Judges 13 · Verse 4

Judges 13:4

Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
Judges 13:4, King James Version

Judges 13:4 in other translations

BSBNow please be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, and not to eat anything unclean.
WEBNow therefore please beware and drink no wine nor strong drink, and don’t eat any unclean thing;
ASVNow therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
YLTAnd, now, take heed, I pray thee, and do not drink wine, and strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing,
DARBYAnd now beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean.
BBENow then take care to have no wine or strong drink and to take no unclean thing for food;
WebsterNow therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine, nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

What does Judges 13:4 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Beware - drink not wine - As Samson was designed to be a Nazarite from the womb, it was necessary that, while his mother carried and nursed him, she should live the life of a Nazarite, neither drinking wine nor any inebriating liquor, nor eating any kind of forbidden meat. See the account of the Nazarite and his vow in the notes on Num 6:2 (note), etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 13:1-7

Israel did evil: then God delivered them again into the hands of the Philistines. When Israel was in this distress, Samson was born. His parents had been long childless. Many eminent persons were born of such mothers. Mercies long waited for, often prove signal mercies; and by them others may be encouraged to continue their hope in God's mercy. The angel notices her affliction. God often sends comfort to his people…

Read the full comment on Judges 13:1-7 →

Judges 13:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְעַתָּה֙ve.'a.Tahand thereforeH6258
הִשָּׁ֣מְרִיhi.Sha.me.ritake careH8104
נָ֔אNa'pleaseH4994
וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
תִּשְׁתִּ֖יtish.Tiyou drinkH8354
יַ֣יִןYa.yinwineH3196
וְשֵׁכָ֑רve.she.Kharand strong drinkH7941
וְאַל\־ve.'al-and may notH408
תֹּאכְלִ֖יtokh.Liyou eatH398
כָּל\־kol-anyH3605
טָמֵֽא\׃ta.Me'unclean [thing]H2931

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 13:4

  • Luke 1:15

    For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

  • Judges 13:14

    She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.

  • Numbers 6:2-3

    Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

  • Judges 13:7

    But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

  • Leviticus 11:47

    To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

  • Acts 10:14

    But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

  • Leviticus 11:27

    And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
drink not.
14; Nu 6:2,3; Lu 1:15
eat not.
Le 11:27,47; Ac 10:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 13:3

    And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

  • Judges 13:4

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

  • Judges 13:5

    For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Read all of Judges 13

Judges 13:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ahora, pues, mira que ahora no bebas vino, ni sidra, ni comas cosa inmunda.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et maintenant, prends garde, je te prie, et ne bois ni vin ni boisson forte, et ne mange rien d’impur;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und nun hüte dich doch und trinke weder Wein noch starkes Getränk, und iß nichts Unreines!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cave ergo ne bibas vinum ac siceram, nec immundum quidquam comedas: