Judges 13:4

Verse

Berean Standard Bible

Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.

American Standard Version (1901)

Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

Bible in Basic English

Now then take care to have no wine or strong drink and to take no unclean thing for food;

Free Bible Version

So then please be careful not to drink any wine or other alcoholic drink, and don't eat anything unclean.

Geneva Bible 1599

And nowe therefore beware that thou drinke no wine, nor strong drinke, neither eate any vncleane thing.

King James (Authorized) Version

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

Translation for Translators

From now until he is born, you must not drink any wine or other alcoholic/fermented drink, and you must not eat any food that will make you unacceptable to God.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean.

Noah Webster Bible

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

World English Bible

Now therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing;

Young's Literal Translation

And, now, take heed, I pray thee, and do not drink wine, and strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing,

Context

The Birth of Samson

³The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.⁴Now please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean. ⁵For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”

Sermons

The History, Mystery and Tragedy of Samson - Part 2

Ian Paisley

546

What Happened?

K.P. Yohannan

Summary

In Judges 13:4, we see the angel of the Lord appearing to the wife of Manoah, a barren woman, to announce the miraculous birth of Samson. This verse highlights the divine intervention and sovereignty of God in fulfilling His purposes through unexpected means. Despite the couple's inability to conceive, God's plan for Samson's birth demonstrates His power to bring forth life and fulfill His promises. This encounter sets the stage for the extraordinary life and calling of Samson as a judge of Israel, showcasing God's ability to work through human weaknesses and limitations for His glory.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink,.... Any liquor inebriating and intoxicating, neither new wine nor old wine, as the Targum, and so Jarchi; the reason of this appears in the next verse, because the child she should conceive and bear was to be a Nazarite, and to be one from his mother's womb; and from all such liquors, Nazarites, according to the law, were to abstain, Num 6:3. and eat not any unclean thing; meaning not so much such sort of food as was forbidden by the law to be eaten, which every Israelite was to abstain from, but such as were particularly forbidden to Nazarites, as moist and dried grapes, or anything made of the vine tree, from the kernel to the husk, Num 6:3. The reason of this is, because the child in the womb is nourished with the same the mother is; and as this child was to be a Nazarite from the womb, and even in it, his mother was to abstain both from eatables and drinkables forbidden a Nazarite by the law.