Wonderful

Have you ever sensed God doing something words can’t quite explain? When an angel called his own name “wonderful,” he opened a window on the unseen.

“Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, ‘What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?’ And the angel … said to him, ‘Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?’” (Judges 13:17–18)

The angel appeared without warning. The wife of Manoah was stunned by his presence and his message. Sadly, she and her husband had been unable to have children. But the angel announced that she would give birth to a son.

Manoah wanted to hear for himself. So, God sent the angel again. As before, he appeared only to Manoah’s wife. She “ran quickly” (v. 10) to tell Manoah, and together, they went to see him.

The angel told them prophecies about the son who would be born (Samson) and gave them special instructions for his life. Then Manoah asked a simple question: “What is your name, so that when your words come true, we may honor you?” (v. 17).

The angel said that his name was “wonderful” (v. 18), through this word, telling them that he was from another realm, a dimension incomprehensible to their human minds. He was giving them a peek into spiritual reality, the dimension we can enter only with spiritual eyes.

In the New Testament we read, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). And, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63).

Reflection Question: Are you open to receiving God’s message for you from the spiritual realm?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why wouldn’t the angel give his name?

Calling himself “wonderful” pointed beyond a name to his nature—from a realm beyond ordinary human categories—rather than withholding information out of secrecy.

Does “wonderful” here connect to Isaiah’s “Wonderful Counselor”?

Many readers see a link, since the same Hebrew root appears in Isaiah 9:6, though Judges 13 doesn’t explicitly identify the angel as the Messiah.

How can I develop “spiritual eyes” to see what this passage describes?

It starts with valuing Scripture and prayer as more than routine—asking God specifically to help you recognize His presence and activity in ordinary moments, not just dramatic ones.