Unlike the case of the infertility of the matriarchs, there is no concern here on the part of either Manoah or his wife about their infertility; there is no complaint about childlessness (unlike Rachel, Genesis 30:1), no experimenting with aphrodisiacs (unlike Leah, Genesis 30:14–15), no prayer (unlike Isaac, Genesis 25:21, or Hannah, 1 Samuel 1:11), and also no indication of other means used to obtain a child (unlike Sarah using Hagar, 1 Samuel 1:11).1,2 Is this not a picture of how far Israel has gone—under the burden of sin, with no crying out, no praying for relief, or for a child, no seeking after the blessing of the Lord? God is going to upset their cozy relationship with the Philistines.
2 There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children.