Jump to content

Manoah's wife

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ser Amantio di Nicolao (talk | contribs) at 18:10, 9 September 2018 (add authority control, test). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Annunciation to Manoah's Wife by Tintoretto.

The wife of Manoah is an unnamed figure the Book of Judges. She is introduced in Judges 13:2 as barren woman. The angel of the Lord appears to her and tells her she will have a son. She later gives birth to Samson.

J. Cheryl Exum argues that the wife of Manoah is more perceptive than her husband, in that she "senses at once something otherworldly" about the man of God who visits her, and "recognizes a divine purpose behind the revelation."[1] Bruce Waltke regards her as cynical, noting that, unlike Hannah, she neither prays for a child nor praises God afterwards.[2]

Ancient Rabbinic tradition identifies this woman as the Hazelelponi mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:3, though the Talmud identifies Samson's mother as a woman named "Tzelelponit" (Hebrew: צללפונית).

See also

References

  1. ^ Exum, J. Cheryl. "Mother of Samson". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  2. ^ Waltke, Bruce. An Old Testament Theology. p. 610.