Judges 13:9
ESV
And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her.
NIV
God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her.
NASB
And God listened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but Manoah her husband was not with her.
CSB
God listened to Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman. She was sitting in the field, and her husband Manoah was not with her.
NLT
God answered Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But her husband, Manoah, was not with her.
KJV
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.
NKJV
And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came to the woman again as she was sitting in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.
What does Judges 13:9 mean?
The story about a man of God, who looked like an angel, and told a barren women she would have a son has been well-received by the woman's husband (Judges 13:2–8). She claimed the boy was to be a Nazarite even before birth, meaning no contact with dead bodies, grapes, or alcohol, or ever cut his hair (Numbers 6:1–21).Manoah's response was to pray, asking God to send the "angel of the LORD" back and help them better understand what was required. His request was to be included in the conversation, as well as hearing more about how to raise the boy.
God hears Manoah's prayer and responds—but when "the angel of God" returns to Manoah's wife, her husband is not there. She is in a field, likely working. God seems willing to answer Manoah's prayer, but not making it easy for the husband to be part of direct communication, at least at first. In a subtle way, this serves to prove her honesty while also reminding Manoah that the message—for now—is not primarily about him (Judges 13:10).
