Samson's mother
The Faithful Nazirite Mother
Samson's mother was a devout woman from the tribe of Dan who was barren until an angel appeared to her with the promise of a son. She received instructions regarding the Nazirite vow and demonstrated faithfulness by carefully following God's guidance. Although she remains unnamed in the Bible, she plays a central role in the story of Israel's most powerful judge.
Family
Key events
The Angel's First Appearance
The Lord's angel appeared to the barren woman and announced that she would give birth to a son who would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
2There was a man from Zorah, of the clan of Dan, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children.
וַיְהִי֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶחָ֧ד מִצָּרְעָ֛ה מִמִּשְׁפַּ֥חַת הַדָּנִ֖י וּשְׁמ֣וֹ מָנ֑וֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ עֲקָרָ֖ה וְלֹ֥א יָלָֽדָה׃
3The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "You are barren and have borne no children, but now you will conceive and give birth to a son.
וַיֵּרָ֥א מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֶ֗יהָ הִנֵּה־נָ֤א אַתְּ־עֲקָרָה֙ וְלֹ֣א יָלַ֔דְתְּ וְהָרִ֖ית וְיָלַ֥דְתְּ בֵּֽן׃
4So be careful: drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,
וְעַתָּה֙ הִשָּׁ֣מְרִי נָ֔א וְאַל־תִּשְׁתִּ֖י יַ֣יִן וְשֵׁכָ֑ר וְאַל־תֹּאכְלִ֖י כָּל־טָמֵֽא׃
5for you are going to conceive and give birth to a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth, and he will begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines."
כִּי֩ הִנָּ֨ךְ הָרָ֜ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֗ן וּמוֹרָה֙ לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֣ה עַל־רֹאשׁ֔וֹ כִּֽי־נְזִ֧יר אֱלֹהִ֛ים יִהְיֶ֥ה הַנַּ֖עַר מִן־הַבָּ֑טֶן וְה֗וּא יָחֵ֛ל לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִיַּ֥ד פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃
Receiving Nazirite Instructions
The angel gave her specific instructions that she must not drink wine or eat anything unclean, and that her son was to be a Nazirite from birth.
4So be careful: drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,
וְעַתָּה֙ הִשָּׁ֣מְרִי נָ֔א וְאַל־תִּשְׁתִּ֖י יַ֣יִן וְשֵׁכָ֑ר וְאַל־תֹּאכְלִ֖י כָּל־טָמֵֽא׃
5for you are going to conceive and give birth to a son. No razor is to touch his head, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth, and he will begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines."
כִּי֩ הִנָּ֨ךְ הָרָ֜ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֗ן וּמוֹרָה֙ לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֣ה עַל־רֹאשׁ֔וֹ כִּֽי־נְזִ֧יר אֱלֹהִ֛ים יִהְיֶ֥ה הַנַּ֖עַר מִן־הַבָּ֑טֶן וְה֗וּא יָחֵ֛ל לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִיַּ֥ד פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃
7But he said to me, 'You are going to conceive and give birth to a son. Now drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth until the day he dies.'"
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לִ֔י הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן וְעַתָּ֞ה אַל־תִּשְׁתִּ֣י ׀ יַ֣יִן וְשֵׁכָ֗ר וְאַל־תֹּֽאכְלִי֙ כָּל־טֻמְאָ֔ה כִּֽי־נְזִ֤יר אֱלֹהִים֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה הַנַּ֔עַר מִן־הַבֶּ֖טֶן עַד־י֥וֹם מוֹתֽוֹ׃ פ
Telling Manoah About the Vision
She went to her husband and told him about the divine revelation, describing the messenger as a man with an awe-inspiring appearance.
6The woman went and told her husband, "A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God—awesome to behold. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.
וַתָּבֹ֣א הָאִשָּׁ֗ה וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִישָׁהּ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ אִ֤ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים֙ בָּ֣א אֵלַ֔י וּמַרְאֵ֕הוּ כְּמַרְאֵ֛ה מַלְאַ֥ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים נוֹרָ֣א מְאֹ֑ד וְלֹ֤א שְׁאִלְתִּ֙יהוּ֙ אֵֽי־מִזֶּ֣ה ה֔וּא וְאֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ לֹֽא־הִגִּ֥יד לִֽי׃
7But he said to me, 'You are going to conceive and give birth to a son. Now drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the boy will be a Nazirite of God from birth until the day he dies.'"
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לִ֔י הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן וְעַתָּ֞ה אַל־תִּשְׁתִּ֣י ׀ יַ֣יִן וְשֵׁכָ֗ר וְאַל־תֹּֽאכְלִי֙ כָּל־טֻמְאָ֔ה כִּֽי־נְזִ֤יר אֱלֹהִים֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה הַנַּ֔עַר מִן־הַבֶּ֖טֶן עַד־י֥וֹם מוֹתֽוֹ׃ פ
The Angel's Second Appearance
At Manoah's request, the angel returned, and the woman ran to fetch her husband so that he too could meet the messenger.
9God listened to Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was sitting in the field. Her husband Manoah was not with her.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּק֣וֹל מָנ֑וֹחַ וַיָּבֹ֣א מַלְאַךְ֩ הָאֱלֹהִ֨ים ע֜וֹד אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֗ה וְהִיא֙ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וּמָנ֥וֹחַ אִישָׁ֖הּ אֵ֥ין עִמָּֽהּ׃
10The woman hurried and ran to tell her husband, "Look, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me again!"
וַתְּמַהֵר֙ הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וַתָּ֖רָץ וַתַּגֵּ֣ד לְאִישָׁ֑הּ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו הִנֵּ֨ה נִרְאָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א בַיּ֖וֹם אֵלָֽי׃
11Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked him, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife?" "I am," he said.
וַיָּ֛קָם וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מָנ֖וֹחַ אַחֲרֵ֣י אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־הָאִ֔ישׁ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ הַאַתָּ֥ה הָאִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֥רְתָּ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אָֽנִי׃
Calming Manoah after the theophany
When Manoah feared they would die because they had seen God, she showed insight of faith by saying that the Lord would not have accepted their offering if he intended to kill them.
22"We are surely going to die," he said to his wife, "for we have seen God!"
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר מָנ֛וֹחַ אֶל־אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ מ֣וֹת נָמ֑וּת כִּ֥י אֱלֹהִ֖ים רָאִֽינוּ׃
23But his wife answered, "If the LORD had wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would he have shown us all this or told us such things now."
וַתֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ לוּ֩ חָפֵ֨ץ יְהוָ֤ה לַהֲמִיתֵ֙נוּ֙ לֹֽא־לָקַ֤ח מִיָּדֵ֙נוּ֙ עֹלָ֣ה וּמִנְחָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א הֶרְאָ֖נוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְכָעֵ֕ת לֹ֥א הִשְׁמִיעָ֖נוּ כָּזֹֽאת׃
Giving birth to Samson
She gave birth to a son and named him Samson, and the boy grew up and the Lord blessed him.
24The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.
וַתֵּ֤לֶד הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַנַּ֔עַר וַֽיְבָרְכֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה׃
25And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir in him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
וַתָּ֙חֶל֙ ר֣וּחַ יְהוָ֔ה לְפַעֲמ֖וֹ בְּמַחֲנֵה־דָ֑ן בֵּ֥ין צָרְעָ֖ה וּבֵ֥ין אֶשְׁתָּאֹֽל׃ פ