Judges 13:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,

NIV: Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean.

NASB: And now, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing.

CSB: Now please be careful not to drink wine or beer, or to eat anything unclean;

NLT: So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food.

KJV: Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

NKJV: Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.

Manoah's barren wife has just received enormously good news. This came directly from "the angel of the LORD," likely meaning a visible presence of God Himself. She was told to expect to bear a son. That news is immediately followed by instructions about how to raise that son. This promise from God comes with rules; this child will not be an ordinary boy.

The following verse refers to the Nazirite vow (Judges 13:5). The woman's son is to live an extreme version of that lifestyle (Numbers 6:1–21). Nazarite refers to "one separated" or "one consecrated." An Israelite volunteering to live as a Nazarite would not drink alcohol or eat any foods that were unclean, according to the law, during the time of their vow. Treating a child, let alone an unborn infant, as a Nazirite is extremely unusual. To keep her unborn child from violating the vow, Manoah's wife will have to abstain from certain things until the baby is born.

Judges 13:1–7 begins as Israel, once again, descends into sin and evil, resulting in hardship. This passage describes an interaction between a childless women and a messenger from God, possibly Yahweh Himself in human form. He tells her she will give birth to a son who is to be dedicated as a Nazirite from the womb. This child's purpose will be to begin rescuing Israel from oppression under the Philistines. The woman tells her husband, Manoah, who is from the tribe of Dan.

The Lord appoints another deliverer for Israel, this time in response to oppression under the Philistines. An impressive stranger appears to Manoah and his wife, announcing they will have a son. This child is to be set apart as a Nazarite from before birth until death. His mother must not drink wine or strong drink or eat any unclean thing. This visitor then disappears into the flames of a burnt offering. The couple realizes they have seen a manifestation of Yahweh, Himself. Samson is born and soon shows signs of God's influence.

After Jephthah's rescue (Judges 11—12) this passage begins with another generation sinning against God. As is the pattern of the book of Judges, this leads to oppression. Israel is subject to forty years of misery under the Philistines. God appears to the wife of Manoah in the territory of Dan. She is commanded to consecrate her unborn son as a Nazarite, and that this child will begin to save Israel from the Philistines. Samson is born and is blessed by God. This is as pure as Samson's life will be—the rest of his story is an awkward, scandalous example of the Lord using flawed people to accomplish His great purposes.

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).

Accessed 12/21/2024 11:21:16 PM