Jehovah, the Person who …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Of the Name of God
Exod. iii. 13, 14.--"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." We are now about this question, What God is. But who can answer it? Or, if answered, who can understand it? It should astonish us in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Characters and Names of Messiah
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. S uch was the triumphant exultation of the Old Testament Church! Their noblest hopes were founded upon the promise of MESSIAH; their most sublime songs were derived from the prospect of His Advent. By faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, they considered the gracious declarations …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Mothers, Daughters, and Wives in Israel
In order accurately to understand the position of woman in Israel, it is only necessary carefully to peruse the New Testament. The picture of social life there presented gives a full view of the place which she held in private and in public life. Here we do not find that separation, so common among Orientals at all times, but a woman mingles freely with others both at home and abroad. So far from suffering under social inferiority, she takes influential and often leading part in all movements, specially …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Incarnation.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that hath been made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. He was …
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I

A Cloud of Witnesses.
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.... By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Doctrine of God
I. THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: (Vs. Atheism). 1. ASSUMED BY THE SCRIPTURES. 2. PROOFS OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. a) Universal belief in the Existence of God. b) Cosmological:--Argument from Cause. c) Teleological:--Argument from Design. d) Ontological:--Argument from Being. e) Anthropological:--Moral Argument. f) Argument from Congruity. g) Argument from Scripture. II. THE NATURE OF GOD: (Vs. Agnosticism) 1. THE SPIRITUALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Materialism). 2. THE PERSONALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Pantheism). 3. THE UNITY …
Rev. William Evans—The Great Doctrines of the Bible

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his Adherents, in this Respect, in Tyrannically Oppressing and Destroying Souls.
1. The power of the Church in enacting laws. This made a source of human traditions. Impiety of these traditions. 2. Many of the Papistical traditions not only difficult, but impossible to be observed. 3. That the question may be more conveniently explained, nature of conscience must be defined. 4. Definition of conscience explained. Examples in illustration of the definition. 5. Paul's doctrine of submission to magistrates for conscience sake, gives no countenance to the Popish doctrine of the obligation …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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