Manoah ( ''Mānoaḥ'') is a figure from the
Book of Judges
The Book of Judges (, ') is the seventh book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the Book of Joshua and the establishment of a kingdom i ...
13:1-23 and 14:2-4 of the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;["Tanach"](_blank)
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...
. His name means "rest".
Family
According to the Bible, Manoah was of the
tribe of Dan and lived in the city of
Zorah. He married
one woman
"One Woman" is a song by American girl group Jade, released in 1993 as the third single from their debut album, ''Jade to the Max'' (1992). The song peaked at number 22 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
Critical reception
Alan Jones from ''Musi ...
, who was barren. Her name is not mentioned in the Bible, but according to tradition she was called
Hazzelelponi
Hazzelelponi ( he, הַצְּלֶלְפּוֹנִי ''Haṣṣəlelpōnī'', "the shade-facing") is a biblical woman mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:3. Tzelafon was named after her.
Hazzelelponi was a daughter of a man named Etam and thus a descendan ...
or
Zelelponith
Hazzelelponi ( he, הַצְּלֶלְפּוֹנִי ''Haṣṣəlelpōnī'', "the shade-facing") is a biblical woman mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:3. Tzelafon was named after her.
Hazzelelponi was a daughter of a man named Etam and thus a descendan ...
. She was a daughter of Etam and sister of Ishma.
Manoah and
his wife were the parents of famous judge
Samson. According to Rabbinic tradition, they also had a daughter called Nishyan or Nashyan.
Birth of Samson
Manoah and his wife were childless, but the
angel 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 a
Nazirite, which entailed restrictions on his diet, which 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."
Together with his wife, Manoah subsequently tried to dissuade Samson from marrying a
Philistine
The Philistines ( he, פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pəlīštīm; Koine Greek (LXX): Φυλιστιείμ, romanized: ''Phulistieím'') were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, when ...
woman, but traveled with him to
Timnah
Timnath or Timnah was a Philistine city in Canaan that is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in and in connection with Samson. Modern archaeologists identify the ancient site with a tell lying on a flat, alluvial plain, located in the Sorek Valley c ...
for the wedding ceremony when they were unable to do so.
Samson's birth has special importance for some Christians (primarily
Catholics
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
), because of its similarity to the
Annunciation
The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...
to the
Virgin Mary
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...
.
After Samson's death, his family recovers his body and buries him near the tomb of Manoah.
In culture
* In the 1914 American film ''
Samson'', Manoah was played by
George Periolat
George Periolat (February 5, 1874 – February 20, 1940) was an American actor.
Biography
Born in Chicago, Illinois, George Periolat began his career as a Broadway actor. Making his film debut with the Essanay Studios in Chicago, he moved to H ...
, while his wife was played by
Lule Warrenton
Lule Warrenton (June 22, 1862 – May 14, 1932) was an American actress, director, and producer during the silent film era. She appeared in more than 80 films between 1913 and 1922. She was born in Flint, Michigan and died in Laguna Beach, C ...
.
* In the 1949 film ''
Samson and Delilah'' (starring
Victor Mature
Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darlin ...
and
Hedy Lamarr), Manoah is played by Charles Evans in an uncredited appearance.
* In the 1984 film ''
Samson and Delilah'', Manoah is played by
Victor Mature
Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darlin ...
.
* In the 1996 film ''
Samson and Delilah'', Manoah, played by
Paul Freeman, is shown as a poor old man. His wife is called
Mara in this film.
* In the 2018 film ''
Samson'', Manoah is played by
Rutger Hauer and his wife (called Zealphonis) is played by
Lindsay Wagner.
Notes
{{Authority control
Talmud people
Book of Judges
Samson
Hebrew Bible people
Angelic visionaries
Burials in Israel
Tribe of Dan