“Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” (Judges 13:18)
Other translations:
“. . . seeing it is secret? (KJV)
“It is too wonderful for you to understand.” (New Living)
“It is a name of wonder” (Good News).
“. . .because you cannot comprehend it” (NET).
“It is incomprehensible.” (New Heart English)
“. . . seeing it is hidden?’” (JPS Tanakh)
“. . . since it is beyond comprehension?” (Berean)
“You don’t need to know my name. And if you did, you couldn’t understand it” (Contemporary Engish).
“It’s ‘Wonderful’” (International Standard).
When God visited Manoah and his wife, He first appeared twice to Manoah’s wife (v. 6 and 8). His countenance was “very awesome” (v. 6). To Manoah, she described Him as a Man of God, twice (v. 8 and 10).
When Manoah first saw Him, the Lord is identified again as a Man, twice (v. 11). Then, we read that Manoah did not know He was the Lord (v. 16).
The Lord did a “wondrous thing” (v. 19). As Manoah offered a burnt offering on a rock, “it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar – the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar!” (v. 20)
Then Manoah realized He was God. He even said, “’We shall surely die, because we have seen God!’” (v. 22).
We see in this visitation that God hid Himself from both people.
When asked His name, He did not actually give a specific name. He actually responded with a question, and described His name as wonderful.
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