Context: This painting was done in 1640 by the Dutch painter Govert Flink (1615-1660). Flink was one of the best disciples of Rembrant, who did a similar painting (https://www.art.com/products/p55470242736-sa-i9268637/rembrandt-van-rijn-the-sacrifice-of-manoah-1641.htm).
What do you literally see in this picture?
What do you think is going on?
What do you wonder?
(More information about this painting can be found here: https://www.codart.nl/feature/curators-collection/the-agnes-etherington-art-centre-kingston-ontario-canada/)
Manoah’s Wife “on one foot”:
Like other heroes, Samson, the strong-man of the Book of Judges, has an origin story. In this case, his mother is never named but she comes out looking a lot better than his father, Mano’ah. The Talmud (Bava Batra 91a:15) gives her the name of a woman in 1 Chronicles (4:3) who is mentioned without any story -- Tzlelponi. This story is the Haftarah for Parashat Naso, because that is where the laws of the Nazirite are laid out in the Torah.
Act 1
(2) There was a certain man from Zorah, of the stock of Dan, whose name was Manoah. His wife was infertile and had borne no children. (3) An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “You are infertile and have borne no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son. (4) Now be careful not to drink wine or other intoxicant, or to eat anything unclean. (5) For you are going to conceive and bear a son; let no razor touch his head, for the boy is to be a nazirite to God from the womb on. He shall be the first to deliver Israel from the Philistines.” (6) The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me; he looked like an angel of God, very frightening. I did not ask him where he was from, nor did he tell me his name. (7) He said to me, ‘You are going to conceive and bear a son. Drink no wine or other intoxicant, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy is to be a nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death!’”
Context: This is from the Biblical Book of Judges, following a description of various leaders (“Judges”) of the Israelites and then a comment that the Philistines caused problems for the Israelites for 40 years. Nazirites are people who take on special restrictions such as not cutting their hair and not drinking wine. The rules for becoming a Nazirite are described in Numbers 6:1-21 (Parashat Naso), though there a person gets to choose to become a Nazirite.
1. History (and stories) are not inevitable; people (and authors) make choices. At what points could this part of the story have turned out differently?
2. How might Tzlelponi have felt about the news she received?
3. In what other ways might children be affected by the actions of their parents before the children are born?
Act 2
(8) Manoah pleaded with the LORD. “Oh, my Lord!” he said, “please let the man of God that You sent come to us again, and let him instruct us how to act with the child that is to be born.” (9) God heeded Manoah’s plea, and the angel of God came to the woman again. She was sitting in the field and her husband Manoah was not with her. (10) The woman ran in haste to tell her husband. She said to him, “The man who came to me before has just appeared to me.” (11) Manoah promptly followed his wife. He came to the man and asked him: “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?” “Yes,” he answered. (12) Then Manoah said, “May your words soon come true! What rules shall be observed for the boy?” (13) The angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “The woman must abstain from all the things against which I warned her. (14) She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, or drink wine or other intoxicant, or eat anything unclean. She must observe all that I commanded her.”
Context: This is the next part of the story. Note that Mano’ah is disregarding his wife’s authority as to what ought to be done with their child.
1. At what points might this part of the story have turned out differently?
2. Tzlelponi had already told her husband about the rules for the boy. How might she have felt when Mano’ah asked about them again?
3. How might the Divine messenger have felt when he was asked a question to which he had already given the answer?
Act 3
(יט) וַיִּקַּ֨ח מָנ֜וֹחַ אֶת־גְּדִ֤י הָֽעִזִּים֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה וַיַּ֥עַל עַל־הַצּ֖וּר לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וּמַפְלִ֣א לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת וּמָנ֥וֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ רֹאִֽים׃ (כ) וַיְהִי֩ בַעֲל֨וֹת הַלַּ֜הַב מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָה וַיַּ֥עַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּלַ֣הַב הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וּמָנ֤וֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ֙ רֹאִ֔ים וַיִּפְּל֥וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם אָֽרְצָה׃ (כא) וְלֹא־יָ֤סַף עוֹד֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה לְהֵרָאֹ֖ה אֶל־מָנ֣וֹחַ וְאֶל־אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ אָ֚ז יָדַ֣ע מָנ֔וֹחַ כִּֽי־מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה הֽוּא׃ (כב) וַיֹּ֧אמֶר מָנ֛וֹחַ אֶל־אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מ֣וֹת נָמ֑וּת כִּ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים רָאִֽינוּ׃ (כג) וַתֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ לוּ֩ חָפֵ֨ץ יְהֹוָ֤ה לַהֲמִיתֵ֙נוּ֙ לֹֽא־לָקַ֤ח מִיָּדֵ֙נוּ֙ עֹלָ֣ה וּמִנְחָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א הֶרְאָ֖נוּ אֶת־כׇּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְכָעֵ֕ת לֹ֥א הִשְׁמִיעָ֖נוּ כָּזֹֽאת׃ (כד) וַתֵּ֤לֶד הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַנַּ֔עַר וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ יְהֹוָֽה׃
(15) Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “Let us detain you and prepare a kid for you.” (16) But the angel of the LORD said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I shall not eat your food; and if you present a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.”—For Manoah did not know that he was an angel of the LORD. (17) So Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “What is your name? We should like to honor you when your words come true.” (18) The angel said to him, “You must not ask for my name; it is unknowable!” (19) Manoah took the kid and the meal offering and offered them up on the rock to the LORD; and a marvelous thing happened-b while Manoah and his wife looked on. (20) As the flames leaped up from the altar toward the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flames of the altar, while Manoah and his wife looked on; and they flung themselves on their faces to the ground.— (21) The angel of the LORD never appeared again to Manoah and his wife.—Manoah then realized that it had been an angel of the LORD. (22) And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen a divine being.” (23) But his wife said to him, “Had the LORD meant to take our lives, God would not have accepted a burnt offering and meal offering from us, nor let us see all these things; and God would not have made such an announcement to us.” (24) The woman bore a son, and she named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the LORD blessed him.
Context: This is the last part of this story. Note that the Divine messenger gives the exact same response as Jacob’s wrestling partner about “You must not ask for my name”. Note also that “Samson” in Hebrew is “Shimshon”, related to “Shemesh”, or “sun”, while a later character in his story is named “Delilah”, related to “Lilah”, or “night”.
1. At what points could this part of the story have turned out differently?
2. How might Mano’ah have felt when he saw the “man” go up into the flames?
3. At what point might Samson have found out about his origin story? How might this have affected him?
Epilogue
When he came to the vineyards of Timnah [for the first time], a full-grown lion came roaring at him. (6) The spirit of GOD gripped him, and he tore him asunder with his bare hands as one might tear a kid asunder; but he did not tell his father and mother what he had done. (7) Then he went down and spoke to the woman, and she pleased Samson. (8) Returning the following year to marry her, he turned aside to look at the remains of the lion; and in the lion’s skeleton he found a swarm of bees, and honey. (9) He scooped it into his palms and ate it as he went along. When he rejoined his father and mother, he gave them some and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scooped the honey out of a lion’s skeleton. (10) So his father came down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, as young men used to do. (11) When the people of Timnah saw him, they designated thirty companions to be with him. (12) Then Samson said to them, “Let me propound a riddle to you. If you can give me the right answer during the seven days of the feast, I shall give you thirty linen tunics and thirty sets of clothing; (13) but if you are not able to tell it to me, you must give me thirty linen tunics and thirty sets of clothing.” And they said to him, “Ask your riddle and we will listen.” (14) So he said to them:
“Out of the eater came something to eat,
Out of the strong came something sweet.”
For three days they could not answer the riddle. (15) On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband to provide us with the answer to the riddle; else we shall put you and your father’s household to the fire; have you invited us here in order to impoverish us?” (16) Then Samson’s wife harassed him with tears, and she said, “You really hate me, you don’t love me. You asked my people a riddle, and you didn’t tell me the answer.” He replied, “I haven’t even told my father and mother; shall I tell you?” (17) During the rest of the seven days of the feast she continued to harass him with her tears, and on the seventh day he told her, because she nagged him so. And she explained the riddle to her people. (18) On the seventh day, before the sunset, the townspeople said to him:
“What is sweeter than honey,
And what is stronger than a lion?”
He responded:
“Had you not plowed with my heifer,
You would not have guessed my riddle!”
(19) The spirit of GOD gripped him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of its men. He stripped them and gave the sets of clothing to those who had answered the riddle. And he left in a rage for his father’s house. (20) Samson’s wife then got married to one of those who had been his wedding companions.
Appendix A: Historical Evidence for this Story
From The Bible as History, by Ian Wilson, p.100
- The village of “Zorah” is identifiable with the ruined Arab village of Sar’ah, just north of Beth-Shemesh.
- “Timnah” has been identified by Texas Baptist professor George L. Kelm and Israeli archaeologist Amihai Mazar.
- The site is a flat-topped mound known as Tel Batash, at the bend of a stream called “the Sorek”.
- It is 5 miles east of Tel Miqne, which we now know to be the Philistine city of Ekron, and 5 miles west of Beth-Shemesh where the Biblical Ark crossed from Philistine territory into Israelite territory (1 Samuel 6:12).
- Kelm and Mazar analyzed the pottery at Tel Batash and they inferred that it was settled by Philistines a little after the moved into Ekron, perhaps between 1150 and 1100 BCE.
Appendix B: A Readers’ Theatre Version of Mano’ah’s Wife
Act 1
Scene 1
Narrator: There was a certain man from Zorah, of the stock of Dan, whose name was Mano’ah. His wife was infertile and had borne no children. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to her.
Angel: You are infertile and have borne no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son. (4) Now be careful not to drink wine or other intoxicant, or to eat anything unclean. For you are going to conceive and bear a son; let no razor touch his head, for the boy is to be a nazirite to God from the womb on. He shall be the first to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
Scene 2
Wife of Mano’ah: Mano’ah, a man of G-d came to me; he looked like an angel of G-d, very frightening. I did not ask him where he was from, nor did he tell me his name. He said to me, ‘You are going to conceive and bear a son. Drink no wine or other intoxicant, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy is to be a nazirite to G-d from the womb to the day of his death!’
Act 2
Scene 1
Mano’ah: Oh, my Lord! Please let the man of G-d that You sent come to us again, and let him instruct us how to act with the child that is to be born.
Narrator: G-d heeded Mano’ah’s plea.
Scene 2
Narrator: The angel of G-d came to the woman again. She was sitting in the field and her husband Mano'ah was not with her. The woman ran in haste to tell her husband.
Wife of Mano’ah: The man who came to me before has just appeared to me.
Narrator: Mano’ah promptly followed his wife.
Mano’ah: Are you the man who spoke to my wife?
Angel: Yes.
Mano’ah: May your words soon come true! What rules shall be observed for the boy?
Angel: The woman must abstain from all the things against which I warned her. She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, or drink wine or other intoxicant, or eat anything unclean. She must observe all that I commanded her.
Act 3
Scene 1
Mano’ah: Let us detain you and prepare a small goat for you.
Angel: If you detain me, I shall not eat your food; and if you present a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.
Narrator: Mano’ah did not know that he was an angel of the Lord.
Mano’ah: What is your name? We should like to honor you when your words come true.
Angel: You must not ask for my name; it is unknowable!
Narrator: Mano'ah took the small goat and the meal offering and offered them up on the rock to the LORD; and a marvelous thing happened while Mano’ah and his wife looked on. As the flames leaped up from the altar toward the sky, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flames of the altar, while Mano’ah and his wife looked on; and they flung themselves on their faces to the ground.
Scene 2
Narrator: The angel of the LORD never appeared again to Mano’ah and his wife. Mano’ah then realized that it had been an angel of the LORD.
Mano’ah: We shall surely die, for we have seen a divine being.
Wife of Mano’ah: Had the LORD meant to take our lives, G-d would not have accepted a burnt offering and meal offering from us, nor let us see all these things; and G-d would not have made such an announcement to us.
Narrator: The woman bore a son, and she named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the LORD blessed him.
Appendix C: The Full Story
(ח) וַיֶּעְתַּ֥ר מָנ֛וֹחַ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר בִּ֣י אֲדוֹנָ֔י אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֞ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁלַ֗חְתָּ יָבוֹא־נָ֥א עוֹד֙ אֵלֵ֔ינוּ וְיוֹרֵ֕נוּ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לַנַּ֥עַר הַיּוּלָּֽד׃ (ט) וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּק֣וֹל מָנ֑וֹחַ וַיָּבֹ֣א מַלְאַךְ֩ הָאֱלֹהִ֨ים ע֜וֹד אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֗ה וְהִיא֙ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וּמָנ֥וֹחַ אִישָׁ֖הּ אֵ֥ין עִמָּֽהּ׃ (י) וַתְּמַהֵר֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וַתָּ֖רׇץ וַתַּגֵּ֣ד לְאִישָׁ֑הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו הִנֵּ֨ה נִרְאָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א בַיּ֖וֹם אֵלָֽי׃ (יא) וַיָּ֛קׇם וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מָנ֖וֹחַ אַחֲרֵ֣י אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־הָאִ֔ישׁ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ הַאַתָּ֥ה הָאִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֥רְתָּ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אָֽנִי׃ (יב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מָנ֔וֹחַ עַתָּ֖ה יָבֹ֣א דְבָרֶ֑יךָ מַה־יִּהְיֶ֥ה מִשְׁפַּט־הַנַּ֖עַר וּמַעֲשֵֽׂהוּ׃ (יג) וַיֹּ֛אמֶר מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מָנ֑וֹחַ מִכֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אָמַ֥רְתִּי אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה תִּשָּׁמֵֽר׃ (יד) מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־יֵצֵא֩ מִגֶּ֨פֶן הַיַּ֜יִן לֹ֣א תֹאכַ֗ל וְיַ֤יִן וְשֵׁכָר֙ אַל־תֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וְכׇל־טֻמְאָ֖ה אַל־תֹּאכַ֑ל כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוִּיתִ֖יהָ תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃ {ס} (טו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מָנ֖וֹחַ אֶל־מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֑ה נַעְצְרָה־נָּ֣א אוֹתָ֔ךְ וְנַעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְפָנֶ֖יךָ גְּדִ֥י עִזִּֽים׃ (טז) וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מָנ֗וֹחַ אִם־תַּעְצְרֵ֙נִי֙ לֹא־אֹכַ֣ל בְּלַחְמֶ֔ךָ וְאִם־תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה עֹלָ֔ה לַיהֹוָ֖ה תַּעֲלֶ֑נָּה כִּ֚י לֹא־יָדַ֣ע מָנ֔וֹחַ כִּֽי־מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה הֽוּא׃ (יז) וַיֹּ֧אמֶר מָנ֛וֹחַ אֶל־מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה מִ֣י שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּֽי־יָבֹ֥א (דבריך) [דְבָרְךָ֖] וְכִבַּדְנֽוּךָ׃ (יח) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה תִּשְׁאַ֣ל לִשְׁמִ֑י וְהוּא־פֶֽלִאי׃ {פ}
(יט) וַיִּקַּ֨ח מָנ֜וֹחַ אֶת־גְּדִ֤י הָֽעִזִּים֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה וַיַּ֥עַל עַל־הַצּ֖וּר לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וּמַפְלִ֣א לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת וּמָנ֥וֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ רֹאִֽים׃ (כ) וַיְהִי֩ בַעֲל֨וֹת הַלַּ֜הַב מֵעַ֤ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָה וַיַּ֥עַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּלַ֣הַב הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וּמָנ֤וֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ֙ רֹאִ֔ים וַיִּפְּל֥וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֖ם אָֽרְצָה׃ (כא) וְלֹא־יָ֤סַף עוֹד֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה לְהֵרָאֹ֖ה אֶל־מָנ֣וֹחַ וְאֶל־אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ אָ֚ז יָדַ֣ע מָנ֔וֹחַ כִּֽי־מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה הֽוּא׃ (כב) וַיֹּ֧אמֶר מָנ֛וֹחַ אֶל־אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מ֣וֹת נָמ֑וּת כִּ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים רָאִֽינוּ׃ (כג) וַתֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ לוּ֩ חָפֵ֨ץ יְהֹוָ֤ה לַהֲמִיתֵ֙נוּ֙ לֹֽא־לָקַ֤ח מִיָּדֵ֙נוּ֙ עֹלָ֣ה וּמִנְחָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א הֶרְאָ֖נוּ אֶת־כׇּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְכָעֵ֕ת לֹ֥א הִשְׁמִיעָ֖נוּ כָּזֹֽאת׃ (כד) וַתֵּ֤לֶד הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַנַּ֔עַר וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ יְהֹוָֽה׃
(2) There was a certain man from Zorah, of the stock of Dan, whose name was Manoah. His wife was infertile and had borne no children. (3) An angel of GOD appeared to the woman and said to her, “You are infertile and have borne no children; but you shall conceive and bear a son. (4) Now be careful not to drink wine or other intoxicant, or to eat anything impure. (5) For you are going to conceive and bear a son; let no razor touch his head, for the boy is to be a nazirite to God from the womb on. He shall be the first to deliver Israel from the Philistines.” (6) The woman went and told her husband, “An agent of God came to me; he looked like an angel of God, very frightening. I did not ask him where he was from, nor did he tell me his name. (7) He said to me, ‘You are going to conceive and bear a son. Drink no wine or other intoxicant, and eat nothing impure, for the boy is to be a nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death!’” (8) Manoah pleaded with GOD. “Oh, my Sovereign!” he said, “please let the agent of God that You sent come to us again, and let him instruct us how to act with the child that is to be born.” (9) God heeded Manoah’s plea, and the angel of God came to the woman again. She was sitting in the field and her husband Manoah was not with her. (10) The woman ran in haste to tell her husband. She said to him, “The man who came to me before has just appeared to me.” (11) Manoah promptly followed his wife. He came to that figure and asked him: “Are you the one who spoke to my wife?” “Yes,” he answered. (12) Then Manoah said, “May your words soon come true! What rules shall be observed for the boy?” (13) The angel of GOD said to Manoah, “The woman must abstain from all the things against which I warned her. (14) She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, or drink wine or other intoxicant, or eat anything impure. She must observe all that I commanded her.” (15) Manoah said to the angel of GOD, “Let us detain you and prepare a kid for you.” (16) But the angel of GOD said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I shall not eat your food; and if you present a burnt offering, offer it to GOD.”—For Manoah did not know that he was an angel of GOD. (17) So Manoah said to the angel of GOD, “What is your name? We should like to honor you when your words come true.” (18) The angel said to him, “You must not ask for my name; it is unknowable!” (19) Manoah took the kid and the grain offering and offered them up on the rock to GOD; and a marvelous thing happened while Manoah and his wife looked on. (20) As the flames leaped up from the altar toward the sky, the angel of GOD ascended in the flames of the altar, while Manoah and his wife looked on; and they flung themselves on their faces to the ground.— (21) The angel of GOD never appeared again to Manoah and his wife.—Manoah then realized that it had been an angel of GOD. (22) And Manoah said to his wife, “We will surely die, for we have seen a divine being.” (23) But his wife said to him, “Had GOD meant to take our lives, our burnt offering and grain offering would not have been accepted, nor would we have been shown all these things—and [God] would not have made such an announcement to us.” (24) The woman bore a son, and she named him Samson. The boy grew up, and GOD blessed him.