Judges 13:22
in Judges 13“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
KJV
And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
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This verse in Judges 13
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd are you not amazed at Manoah the Judge of yore... the one being unable to endure the sight even of one in whom was a representation of God; and saying, "We are undone, O wife, we have seen God;" speaking as though even a vision of God could not be grasped by human beings, let alone the Nature of God.
This site's exposition
We are going to die
on Judges 13:22-23
The fear has texts behind it, since Exodus 33:20 says no one may see God and live. Here his wife answers, reasoning that the LORD would not have “accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering” if He meant to kill them. The plainest argument in the chapter is hers.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The great Redeemer did in a particular manner concern himself about this typical redeemer. Beware - Because the child was to be a Nazarite from the womb, ver. 5, and from the conception; and because the mother's pollution extends to the child, she is enjoined from this time to observe the following rules belonging to the Nazarites.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-5-anchored-19-23
And Manoah said unto his wife,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The first remark arising out of the story of Manoah and his wife is this—that oftentimes we pray for blessings which will make us tremble when we receive them. Manoah had asked that he might see the Angel and he saw Him—in answer to His request the Wonderful One condescended to reveal Himself a second time, but the consequence was that the good man was filled with astonishment and dismay. And turning to His wife, he exclaimed, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God."
The first remark arising out of the story of Manoah and his wife is this—that oftentimes we pray for blessings which will make us tremble when we receive them. Manoah had asked that he might see the Angel and he saw Him—in answer to His request the Wonderful One condescended to reveal Himself a second time, but the consequence was that the good man was filled with astonishment and dismay. And turning to His wife, he exclaimed, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God." Brothers and Sisters, do we always know what we are asking for when we pray? We are imploring an undoubted blessing and yet if we knew the way in which such blessing must necessarily come, we would, perhaps, hesitate before we pressed our case. You have been entreating very much for growth in holiness. Do you know, Brother, that in almost every case, that means increased affliction? We do not make much progress in the Divine life except when the Lord is pleased to try us in the furnace and purge us with many fires. Do you desire the mercy on that condition? Are you willing to take it as God pleases to send it, and to say, "Lord, if spiritual growth implies trial. If it signifies a long sickness of body. If it means deep depression of soul. If it entails the loss of property. If it involves the taking away of my dearest friends, yet I make no reserve, but include in the prayer all that is necessary to the good end. When I say, sanctify me wholly, spirit, soul and body, I leave the process to Your discretion." Suppose you really knew all that it would bring upon you, would you not pray, at any rate, with more solemn tones? I hope you would not hesitate, but, counting all the cost, would still desire to be delivered from sin.
We shall surely die, because we have seen God - See the note on Jdg 6:22.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֧אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מָנ֛וֹחַ | manoach | Manoah | H4495 → | 18 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| מ֣וֹת | mot | certainly <to die> | H4191 → | 839 times |
| נָמ֑וּת | namut | we will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| רָאִֽינוּ׃ | rainu | we have seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
וַיֹּ֧אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
מָנ֛וֹחַManoah
manoachH4495 →18 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אִשְׁתּ֖וֹwife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
מ֣וֹתcertainly <to die>
motH4191 →839 times
נָמ֑וּתwe will die
namutH4191 →839 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֱלֹהִ֖יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
רָאִֽינוּ׃we have seen
rainuH7200 →1300 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
John 1:18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
it leads to
- Colossians 1:15
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
- John 6:46
not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.
- Matthew 11:27
All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses…
- Luke 10:22
All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to…
- 1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.
- Colossians 1:15
Through
Exodus 33:20But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 6:5
Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 6:5
Through
Isaiah 6:5Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD…
it leads to
- Luke 5:8–9
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.”
- James 3:6–10
The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on…
- Luke 5:8–9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1340: “Manoah's Wife and Her Excellent Argument” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Gregory of Nazianzus, THEOLOGICAL ORATIONS 2 (28).19; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.