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Judges 13:18

in Judges 13

“Why do you ask my name,” said the angel of the LORD, “since it is beyond comprehension?”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore askest thou after my name, seeing it is wonderful?

KJV

And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?

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This verse in Judges 13

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Seeing it is secret? - It was because it was secret that they wished to know it. The angel does not say that it was secret, but הוא פלאי hu peli it is Wonderful; the very character that is given to Jesus Christ, Isa 9:6: His name shall be called, פלא Wonderful; and it is supposed by some that the angel gives this as his name, and consequently that he was our blessed Lord.

This site's exposition

What is your name

on Judges 13:17-18

The angel refuses his name as Jacob was refused at Peniel in Genesis 32:29, asking in return why Manoah asks. The Hebrew word rendered “beyond comprehension” comes from the root behind the marvelous thing the LORD does at verse 19. Isaiah 9:6 uses that root for the first name of the child born to us, which is why Matthew Henry reads these verses together.

This site's exposition

since it is beyond comprehension

Gregory of Nyssa reads the angel's answer as teaching that no name can hold the nature of God, whose fitting name is wonder. Matthew Henry sets it beside Exodus 3:13-14, where Moses asked the name and was told. Manoah is given no name.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Pacian of Barcelona

LETTER 2.2 · Written before 391.

proposed

On the name Catholic I answered fully and with calmness. For I said, that it mattered to neither, what the other was called. And if you demanded the meaning of the name, I said that, whatever it might be, it was wonderful, whether it was …

A commentator

Gregory of Nyssa

AGAINST EUNOMIUS 8.1 · Written before 395.

proposed

And so, too, the word that was spoken to Manoah shows the fact that the Divinity is not comprehensible by the significance of His name, because, when Manoah asks to know His name, that, when the promise has come actually to pass, he may by name glorify his benefactor, He says to him, "Why askest thou this? It also is wonderful"; so that by this we learn that there is one name significant of the Divine Nature—the wonder, namely, that arises unspeakably in our hearts concerning It.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

And the angel of the Lord said unto him,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Manoah's request was honestly meant and yet was denied. God told Moses his name ( Exod. iii. 13, 14 ), because there was a particular occasion for his knowing it, but here there was no occasion.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Manoah said unto the angel . . ., What is thy name?--Manoah's request elicited the most unequivocal proofs of the divinity of his supernatural visitor--in his name "secret" (in the Margin, "wonderful"), and in the miraculous flame that betokened the acceptance of the sacrifice.
1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Secret - Rather, “wonderful,” as in the margin. In Jdg 13:19 the Angel “did wondrously,” probably as the Angel that Appeared to Gideon had done, bringing fire from the rock. See the marginal references and notes.

The words behind it

10 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said

    vaiyomerH559 →5305 times

  • לּוֹ֙to <the> him

    lo

  • מַלְאַ֣ךְ[the] angel of

    malakhH4397 →213 times

  • יְהוָ֔הYahweh

    yahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • לָ֥מָּה<to> why?

    lamahH4100 →752 times

  • זֶּ֖הthis

    zehH2088 →1180 times

  • תִּשְׁאַ֣לare you asking

    tishalH7592 →171 times

  • לִשְׁמִ֑יto name my

    lishmiH8034 →864 times

  • וְהוּא־and it

    vehu'-H1931 →1879 times

  • פֶ֛לִאי׃ ס[is] incomprehensible

    feliH6383 →

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

6 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Isaiah 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.23 worksGenesis 32:29And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.7 worksProverbs 30:4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!5 worksJudges 13:6So the woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me. His appearance was like the angel of God, exceedingly awesome. I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name.3 worksRevelation 19:12He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows.3 worksDaniel 8:13Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long until the fulfillment of the vision of the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”2 works

The walk

5 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Isaiah 9:6

    For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…

    it leads to

    • Luke 2:11

      Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!

    • Matthew 28:18

      Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

    • Jeremiah 23:5–6

      Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.

    • Isaiah 7:14

      Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.

    • Matthew 1:23

      “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).

Where this verse is studied

About Judges

Jael, Deborah and Barak, Salomon de Bray, 1635. Public domain.
Jael, Deborah and Barak, Salomon de Bray, 1635. Public domain.
Judges: the study guide →Read Judges 13 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory of Nyssa, AGAINST EUNOMIUS; Gregory of Nyssa, AGAINST EUNOMIUS 8.1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Pacian of Barcelona, LETTER 2.2.

Read on in Judges 13 →