1 The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight ; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah ; and his wife was barren, and childless.
3 Yahweh’s angel appeared to the woman, and said to her, “See now, you are barren and childless ; but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4 Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing ;
5 for, behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son. No razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb. He shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”
6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, “A man of God came to me, and his face was like the face of the angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he was from, neither did he tell me his name ;
7 but he said to me, ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son ; and now drink no wine nor strong drink. Don’t eat any unclean thing, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”
Note · Juges 13.1–7
La promesse concerne une histoire sans devenir une garantie pour chaque famille
La femme jusque-là sans enfant reçoit l’annonce de la naissance et les consignes de consécration. Le récit ne présente pas sa situation comme une faute, ni sa grossesse comme la récompense d’une supériorité. Une naissance biblique annoncée ne permet pas de promettre un enfant à toute personne qui prie ou de juger celles qui n’en ont pas.
8 Then Manoah entreated Yahweh, and said, “Oh, Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us, and teach us what we should do to the child who shall be born.”
9 God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field ; but Manoah, her husband, wasn’t with her.
10 The woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, saying to him, “Behold, the man who came to me that day has appeared to me.”
11 Manoah arose and followed his wife, and came to the man, and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife ?” He said, “I am.”
12 Manoah said, “Now let your words happen. What shall the child’s way of life and mission be ?”
13 Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her beware.
14 She may not eat of anything that comes of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her observe all that I commanded her.”
Note · Juges 13.8–14
La réponse à Manoah confirme la parole confiée à sa femme
Manoah demande des indications pour l’enfant, et l’envoyé revient vers la femme. Les consignes déjà reçues sont confirmées plutôt que remplacées. La médiation de cette femme sans nom est essentielle au récit ; le fait de ne pas connaître son nom ne diminue ni sa capacité d’écoute ni sa place dans la transmission.
15 Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “Please stay with us, that we may make a young goat ready for you.”
16 Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to Yahweh.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was Yahweh’s angel.
17 Manoah said to Yahweh’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honor you ?”
18 Yahweh’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible ?” Notesn1 or, wonderful
19 So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to Yahweh. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched.
20 For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, Yahweh’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched ; and they fell on their faces to the ground.
21 But Yahweh’s angel didn’t appear to Manoah or to his wife any more. Then Manoah knew that he was Yahweh’s angel.
22 Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.”
23 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.”
Note · Juges 13.15–23
L’offrande conduit à une reconnaissance, puis à une interprétation
L’envoyé oriente le sacrifice vers Dieu et échappe à la maîtrise d’un nom disponible. Manoah craint de mourir, mais sa femme rappelle que la promesse et l’accueil de l’offrande ne vont pas dans ce sens. Certains chrétiens proposent une lecture christologique de l’envoyé ; le passage ne l’identifie pas explicitement au Christ.
24 The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
25 Yahweh’s Spirit began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Note · Juges 13.24–25
Le commencement d’une vocation ne raconte pas encore sa fidélité
La naissance, la croissance et la bénédiction sont suivies de l’action de l’Esprit. Samson entre dans l’histoire comme bénéficiaire d’un don avant d’être connu pour ses exploits. Cette initiative ne constitue pas une approbation anticipée de tous ses désirs ni une dispense de responsabilité : la suite demandera de lire ses actes un à un.