שופטים, פרק י״ג, פסוק י׳

The sudden return of a mysterious guest sparks intense excitement and haste. Manoah's wife rushes to inform her husband that the stranger has appeared again. At this point, both husband and wife still believe the visitor is simply an ordinary human being, completely unaware that they are interacting with an angel [צאינה וראינה].

As she shares the news, the woman specifically mentions the timing of the man's arrival. The primary approach among commentators suggests she is either referring back to the specific, known day she had previously told her husband about [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ], or simply noting that the visit took place on this very day [רד״ק]. However, this detail also carries deeper implications for the couple's relationship. By emphasizing that the man appeared during the day, out in the open sunlight of the field, she seeks to reassure Manoah. Her goal is to calm him and remove any lingering doubts or suspicions of secret, inappropriate behavior [צאינה וראינה]. In contrast, another perspective suggests that this second appearance actually takes place at night. Because of this, the woman must identify the visitor by reminding her husband that this is the same man who came to her during the day on his first visit [אהבת יהונתן].

The fact that the stranger repeatedly reveals himself to the woman rather than to Manoah stirs deep suspicion in the husband. Since only his wife knows the exact location of the guest, Manoah decides to follow her. He worries that the stranger might be a dangerous fraud with malicious intentions. By walking behind her, Manoah intends to carefully observe the stranger's behavior and protect his wife from any potential harm [אברבנאל].

Another view suggests a different fear: Manoah suspects the visitor might be a destructive demon. He trails his wife from a significant distance to see what will happen to her, knowing that a demon might attack one spouse while sparing the other. This fear, combined with the act of walking far behind his wife at night, forms the basis of a Talmudic criticism. He is labeled an unlearned man for walking behind a woman, even though the large gap between them was intentionally kept to preserve modesty and avoid suspicion [אהבת יהונתן].