Judges 13:5
in Judges 13For 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
for, 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Judges 13
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
A Nazarite - See the marginal reference. and note. The common Nazarite vow was for a limited time, like Paul’s Act 18:18; Act 21:23-26. Others, like Samuel 1Sa 1:11, were Nazarites for life.
This site's exposition
angel of the Lord appeared
on Judges 13:3-5
The messenger comes to the wife rather than the husband, and she is put under part of the vow herself at verse 4, so the abstinence starts before the child does. Numbers 6:2 makes the Nazarite vow voluntary and for a set term, and here it is laid on a boy from the womb and never lifted, which is the shape of the dedication Hannah makes at 1 Samuel 1:11. The promise is measured, since he shall begin to deliver Israel, and the Philistines are still standing at 1 Samuel 7 and are put down only under David. Hebrews 11:32 names Samson among the faithful, and the chapters after this one record him breaking the terms of the vow he was born under.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
After the spirit of the Hebrews had been so subdued by the pressure of a long subjection that no one dared with a manly spirit to rouse them to liberty, Samson, fore-ordained by the Divine oracle, was raised up to them. A great man he was, not one of the multitude, but first among the few, and beyond controversy far excelling all in bodily strength.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For, lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son,....
Now herein Samson was a type of Christ, (1.) As a Nazarite to God, a Nazarite from the womb. For, though our Lord Jesus was not a Nazarite himself, yet he was typified by the Nazarites, as being perfectly pure from all sin, not so much as conceived in it, and entirely devoted to his Father's honour.
To show the power of a divine word, the strongest man that ever was was a child of promise, as Isaac, born by force and virtue of a promise, and faith in that promise, Heb. xi. Many a woman, after having been long barren, has borne a son by providence, but Samson was by promise, because a figure of the promised seed, so long expected by the faith of the Old-Testament saints, 3.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The mother was, therefore, for the sake of her promised offspring, required to practice the rigid abstinence of the Nazarite law (see on Nu 6:2). he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines--a prophecy encouraging to a patriotic man; the terms of it, however, indicated that the period of deliverance was still to be distant.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He shall begin to deliver Israel - Samson only began this deliverance, for it was not till the days of David that the Israelites were completely redeemed from the power of the Philistines.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִנָּ֨ךְ | hinakh | here you | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הָרָ֜ה | harah | [will be] pregnant | H2030 → | |
| וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ | veyoladt | and you will bear | H3205 → | 496 times |
| בֵּ֗ן | ben | a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וּמוֹרָה֙ | umorah | and a razor | H4177 → | |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲלֶ֣ה | yaaleh | it will go up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשׁ֔וֹ | rosho | head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נְזִ֧יר | nezir | a Nazirite of | H5139 → | 16 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֛ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִהְיֶ֥ה | yihyeh | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַנַּ֖עַר | hanaar | the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַבָּ֑טֶן | habaten | the womb | H990 → | 72 times |
| וְה֗וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יָחֵ֛ל | yachel | he will begin | H2490 → | 143 times |
| לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ | lehoshia' | to deliver | H3467 → | 206 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מִיַּ֥ד | miyad | from [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃ | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
הִנָּ֨ךְhere you
hinakhH2009 →843 times
הָרָ֜ה[will be] pregnant
harahH2030 →
וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּand you will bear
veyoladtH3205 →496 times
בֵּ֗ןa son
benH1121 →4930 times
וּמוֹרָה֙and a razor
umorahH4177 →
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲלֶ֣הit will go up
yaalehH5927 →890 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹאשׁ֔וֹhead his
roshoH7218 →599 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נְזִ֧ירa Nazirite of
nezirH5139 →16 times
אֱלֹהִ֛יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
יִהְיֶ֥הhe will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
הַנַּ֖עַרthe lad
hanaarH5288 →239 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַבָּ֑טֶןthe womb
habatenH990 →72 times
וְה֗וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
יָחֵ֛לhe will begin
yachelH2490 →143 times
לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַto deliver
lehoshia'H3467 →206 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מִיַּ֥דfrom [the] hand of
miyadH3027 →1618 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 1:11And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then…
it leads to
- Numbers 6:5
For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let…
- Genesis 29:32
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
- Ecclesiastes 5:4
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
- Psalms 25:18
Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins.
- 1 Samuel 1:19
The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered…
- Numbers 6:5
Through
Numbers 6:5For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 1:11
And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then…
- Judges 16:17
Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will…
- 1 Samuel 1:11
Through
1 Chronicles 18:1Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:1–18
Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
- 2 Samuel 8:1–18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, Letter 19.10-11; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.