שופטים, פרק י״ג, פסוק ב׳

The story of a unique savior in Israel begins by establishing the background of his family, noting both the spiritual stature of his father and the physical condition of his mother. Manoah lived in Zorah [ביאור שטיינזלץ], a location whose name hints at the nature of his tribe, Dan, to strike at their enemies like the sudden sting of a hornet [אהבת יהונתן]. Manoah was a man of immense spiritual standing. He was completely righteous, serving as a pillar of his generation [נחל שורק, צוארי שלל], and stood as the only member of his tribe who did not stumble into the sin of idol worship during the incident of Micah's carved image [אהבת יהונתן]. His spiritual essence was so profound that his title as a man of stature is noted before his actual name, a characteristic of righteous individuals whose spiritual identity precedes their physical presence in the world [נחל שורק, אהבת יהונתן].

Manoah's wife was unable to have children, a reality the narrative stresses emphatically. The primary approach among commentators is that this emphasis serves to clarify her exact situation [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. It rules out the possibility that she had previously given birth before becoming barren, or that she remained childless for reasons unrelated to her physical ability. She was naturally unable to conceive and had never held a child of her own [מלבי״ם, אלשיך]. Alternatively, this repeated focus on her condition hints at a quiet dispute between Manoah and his wife, as each believed the other was the cause of their childlessness. The narrative clarifies that the inability to conceive lay entirely with her [אהבת יהונתן]. Because of this sensitive dynamic, the angel later appeared specifically to the wife while she was alone. This allowed the angel to gently reveal that the barrenness was indeed hers, thereby maintaining peace in their home without causing her embarrassment in front of her husband [צוארי שלל].

This prolonged period of childlessness served a broader divine purpose. First, God deeply desires the heartfelt prayers of righteous people like Manoah [צוארי שלל]. Furthermore, because the Israelites of that generation had not repented for their wrongdoings, God prepared a savior for them through a miraculous conception. The absolute nature of the mother's barrenness ensured that the pregnancy would be recognized as an open miracle, instilling in the child the clear understanding that he was a direct instrument and messenger of God. To prepare for this unique destiny, the angel instructed the mother to consume only pure foods and to abstain entirely from wine. This ensured that the child would absorb a pure and holy nature from the very moment of conception. Cultivating this profound purity was designed to instill in him a nature entirely opposite to that of the impure Philistines. This sharp contrast would naturally provoke his hatred toward them, ultimately driving him to fight his enemies and save Israel [אלשיך, אברבנאל].