Judges 13:16
13:16 The Lord’s messenger said to Manoah, “If I stay, 1 I will not eat your food. But if you want to make a burnt sacrifice to the Lord, you should offer it.” (He said this because Manoah did not know that he was the Lord’s messenger.) 2
Judges 20:23
20:23 The Israelites went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we 3 again march out to fight 4 the Benjaminites, our brothers?” 5 The Lord said, “Attack them!” 6
1 tn Heb “If you detain me.”
2 tn The words “he said this” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Manoah should have known from these words that the messenger represented the Lord. In the preceding narrative the narrator has informed the reader that the visitor is the Lord’s messenger, but Manoah and his wife did not perceive this. In vv. 5 and 7 the angel refers to “God” (אֱלֹהִים, ’elohim), not the Lord (יְהוַה, yÿhvah). Manoah’s wife calls the visitor “a man sent from God” and “God’s messenger” (v. 6), while Manoah prays to the “Lord” (אֲדוֹנָי, ’adonay) and calls the visitor “a man sent from God” (v. 8).
3 tn Heb “I” (collective singular).
4 tn Heb “approach for battle.”
5 tn Heb “my brother” (collective singular).
6 tn Heb “Go up against him” (collective singular).