King James Version

Judges 13:20

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.

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Hebrew

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וַיְהִי֩vayhiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בַעֲל֨וֹתvaalotin ascend upעָלָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “in ascend up”, the to-form of the verbH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…הַלַּ֜הַבhalahavthe bladeלַהַבdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the blade”, the ordinary formH3851a flash; figuratively, a sharply polished blade or point of aweaponblade, bright, flame, glittering.מֵעַ֤לmealfrom aboveעַלpreposition, preposition — “from above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙hamizbechathe altarמִזְבֵּחַdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the altar”, the ordinary formH4196an altaraltar.הַשָּׁמַ֔יְמָהhashamaymahthe heavenשָׁמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute, directional ending — “the heaven”, the ordinary formH8064the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)air, [idiom] astrologer, heaven(-s).וַיַּ֥עַלvayaaland ascend upעָלָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and ascend up”, the next action in the storyH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…מַלְאַךְmalakhangelמֲלְאָךְnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “angel”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4397a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher)ambassador, angel, king, messenger.יְהוָ֖הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).בְּלַ֣הַבbelahavin bladeלַהַבpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in blade”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3851a flash; figuratively, a sharply polished blade or point of aweaponblade, bright, flame, glittering.הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַhamizbechathe altarמִזְבֵּחַdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the altar”, the ordinary formH4196an altaraltar.וּמָנ֤וֹחַumanochaand Manoahמָנוֹחַconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Manoah”H4495Manoach, an IsraeliteManoah.וְאִשְׁתּוֹ֙veishtvoand eachאִשָּׁהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and each”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.רֹאִ֔יםroimseeרָאָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “see”, a verb used as a describing wordH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…וַיִּפְּל֥וּvayiplvand fallנָפַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and fall”, the next action in the storyH5307to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)be accepted, cast (down, self, (lots), out), cease, die, divide (by lot), (let) fail, (cause to, let, make, ready to) fall (away, down, -en, -ing), fell(-ing), fugitive, have (inheritance), inferior, be judged (by mistake for H6419 (פָּלַל…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…פְּנֵיהֶ֖םpeneyhema- foreפָּנִיםnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…אָֽרְצָהaretsahearthאֶרֶץnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute, directional ending — “earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar: and Manoah and his wife looked on; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

Young’s Literal Translation

and it cometh to pass, in the going up of the flame from off the altar toward the heavens, that the messenger of Jehovah goeth up in the flame of the altar, and Manoah and his wife are looking on, and they fall on their faces to the earth,

World English Bible

For when the flame went up toward the sky from off the altar, Yahweh’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground.

Darby Translation

And it came to pass, as the flame went up from off the altar towards the heavens, that the Angel of Jehovah ascended in the flame of the altar; and Manoah and his wife looked on, and fell on their faces to the ground.

Douay-Rheims

And when the flame from the altar went up towards heaven, the angel of the lord ascended also in the flame. And when Manue and his wife saw this, they fell flat on the ground.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And it came to pass when the flame went up above the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the Lord went up in the flame; and Manoë and his wife were looking, and they fell upon their face to the earth.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἀναβῆναι τὴν φλόγα ἐπάνω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἀνέβη ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐν τῇ φλογί. καὶ Μανωὲ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ βλέποντες, καὶ ἔπεσον ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.