Matthew Henry Commentary Judges 13:8-14

"Then Manoah entreated Jehovah, and said, Oh, Lord, I pray thee, let the man of God whom thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her. And the woman made haste, and ran, and told her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the [other] day. And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am. And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass: what shall be the ordering of the child, and [how] shall we do unto him? And the angel of Jehovah said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; all that I commanded her let her observe." — Judges 13:8-14 (ASV)

Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet, like Manoah, have believed. Good men are more careful and eager to know the duty they are to do, than to know the events concerning them: duty is ours, events are God's.

God will guide by his counsel those who desire to know their duty and ask him to teach them. Pious parents, especially, will beg divine assistance. The angel repeats the directions he had previously given. Much care is needed for the proper ordering of both ourselves and our children, so that we may be properly separated from the world and be living sacrifices to the Lord.