Judges 13: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Judges 13 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

The children of Israel did evil in Yahweh’s sight, and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years (v. 1). A man named Manoah from the family of the Danites, and his wife was barren and childless (v.

Key verse

“But his wife said to him, “If Yahweh were pleased to kill us, he wouldn’t have received a burnt offering and a meal offering at our hand, and he wouldn’t have shown us all these things, nor would he have told us such things as these at this time.”
Judges 13:23 (WEB)

Outline

Judges 13:1 Israel's Disobedience
Judges 13:2–5 Announcement of a Son
Judges 13:6–8 Manoah's Concern
Judges 13:9–14 God Answers Manoah
Judges 13:15–20 Offering to the Angel
Judges 13:21–23 Realization of the Angel's Identity
Judges 13:24–25 Birth of Samson

Discussion questions

In v3, what does the angel tell Manoah's wife about her future child?
What specific dietary restrictions are given in v4 regarding the child's mother?
Manoah's request in v12: what does he want to understand about the child's mission?
The angel's response in v18: why is his name described as 'incomprehensible'?
When has a time of waiting led you to seek guidance like Manoah did in v8?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Judges 13: Luke 1, Judges 6, Numbers 6.

Before next time: read Judges 14.