DAWN
Daily Arts Web Nucleus
Discover the Arts! Each day a different image from the Literary, Performing, or Visual Arts representing a portion of Scripture plus an explanation with links and a discussion forum 2014 May 23
Offering of Manoah (1641)
Possible Collaboration between Rembrandt and Willem Drost:
Attributed to Rembrandt's Disciple Willem Drost (1633-1659)
Also Attributed to Rembrandt (1606-1669) who Drew Similar Sketches, Notably:
The Angel Ascends after Manoah's Sacrifice (1655)
Dutch Golden Age Baroque Style (Both Artists)
Drost Painting: Gemaldegalerie, Dresden, Germany
Rembrandt Sketch: Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
Image Source: The Work of God's Children
Explanation: Judges 13 records the birth of Samson; and the painting above depicts the key event in the chapter -- the confirmation that Samson's mother would be freed from her barrenness and bear a son (Samson).
Samson's birth came after forty years of Philistine oppression of Israel (1). The wife of Manoah was barren. But the angel of the LORD appeared to her and told her that she would bear a son who would deliver Israel from the Philistines and that she must set him apart as a Nazarite from the time he was born. Accordingly, she must not drink wine or strong drink, or eat anything unclean; and his hair must remain uncut. She told all of these things to her husband (2-7). Then Manoah begged the LORD to send the angel to them again with further instructions. The Angel appeared to Manoah's wife first, and she went to fetch her husband. Manoah then asked the Angel how to treat the boy; and the Angel gave him the same instructions he had given to his wife earlier (8-14). So Manoah asked the Angel to tarry until he could prepare an offering for him. But Manoah was unaware that he was talking to the LORD, so the Angel told him to offer the offering to the LORD. When he did so, the Angel of the LORD ascended to heaven in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife fell on their faces (15-20). The Angel appeared no more; and Manoah knew that he was the Angel of the LORD. He expressed his anxiety to his wife that they would die because they had seen God. But his wife said that if he had intended to kill them he would not have accepted the offering at their hand, nor would he have made all of those revelations to them. So she bore a son and called him Samson. And the child grew and was blessed by the LORD. And from time to time the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him (21-25).
Judges 13
1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
8 Then Manoah intreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
9 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.
10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.
11 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.
12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?
13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.
14 She may not eat of any thing 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.
15 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.
16 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.
17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.
20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.
22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
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