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Manoah | |
|---|---|
 Manoah andhis barren wife sacrifice aram to theangel of the Lord (above); Manoah's wife wears awimple inEustache Le Sueur'sThe Sacrifice of Manoah, 1640–1650. | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | Unknown |
| Known for | Father ofSamson |
| Spouse | Hazzelelponi or Zelelponith (according to tradition) |
| Children | Samson, Nishyan or Nashyan (according to tradition) |
Manoah (Hebrew:מָנ֫וֹחַMānoaḥ) is a figure from theBook of Judges 13:1-23 and 14:2-4 of theHebrew Bible. His name means "rest".[1] He is the father of the judgeSamson.
According to the Bible, Manoah was of thetribe of Dan and lived in the city ofZorah. He marriedone woman, who was barren. Her name is not mentioned in the Bible, but according to tradition she was calledHazzelelponi orZelelponith.[2] She was a daughter of Etam and sister of Ishma.
Manoah andhis wife[3] were the parents of famous judgeSamson. According to Rabbinic tradition, they also had a daughter called Nishyan or Nashyan.[4][5]
Manoah and his barren wife were childless, but theangel of the Lord appeared to Manoah's wife and told her that she would give birth to a son. The child was to be dedicated from the womb as aNazirite, which entailed restrictions on his diet that the angel spelled out in detail. The woman, whose name is not mentioned in the Bible, told her husband, "A man of God came to me." Manoah prayed, and the angel returned to instruct the both of them. After the angel left, Manoah tells his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God."[6]
Together with his wife, Manoah subsequently tried to dissuade Samson from marrying aPhilistine woman but traveled with him toTimnah for the wedding ceremony when they were unable to do so.
Samson's birth has special importance for some Christians (primarilyCatholics) because of its similarity to theAnnunciation to theVirgin Mary.[citation needed]
After Samson's death, his family recovers his body and buries him near the tomb of Manoah.[citation needed]
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