John Gill Commentary


John Gill Commentary
"And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt make ready a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto Jehovah. For Manoah knew not that he was the angel of Jehovah." — Judges 13:16 (ASV)
And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah
In answer to his request:
though you detain me, I will not eat of your bread ;
that is, should he be prevailed upon to stay awhile with him, until an entertainment should be got ready, he would not eat of any of your provisions; for "bread" is put for all eatables, or whatsoever he might provide for the entertainment:
and if ,
or "but if" F14
you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord ;
if he meant to provide not a festival entertainment, but a sacrifice, then he should take care that he did not offer it to strange gods, as was now very much the custom with Israel in this their time of apostasy, (Judges 13:1) but to the true Jehovah, and not to a servant of his, a prophet or an angel, but to himself:
for Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord ;
he took him to be a man, a prophet sent of God, and not an angel; and much less the uncreated one, to whom as such only the sacrifice could be offered.