提要
上帝使耶弗他大勝亞捫人之後，以色列內部也起了一些紛爭。人數眾多的以法蓮支派又像以前抱怨基甸那樣（8：1），抱怨耶弗他，並且這次的態度和言辭更加惡劣。他們氣耶弗他使他們與勝利的光榮絕緣，或許他們還覬覦戰利品。以法蓮人威脅要放火燒耶弗他的房屋。耶弗他同樣感到生氣，並且強烈的反彈，他聚集基列人起來擊敗了以法蓮人。這場挫敗一定打擊了以法蓮人的驕傲和自大。
非利士人的移民定居在迦南地沿地中海的海岸，他們壓迫以色列人，給以色列人帶來極大的困擾，因為以色列人「又行耶和華眼中看為惡的事」（13：1）。不過這次我們沒有讀到以色列人呼求耶和華，他們可能已經遠離上帝，變得無動於衷了。然而上帝還是仁慈的預備了一個神奇的孩子參孫來拯救以色列人，不過，以色列人一直到大衛時代才完全脫離非利士人的軛。
瑪挪亞和他的妻子是但族人，他們住在但和猶大支派交界的瑣拉城，距耶路撒冷以西約廿八公里。聖經沒有提到瑪挪亞之妻的名字，不過上帝大大尊榮她，使她有幸從天使口中得知自己將要生子的消息。這個不凡的宣告表示一位重要人物即將誕生，如同以撒（創18：10）、施洗約翰（路1：13）、耶穌的降生（路1：31）一樣。對這對無法生育的夫妻而言，天使帶來的消息一定讓他們高興極了！
在參孫的母親懷孕之前，天使先給她一番特別的指示。當她回去告訴丈夫瑪挪亞時，瑪挪亞雖然相信，但仍想再見一次神人，重新確認神人的指示。上帝尊重他的要求，天使也二度顯現，向瑪挪亞和他的妻子說話。主的使者要瑪挪亞之妻只吃拿細耳人的飲食，使參孫在母腹裡就作拿細耳人（13：5；民6：2~21）。「拿細耳」是希伯來文的音譯，意思是「分別」或「專注」，因為參孫要分別為聖歸給上帝，保持潔淨，遠離一切的污穢，如撒母耳（撒上1：11）和施洗約翰一樣（路1：15）。
瑪亞求問上帝使者的大名，所得的答覆意義重大。那是難以形容、超越他們所能理解的聖名（參創32：29）。用來描寫這個名字的希伯來文常被翻作「奇妙」。以賽亞書九章六節也是用這個相同的字形容所應許的彌賽亞。瑪挪亞如果對這位不尋常的訪客有所懷疑，當後者隨著祭物的火燄上升，瑪挪亞的疑慮一定也一掃而空。
瑪挪亞和基甸一樣怕死了，因為他們面對面看見了上帝，但他妻子的智慧話使他得著安慰，並確信上帝不會殺他們。畢竟，上帝對他們有一個計畫，要藉著參孫的誕生來實現。參孫的名字意思是「太陽」，代表光明和力量（詩84：11）。他的成長有上帝的祝福，使他健康又強壯（13：24）。及至參孫長大成人，上帝的靈又降在他身上，賦予他能力將以色列從非利士人的壓迫下拯救出來。這是上帝在參孫生命中的奇妙計畫。雖然上帝對某些人的計畫看起來似乎比其他人更崇高（至少從人的眼光來看），但其實上帝對每一個分別為聖歸給祂的人都有一個同等重要的計畫。
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Overview
After the great victory God gave Jephthah over the Ammonites some internal problems arose. The men of the large tribe of Ephraim came to complain, as they had with Gideon (8:1), but this time their attitude and approach was much worse. It appears they were again jealous of the victory in which they were not involved, and they wanted the glory and probably the spoil. They threatened to burn down Jepthah’s house. Jephthah was equally angry and responded with force. He gathered the men of Gilead together and defeated Ephraim. This defeat certainly broke some of Ephraim’s price and arrogance.
The Philistine immigrants to Canaan settled around the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They were a source of trouble and oppression in Israel because the Israelites once again “did evil in the sight of the Lord” (13:1). This time, however, we do not read that the people cried out to the Lord, possibly because they had become too far removed from God an were apathetic; yet still the Lord was graciously planning Israel’s deliverance through a miracle child, Samson. However, total deliverance from the Philistines would no be seen until the time of David.
Manoah and his wife were Danites who lived in Zorah, a border city between the territory of Dan and Judah, about 28 kilometers west of Jerusalem. Manoah’s wife’s name is not mentioned, yet she was greatly honored by God to receive an angelic announcement of the birth of a son. This indicated that an important person would be born, as was also the case with the births of Isaac (Gen.18:10), John the Baptist (Luke 1:13). What wonderful news this must have been for the couple who had been unable to have children!
Before Samson’s mother conceived, the Angel gave her specific instructions. When she told Manoah, it seems he believed her but still wanted to see the Man of God again for reconfirmation and to be sure about the instructions. God honored his request and the Angel appeared a second time, this time speaking to both. She was to follow the diet of a Nazirite so that, from the moment of conception, Samson would be nourished only by such food and drink as were permitted on behalf of her son that he would be raised as a Nazirite from the beginning of his life. “Nazirite” comes from a Hebrew word meaning “separated” or “dedicated”, for he was to be consecrated to the Lord, and remain pure and separated from all defilement, as were Samuel (1 Sam.1:11) and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15).
When Manoah asked the Messenger of God His name, the response was significant. It was unspeakable (cf. Gen.32:29), a divine name beyond their understanding. The Hebrew word describing the Name is often translated “wonderful”. This is the same word used in Isaiah 9:6 concerning the promised Messiah. If Manoah had any doubts about their unusual visitor, they were surely dispelled when He ascended with the flames of their offering to the Lord.
Manoah feared death, as did Gideon, since he had seen God face to face, but his wife’s wise words brought comfort and reassurance that God would not kill them, After all, God had a plan for them which was to be fulfilled in the birth of Samson, his name meaning “sun”, implying brightness and strength (Ps.84:11). Samson grew with God’s blessing of health, strength, and courage (13:24). As a man, he was also blessed with the Spirit of the Lord, which would come upon him to empower him in his task of beginning to save Israel from Philistine oppression (13:25). This was the exciting plan of God for Samson’s life. Although the plan of God for some people’s lives may seem more exciting and honorable than that of others (at least in human terms), God had an equally important plan for every person who is consecrated to him.
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