And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

JUDGES 13:2KJV
Know the Bible

Judges 13:2 (KJV)

What does Judges 13:2 mean?

Judges 13:2 introduces a man named Manoah from the town of Zorah, who belonged to the tribe of Dan. The verse notes that Manoah’s wife could not have children, setting the stage for the events that follow in the chapter.

This verse is part of a narrative transition, moving the focus to Manoah’s family as the next key figures in the story of Israel’s judges. The mention of his wife’s barrenness highlights a common theme in the Bible, where God’s intervention often comes in situations that seem hopeless or impossible by human standards.

The Hebrew behind Judges 13:2

  • The word for “barren” is עֲקָרָה (aqarah), meaning unable to have children. This detail is significant because it signals an upcoming miraculous birth, a pattern seen elsewhere in the Bible.
  • The name “Manoah” (מָנוֹחַ, Manoach) means “rest” or “quiet.” This may hint at the kind of role Manoah or his family will play in the story.
  • “Zorah” (צָרְעָה, Tzorah) is a town in the territory of Dan, grounding the story in a specific place and tribe, which matters for understanding the tribal dynamics in Judges.

Why Judges 13:2 matters

  • The verse sets up the miraculous birth of Samson, one of Israel’s most famous judges, by emphasizing the impossibility of his birth apart from divine intervention.
  • By naming Manoah and his tribe, the verse connects the coming story to the broader history and struggles of the tribe of Dan within Israel.
  • The detail about barrenness prepares the reader for God’s direct involvement, a recurring theme in stories where God brings hope and purpose out of human limitation.

Where else these words appear

“Danites” Hebrew H1839 · used in 5 verses

  • Judges 18:1 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
  • Judges 18:11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
  • Judges 18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

“Zorah” Hebrew H6881 · used in 10 verses

  • Joshua 15:33 And in the valley, Eshtaol, and Zoreah, and Ashnah,
  • Judges 16:31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
  • Judges 18:11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

“barren” Hebrew H6135 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
  • Exodus 23:26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
  • 1 Samuel 2:5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

“Manoah” Hebrew H4495 · used in 14 verses

  • Judges 13:8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
  • Judges 13:13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
  • Judges 13:19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.