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Judges 13:4

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Judges 13:4 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
Judges 13:4 — American Standard Version

Context — Judges 13

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
2And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
3And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
6Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of the angel of God, very terrible; and I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:
7but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb to the day of his death.
← Judges 13:3Judges 13:5 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, etc.] 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, (<040603>Numbers 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,…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Beware - Because the child was to be a Nazarite from the womb, Jdg 13:5, and from the conception; and because the mother's pollution extends to the child, she is enjoined from this time to observe the following rules belonging to the Nazarites. Strong drink - Under which are comprehended the other particulars mentioned, Num 6:2-4. Nor eat - Any of those meats forbidden, Lev. 11:1-47, which were forbidden to all, but especially to the Nazarites. Judges 13:5”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“drink not: Jdg 13:14; Num 6:2, Num 6:3; Luk 1:15 eat not: Lev 11:27, Lev 11:47; Act 10:14 Judges 13:5”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification