Judges 13:3

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou [art] barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

Complete Jewish Bible:

The angel of ADONAI appeared to the woman and said to her, "Listen! You are barren, you haven't had a child, but you will conceive and bear a son.

Berean Standard Bible:

The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.

American Standard Version:

And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And the angel{H4397} of the LORD{H3068} appeared{H7200} unto the woman{H802}, and said{H559} unto her, Behold now, thou art barren{H6135}, and bearest{H3205} not: but thou shalt conceive{H2029}, and bear{H3205} a son{H1121}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Luke 1:13

  • But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Luke 1:11

  • And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

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 2:1

  • ¶ And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Judges 6:11

  • ¶ And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which [was] in Ophrah, that [pertained] unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide [it] from the Midianites.

Judges 6:12

  • And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

Genesis 18:10

  • And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him.

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Commentary for Judges 13:3

Judges 13:3 is part of the narrative concerning the birth of Samson, a figure known for his extraordinary strength and role as a judge in Israel. The verse is set during a period when the Israelites were under the oppressive rule of the Philistines, and God was about to raise up a deliverer for them. In this context, the angel of the LORD, a figure often associated with divine manifestation and communication in the Old Testament, appears to Samson's future mother, who is unnamed in this verse.

The themes present in this verse include divine intervention, promise, and the reversal of barrenness. The angel's message to the woman addresses her barrenness, a condition that in the ancient world carried significant social stigma and personal anguish. The angel's announcement that she will conceive and bear a son is a direct intervention by God in her life, signaling a turning point not only for her but also for the nation of Israel. This promise of a son who would be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth (as indicated in subsequent verses) underscores the special role this child, Samson, would play in God's redemptive plan for His people.

Historically, this event occurs within the cyclical pattern of the book of Judges, where the Israelites repeatedly fall into sin, suffer under foreign oppression, cry out to God, and are delivered by a judge whom God raises up. Samson's birth narrative echoes other biblical accounts of miraculous births to barren women (such as Sarah, Rebekah, and Hannah), reinforcing the theme of God's power to fulfill His promises against all odds and to bring hope out of despair. This verse sets the stage for the story of Samson, whose life, despite its complexities and flaws, demonstrates God's sovereignty in using imperfect instruments for His divine purposes.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H4397
    There are 197 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מֲלְאָךְ
    Transliteration: mălʼâk
    Pronunciation: mal-awk'
    Description: from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher); ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
  2. Strong's Number: H3068
    There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יְהֹוָה
    Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
    Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
    Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
  3. Strong's Number: H7200
    There are 1212 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: רָאָה
    Transliteration: râʼâh
    Pronunciation: raw-aw'
    Description: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative); advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions.
  4. Strong's Number: H802
    There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אִשָּׁה
    Transliteration: ʼishshâh
    Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
    Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.
  5. Strong's Number: H559
    There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אָמַר
    Transliteration: ʼâmar
    Pronunciation: aw-mar'
    Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
  6. Strong's Number: H6135
    There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עָקָר
    Transliteration: ʻâqâr
    Pronunciation: aw-kawr'
    Description: from עָקַר; sterile (as if extirpated in the generative organs); ([idiom] male or female) barren (woman).
  7. Strong's Number: H3205
    There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָלַד
    Transliteration: yâlad
    Pronunciation: yaw-lad'
    Description: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
  8. Strong's Number: H2029
    There are 42 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: הָרָה
    Transliteration: hârâh
    Pronunciation: haw-raw'
    Description: a primitive root; to be (or become) pregnant, conceive (literally or figuratively); been, be with child, conceive, progenitor.
  9. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בֵּן
    Transliteration: bên
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.