Judges 13:19 (KJV)

What does Judges 13:19 mean?

Judges 13:19 describes Manoah offering a young goat and a grain offering on a rock as a sacrifice to the LORD, while the angel of the LORD performs something extraordinary as Manoah and his wife watch. The verse highlights a moment of worship and amazement in the presence of a divine messenger.

Manoah, the father of Samson, is responding to the angel’s instructions by making a sacrifice. The “angel did wondrously” refers to a miraculous act that follows the offering, which deeply impresses Manoah and his wife. This scene sets up the realization that they are encountering a messenger from God, not just an ordinary visitor.

The Hebrew behind Judges 13:19

• The word for “kid” is גְּדִי (gəḏî), meaning a young goat, which was a common animal for sacrifices in ancient Israel.
• The term for “meat offering” is מִנְחָה (minḥāh), which actually refers to a grain offering, not meat, showing that Manoah brought both animal and grain as part of his worship.
• The word for “rock” is צוּר (ṣûr), indicating that the sacrifice was made on a natural stone surface, not a built altar, which was sometimes done in special encounters with God.
• The verb translated “did wondrously” is פָּלָא (pāla’), which often means to do something marvelous or miraculous, emphasizing that what the angel did was beyond ordinary human experience.

Why Judges 13:19 matters

• This verse clarifies that Manoah and his wife were not just following ritual but were witnessing a supernatural event, which sets the stage for their realization of the angel’s true identity.
• The use of both an animal and a grain offering shows the seriousness and completeness of Manoah’s act of worship, reflecting the customs of the time.
• The miraculous action by the angel connects directly to the larger story of Samson’s birth, underlining that his life and mission are marked by God’s direct intervention from the very beginning.