Commentaria in Judices
Moreover St. Augustine here, Questions LII, LIII, LIV, thinks that this Angel called Pele, that is Admirable, is Christ. For he is “the Angel of great counsel,” as the Septuagint render it, Isaias chap. ix, verse 6, and therefore “Admirable,” as Isaias says in the same place: hence he ascended into heaven in the flame with the victim of sacrifice, because he signified that Christ made man would not receive a sacrifice, but would himself be the victim and sacrifice. But it is certain that this Angel was properly an Angel, and typically represented Christ. Hence in Pele there is added a Iod, and it is called Peli, so that “Wonderful,” in Christ all things wonderful, may signify that the name of Christ would be Jesus, whose first letter is iod, says Leo Castrius on Isaias chap. ix. You will ask, why does the Angel here say that his name is Pele, that is, Admirable? I answer first, because Angels, being pure spirits, have not vocal and bodily names, but mental and spiritual ones, which are unknown and new to man, and therefore admirable. For Angels speak to one another, and address and call one another, by spiritual signs, namely by concepts of the mind, which they show and disclose to him to whom they wish to speak. Wherefore Angels, when they appear and assume names, to be called Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, do not assume them as though these were proper to them, by which they are called and addressed in heaven, but that by them they may become known to men, and suggest to them a name by which they may be called and invoked by them. Hence Raphael is called as it were the physician of God, because he cured Tobias of blindness; Gabriel as it were the strength of God, because he fought strongly for the people of God, Daniel x.
Secondly, the name of the Angel is admirable in signification, because it signifies the Angel’s nature and endowments, especially of grace and glory, which surpass the grasp of men, and therefore are admirable to them.
Thirdly, the name of this Angel was admirable in efficacy, because he was efficacious in working great, stupendous and admirable things: hence he adds in explanation, “who doth wonderful things.” For this Angel with wonderful power and as it were by miracle drew fire from the rock, by which Manue’s kid was sacrificed to God. Again he announced wonderful things of Samson, who was to be born of a barren mother, and that he would be a Nazarite, and therefore judge and avenger of Israel; he also procured for Samson that admirable fortitude for accomplishing heroic works, which we shall soon hear. Finally he ascended unhurt in the flame into heaven, and vanished, his body being resolved into the elements (from which he had compacted and assumed it), all of which were to be admired by Manue and his wife.
Fourthly, the name of the Angel was admirable by representation. For this Angel first represented God, whose messenger he was; as an ambassador represents the person of his prince by whom he is sent. But God, and the name of God, is admirable, as signifying his admirable deity, virtue, power and glory, according to Ps. viii, 2: “O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth!” For wonderful is, and surpasses every understanding of Angels and men, the essence, majesty, wisdom, goodness, operation and other attributes of God, as immense and infinite.
Secondly, this Angel represents Christ, whose incarnation, nativity, life, holiness, doctrine, works, miracles, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Ghost were admirable, who therefore wrought wonders through the Apostles, and so converted the whole world to himself, and daily works like things through his faithful. Wherefore he who in his mind designs great and wonderful things for the glory of God, let him invoke the Angel “Pele,” let him invoke Christ, whose name is “Admirable,” that he may of himself work great and wonderful things. So St. Augustine. See what I said on Isaias ix, 6. Hence also the Blessed Virgin, the mother of Christ, is called and invoked by the faithful “Mother admirable,” and this title is most pleasing to her, as she herself revealed to a certain holy man: because she was mother and virgin, mother of God and man, mother of the Creator, and so mother of her own Father, because she bore him by whom she was begotten, etc. All of which are stupendous and admirable.
Moreover David Chytraeus thinks that from Pele was named Pallas, the goddess of wisdom among the Gentiles. “From Peli,” he says, “it is more agreeable that Pallas, the goddess of wisdom and learning among the Greeks, born from the head of Jove, took her name than from the brandishing of a spear. For there is no doubt that the doctrine of the Church concerning the Son of God, eternal wisdom, begotten from the mind of Jehovah from eternity, and showing the head of the Gorgon or dragon, the devil, crushed by him, was turned into an idol.” But these are the new inventions, if not fictions, of an innovator; for even if the thing is not absurd in itself, the name is discordant: from Peli would have been said Pela, not Pallas.
Finally Serarius probably thinks that this Angel Pele, that is Admirable, was St. Michael (for he was once the protector of the Synagogue over which Samson presided, as he is now of the Church of the Christians), who, contending with proud Lucifer, and admiring the majesty and name of God, said: Who is like God? and therefore casting him down from heaven occupied his place, made by his humility prince of all the Angels, as Lucifer by his pride was made head of the demons, and lowest in hell, not only of Angels but of men also. Hear Serarius teaching that the name and invocation of Michael avails wonderfully against all temptations. Come, he says, let any sin whatever be proposed to you, and at once let it occur to your mind that God forbids it. Will you admit it? Will not this thought at once draw you from it: “Who is like God?” Let pleasure and allurement of any kind tickle you. But “who is like God?” Let some powerful and formidable man terrify you. But “who is like God?” Let parents, kinsmen and companions be dear to your heart. But “who is like God?” In all occasions, finally, of sin, enticements and allurements, the name of Michael always profits very much, that is, “of God” forbidding, following us with so great kindness, promising eternal rewards, threatening everlasting hell, looking on all things always and everywhere, demanding from all an account of all things, the comparison with the fruit and delight which is sought, empty and deceitful, from sin; and when anyone, whether demon or man, urges and entices us to ambition, pride, anger, revenge, drunkenness, or any other crime or shame.
19. SO MANUE TOOK A KID OF THE GOATS,—that is a tender kid, still sucking the teats of its mother goat (for this is signified by “of the goats”) and slew it, flayed it, cooked it, and brought it to the Angel, that he, if he were a Prophet, might eat of it; but if he were an Angel, might offer it to God, as he himself had said, verse 16.
AND LIBATIONS.—In Hebrew mincha (which alludes to the name Manoach, that is Manue: for all the letters in both are the same: for Manue here offered mincha to God), that is wine, oil, bread or flour, which were wont to be poured out as libations to man at a banquet, and likewise to God in sacrifice, that is, poured out or burned at the horn of the altar.
AND PUT THEM UPON A ROCK, OFFERING THEM TO THE LORD WHO DOTH WONDERFUL THINGS.—“Offering,” not so much by himself as by the Angel. For the Angel here performed the office of a priest, and sacrificed when he drew fire from the rock, by which the flesh of the kid was sacrificed and burned to God. Hence Vatablus and the Rabbis, for “who doth wonderful things,” render: he wrought a wonder, namely the Angel, that is, he did a miracle, because he drew fire from the rock. But Manue was as it were his minister and deacon, while he slew the kid, cooked it, and with the libations placed it on the rock, to be burned to God by the Angel. Whence it follows:
AND HE AND HIS WIFE LOOKED ON.—The Angel did quite the same with Gedeon, consuming by a miraculous fire produced by himself the meats brought by him and laid on a rock, and sacrificing to God, as we heard chap. vi. For by God’s dispensation not only the Angel but also Manue, a layman of the tribe of Dan, not of Levi, could sacrifice, even outside the tabernacle.