MANOAH mə nō’ ə (מָנֹ֔וחַ, LXX Μανωέ, rest or repose). The father of Samson.

Samson’s mother carried the angelic message of his impending birth to Manoah who lived in Zorah, a town in the tribe of Dan before the Danites moved N to take the city of Laish (Judg 13). On a second appearance of the angel, Manoah did not request a repetition of the promise, but with implicit faith said “Now when your words come true, what is to be the boy’s manner of life, and what is he to do?” (v. 12). After another reminder of a perpetual Nazirite vow (Num 6) which was to begin with the child’s mother, Manoah sought to reward the messenger with food, but was told instead to prepare a burnt offering.

It seems strange that Manoah “did not know that he was the angel of the Lord” (v. 16), but it must be recalled that his wife had said merely “his countanance was like the countenance of the angel of God” (v. 6). Manoah realized that he was the angel of God when he ascended in the flame of the offering into heaven and his words were fulfilled in the birth of Samson.