Hakim-hakim 13:5

13:5 Look, you will conceive and have a son. ¹  You must never cut his hair, ²  for the child will be dedicated to God ³  from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the power ⁴  of the Philistines.”

Hakim-hakim 13:8

13:8 Manoah prayed to the Lord, ⁵  “Please, Lord, allow the man sent from God ⁶  to visit ⁷  us again, so he can teach ⁸  us how we should raise ⁹  the child who will be born.”

Hakim-hakim 13:14

13:14 She should not drink ¹⁰  anything that the grapevine produces. She must not drink wine or beer, and she must not eat any food that will make her ritually unclean. ¹¹  She should obey everything I commanded her to do.”

Hakim-hakim 13:24-25

13:24 Manoah’s wife ¹²  gave birth to a son and named him Samson. ¹³  The child grew and the Lord empowered ¹⁴  him. 13:25 The Lord’s spirit began to control him ¹⁵  in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

[13:5]  ¹ tn Another option is to translate, “you are already pregnant and will have a son.” The earlier reference to her being infertile (v. 3) suggests that her conception is still future, but it is possible that the earlier statement only reflects her perspective (as far as she is concerned, she is infertile). According to this interpretation, in v. 5 the angel reveals the truth to her – actually she has recently conceived and is now pregnant (see the translation in R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 217). Usage favors this interpretation. The predicate adjective הָרָה (harah, “[be/become] pregnant”) elsewhere has a past (1 Sam 4:19) or present (Gen 16:11; 38:25; 2 Sam 11:5) translation value. (The usage in Isa 7:14 is debated, but a present translation is definitely possible there.) A final, but less likely possibility, is that she miraculously conceived during the angel’s speech, sometime between his statements recorded in vv. 3 and 5.

[13:5]  ² tn Heb “a razor should not go up on his head.”

[13:5]  ³ tn Or “set apart to God.” Traditionally the Hebrew term נָזִיר (nazir) has been translated “Nazirite.” The word is derived from the verb נָזַר (nazar, “to dedicate; to consecrate; to set apart”).

[13:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “hand.”

[13:8]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “come to.”

[13:8]  ⁸ tc The LXX has “enlighten,” understanding the Hebrew to read וִיאִירֵנוּ (vi’irenu, “to give light”) rather than the reading of the MT, וְיוֹרֵנוּ (vÿyorenu, “to teach”).

[13:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “what we should do for.”

[13:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “eat.”

[13:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

[13:24]  ¹² tn Heb “the woman.” For clarity this has been specified in the translation as “Manoah’s wife.”

[13:24]  ¹³ tn The name appears to mean “sun-like” or “solar.”

[13:24]  ¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “blessed.”

[13:25]  ¹⁵ tn Or “move him to action”; or “stir him.”