Judges 13:4

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

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The angel of the LORD addresses a barren woman immediately after promising she will conceive and bear a son.

The words — הִשָּׁמְרִי (hi.shamri) means "take care," and תִּשְׁתִּי (tish'ti) means "you drink." The angel commands her to carefully avoid drinking wine or strong drink.

The thread — This prohibition against wine and strong drink appears in the angel’s parallel declaration to Zechariah regarding John the Baptist (Luke 1:15), is reiterated to the mother in Judges 13:14, and aligns with the Nazirite vow regulations in Numbers 6:2.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate dietary restriction as a prerequisite for bearing a consecrated child. The reader must recognize that physical separation from common substances marks the beginning of a sacred calling.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְעַתָּה֙ve./'a.Tahand/ therefore הִשָּׁ֣מְרִיhi.Sha.me.ritake care נָ֔אNa'please וְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may not תִּשְׁתִּ֖יtish.Tiyou drink יַ֣יִןYa.yinwine וְשֵׁכָ֑רve./she.Kharand/ strong drink וְאַל־ve./'al-and/ may not תֹּאכְלִ֖יtokh.Liyou eat כָּל־kol-any טָמֵֽא׃ta.Me'unclean [thing]

King James Version

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

Cross-references

Luke 1:15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
Judges 13:14 She must not eat anything that comes from the vine, nor drink any wine or strong drink, nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”
Numbers 6:2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD,
Judges 13:7 But he said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.’”
Leviticus 11:27 All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,
Leviticus 11:47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’”
Acts 10:14 “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”