View source for Manoah

{{Short description|Biblical character}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Manoah
| image         = File:Eustache Le Sueur - The Sacrifice of Manoah, 1640-1650.jpg
| caption       = Manoah and [[Manoah's wife|his barren wife]] sacrifice a [[Sheep|ram]] to the [[angel of the Lord]] (above); Manoah's wife wears a [[wimple]] in [[Eustache Le Sueur]]'s ''The Sacrifice of Manoah'', 1640–1650.
| birth_date    = Unknown
| birth_place   = [[Zorah]], [[Tribe of Dan]], [[Ancient Israel]]
| death_date    = Unknown
| death_place   = [[Ancient Israel]]
| known_for     = Father of [[Samson]]
| spouse        = Hazzelelponi or Zelelponith (according to tradition)
| children      = [[Samson]], Nishyan or Nashyan (according to tradition)
}}
'''Manoah''' ({{Langx|he|מָנ֫וֹחַ}} ''Mānoaḥ'') is a figure from the [[Book of Judges]] 13:1-23 and 14:2-4 of the [[Hebrew Bible]]. His name means "rest".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.keyway.ca/htm2001/20010506.htm |title=Manoah by Wayne Blank |access-date=2012-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731192125/http://www.keyway.ca/htm2001/20010506.htm |archive-date=2017-07-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He is the father of the judge [[Samson]].

== Family ==
According to the Bible, Manoah was of the [[tribe of Dan]] and lived in the city of [[Zorah]]. He married [[Manoah's wife|one woman]], who was barren. Her name is not mentioned in the Bible, but according to tradition she was called [[Hazzelelponi]] or [[Zelelponith]].<ref>''Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Bava Batra [http://www.halakhah.com/bababathra/bababathra_91.html Folio 91]''.</ref> She was a daughter of Etam and sister of Ishma.

Manoah and [[Manoah's wife|his wife]]<ref>[http://www.wordlibrary.co.uk/article.php?id=172 Manoah's wife]</ref> were the parents of famous judge [[Samson]]. According to Rabbinic tradition, they also had a daughter called Nishyan or Nashyan.<ref>[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13071-samson Samson, Jewish Encyclopedia.] "The mother of Samson [was named] Zlelponith, and his sister, Nashyan."</ref><ref>Porter, J. R. (2000). ''The Illustrated Guide to the Bible''. New York: Barnes & Noble Books. p. 75. {{ISBN|0-7607-2278-1}}.</ref>

==Birth of Samson==
Manoah and his barren wife were childless, but the [[angel of the Lord]] appeared to Manoah's wife and told her that she would give birth to a son. The child was to be dedicated from the womb as a [[Nazirite]], which entailed restrictions on his diet that the angel spelled out in detail. The woman, whose name is not mentioned in the Bible, told her husband, "A man of God came to me." Manoah prayed, and the angel returned to instruct the both of them. After the angel left, Manoah tells his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God."<ref name="13:22">{{bibleref||Judges|13:22}}</ref>

Together with his wife, Manoah subsequently tried to dissuade Samson from marrying a [[Philistines|Philistine]] woman but traveled with him to [[Timnah]] for the wedding ceremony when they were unable to do so.

Samson's birth has special importance for some Christians (primarily [[Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)|Catholics]]) because of its similarity to the [[Annunciation]] to the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Virgin Mary]].

After Samson's death, his family recovers his body and buries him near the tomb of Manoah.

== In culture ==
* In [[John Milton]]'s [[closet play]] ''[[Samson Agonistes]],'' Manoah visits Samson after his imprisonment by the Philistines, and attempts to ransom them for his freedom.
* In the 1914 American film ''[[Samson (1914 film)|Samson]]'', Manoah was played by [[George Periolat]], while his wife was played by [[Lule Warrenton]].<ref>{{IMDb title|id=0004558|title=Samson}}</ref>
* In the 1949 film ''[[Samson and Delilah (1949 film)|Samson and Delilah]]'' (starring [[Victor Mature]] and [[Hedy Lamarr]]), Manoah is played by Charles Evans in an uncredited appearance.
* In the 1984 film ''[[Samson and Delilah (1984 film)|Samson and Delilah]]'', Manoah is played by [[Victor Mature]].
* In the 1996 film ''[[Samson and Delilah (1996 film)|Samson and Delilah]]'', Manoah, played by [[Paul Freeman (actor)|Paul Freeman]], is shown as a poor old man. His wife is called [[Mara (name)|Mara]] in this film.
* In the 2018 film ''[[Samson (2018 film)|Samson]]'', Manoah is played by [[Rutger Hauer]] and his wife (called Zealphonis) is played by [[Lindsay Wagner]].
{{Commons category|Manoah}}

== Notes ==
<references/>

{{Samson}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Talmud people]]
[[Category:12th-century BCE Hebrew people]]
[[Category:Samson]]
[[Category:Angelic visionaries]]
[[Category:Tribe of Dan]]