Did Manoah violate Deuteronomy 12:13 by sacrificing on a rock in Judges 13:19?

Question

Deuteronomy 12:13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please.

Judges 13:19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the LORD. And the LORD did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched

Answer 1

Did Manoah violate Deuteronomy 12:13 by sacrificing on a Rock in Judges 13:19?

If The-Rock ("Ha-Tsur", הַצּ֖וּר ) used by Manoach (מָנוֹחַ) maintained qualities of Uncut Stones ("Avanim Shelemot", אֲבָנִ֤ים שְׁלֵמוֹת֙ ), Then Manoach (מָנוֹחַ) the Father of Shimshon (שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן) in [Judges 13:19] observes Deuteronomy 27:6 and Deuteronomy 12:13.

Uncut Stones ("Avanim Shelemot", אֲבָנִ֤ים שְׁלֵמוֹת֙ )

Deuteronomy 27:6 [MT] "You shall build the altar of YHVH, your God, out of uncut stones. And on it, you shall offer up burnt offerings to YHVH, your God." (אֲבָנִ֤ים שְׁלֵמוֹת֙ תִּבְנֶ֔ה אֶת־מִזְבַּ֖ח יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְהַֽעֲלִ֤יתָ עָלָיו֙ עוֹלֹ֔ת לַֽיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ )

The-Rock ("Ha-Tsur", הַצּ֖וּר )

"And Manoach took the kid goat and the-meal-offering and offered them up on The-Rock to YHVH; and a marvelous thing happened while Manoach and his wife looked on." ( וַיִּקַּ֨ח מָנ֜וֹחַ אֶת־גְּדִ֚י הָעִזִּים֙ וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה וַיַּ֥עַל עַל־הַצּ֖וּר לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וּמַפְלִ֣א לַעֲשֹ֔וֹת וּמָנ֥וֹחַ וְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ רֹאִֽים )

Does Judges 13 reveal Manoach (מָנוֹחַ) cut The-Rock ("Ha-Tsur", הַצּ֖וּר ) used as an altar to YHVH?

• No. - Based on Judges 13, we can only presume that Manoach (מָנוֹחַ) observes both Deuteronomy 27:6 and Deuteronomy 12:13 by using an uncut Ha-Tsur for the altar.

Answer 2

The question is about the location, not the makeup of the altar. Whether it was made of uncut stones is an important consideration, but not relevant to the question. Torah is clear that the only authorized location for sacrifices was at the Tabernacle altar, and the only people authorized to make a burnt offering were the sons of Aaron. The text implies that Manoah made the offering himself on a rock in his own field, yet God clearly approved.

I suspect there are one of two things going on.

1. Manoah was ignorant of the specific commands regarding sacrifices and God honored his intention despite his imperfect execution.
2. Manoah, his wife, and the angel all traveled to the tabernacle at Shiloh and engaged the assistance of the priest on duty, although none of this is stated in the text.

I prefer the first answer, since the second requires too many important details to have been left out of the story. If so, then the answer to the original question is YES, Manoah's sacrifice unquestionably violated the command against sacrificing "anywhere you please". Fortunately, ours is a compassionate and forgiving God who works with us where we are, even while he encourages us to keep moving to where he ultimately wants us to be.