But his wife said to him …: Manoah’s wife is once again more practical than her husband. She thinks logically, considering the evidence and drawing her conclusion. But renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction here, since she is offering a counter argument. The general verb said may be translated “replied” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) or “responded” (Contemporary English Version).

If the LORD had meant to kill us: This clause gives a condition that is not true, called in grammatical terms “irreal.” Manoah’s wife does not believe that Yahweh intends to kill them. The Hebrew particle rendered If also occurs in verse 8.19, where there is another counterfactual conditional clause (see comments there). All languages have means to express such conditional clauses. The Hebrew verb rendered had meant means “take pleasure in,” so it may be translated “had wanted” (Good News Translation) or “had intended.” Three consequences follow this conditional clause.

He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a cereal offering at our hands is literally “he would not have taken from our hands a burnt offering and a cereal offering.” This is the first consequence of the condition just mentioned. The fact that Yahweh accepted their offerings (verse 13.19) is proof that he does not intend to kill them. She rightly concludes that even though they actually saw the divine messenger, their lives are not in danger. For burnt offering, see verse 6.26; for cereal offering, see verse 13.19. The keyword hand occurs once again (see verse 1.2). We might say “he wouldn’t have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering” (New Living Translation).

Or shown us all these things: Manoah’s wife gives another consequence here. If he had intended to kill them, the LORD would not have allowed them to see everything they saw. Shown us is literally “caused us to see,” another instance of the Hebrew verb raʾah meaning “see” (see verse 13.20). All these things refers to everything they saw concerning Yahweh’s messenger and their offerings.

Or now announced to us such things as these: This is the final consequence mentioned by Manoah’s wife. If the LORD had intended to kill them, he would not have promised to give them a son. The Hebrew expression rendered now (literally “about the time”) seems out of place, and there is some question about its meaning. Some early translations, such as the Septuagint, omit it (so also Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). However NET Bible renders it “just now.” Announced to us is literally “caused us to hear.” Such things as these (literally “like this”) refers to the promise that they would have a son (verse 13.3).

Translation models for this verse are:

• But Manoah’s wife replied, “Yahweh does not plan to kill us! If he did, he would not have accepted our burnt offering and our grain offering, nor would he have shown us all these things, or made us such a promise.”

• But his wife replied, “If Yahweh really wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn’t have shown us all these things. He wouldn’t have let us hear such things just now.”

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .