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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Judges 13:5-7

JUDGES—NOTE ON Judges 13:5 Any man or woman could take a vow to become a Nazirite, to separate himself or herself to God (see Numbers 6:1). It was to be voluntary (Numbers 6:2) and for a limited time (Numbers 6:5, Numbers 6:13). It involved: (1) abstinence from wine, strong drink, or anything associated with the vine (Numbers 6:3); (2) no cutting of the hair (Numbers 6:5); and (3) no contact with the dead (Numbers 6:6). Three things are unusual concerning Samson and this Nazirite vow: (1) it was not voluntary—God ordered it from the womb; (2) it was to last to the day of his death (compare 1 Samuel 1:11; Luke 1:15 for similar situations); and (3) he broke every one of its stipulations.

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See also Judges 13:5-7 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Judges 13:5. _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 Ph...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    A NAZARITE - See the marginal reference. and note. The common Nazarite vow was for a limited time, like Paul’s Acts 18:18; Acts 21:23. Others, like Samuel 1 Samuel 1:11, were Nazarites for life....

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    6. SIXTH DECLENSION: UNDER THE PHILISTINES AND SAMSON CHAPTER 13 _ 1. Israel delivered to the Philistines (Judges 13:1)_ 2. Manoah and his wife (Judges 13:2) 3. Samson born (Judges 13:24) The sixt...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE BIRTH OF SAMSON. Judges 13:1. D's usual introduction. Judges 13:2. Zorah (p. 31) is now Sar-' a, 800 ft. above the valley of Sorek (Wady es-Surâ r), 17 m. W. of Jerusalem. In Joshua 15:33 and...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    LO. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. THE CHILD. Hebrew. _na'ar._ A NAZARITE UNTO GOD. one separate unto Elohim....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _thou shalt conceive_ The present in Genesis 16:11 RV. and Isaiah 7:14 RVm.; the future is more suitable here. _a Nazirite unto God_ lit. _one separated unto God_; this, the full term, came to be abbr...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    Samson of Dan Judges 13:1 to Judges 16:31 _The Birth of Samson Judges 13:1-25_ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Phi...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _FOR, LO, THOU SHALT CONCEIVE, AND BEAR A SON; AND NO RASOR 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 TH...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE STORY OF SAMSON Except for Judges 15:20 and Judges 16:31, Samson has none of the characteristics of a Judge. His exploits against the Philistines are all solitary, and though they doubtless afford...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LIFE WITHOUT LAW JUDGES _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 13 In total, there were 12 judges in the book called Judges. Samson was the last one. The story about him shows that matters had got much worse. Peo...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    NO RAZOR SHALL COME ON HIS HEAD. — The law of the Nazarite is laid down in Numbers 6, and when that chapter is read as the _Parashah_ (or first lesson) in the synagogue-worship, this account of the bi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּי֩ הִנָּ֨ךְ הָרָ֜ה וְ יֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֗ן וּ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE ANGEL IN THE FIELD Judges 13:1 IN our ignorance not in our knowledge, in our blindness not in our light, we call nature secular and think of the ordinary course of events as a series of cold oper...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE PROMISE OF A NAZARITE CHAMPION Judges 13:1 The secret of Samson's strength was a puzzle to his contemporaries. Even Delilah could not account for it, Judges 16:5. Clearly, then, it did not depend...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Once again we read that "Israel again did that which was evil," and once again they were delivered to discipline at the hands of their enemies. In this connection we have one of the strangest stories...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Thomas says Zorah was on the border of Dan and Judah, which was close to the area the Philistines occupied. Interestingly, Dan means "a judge" and Jacob had foretold Dan would judge his people (Genesi...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

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

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    There is somewhat peculiarly interesting in the law of the Nazarites. The separation, or the being sanctified, and set apart to the Lord, carried with it a matter of great moment. And hence Moses appr...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    My object being no more than a sketch, as most of you know, I desire to say but a few words on such of the Chapter s as bear a similar character to that which has been already pointed out in the early...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Samson, as a type, sets before us the principle of Nazariteship, entire separation to God, the source of strength in conflict with our enemies, looked at as enemies who seek to gain the upper hand amo...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR, LO, THOU SHALT CONCEIVE AND BEAR A SON,.... Which is not only repeated for the confirmation of it, but that she might take notice that he was to be a Nazarite, and therefore must conform to every...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The child shall be a Nazarite_ Consecrated to God's service in a peculiar manner. _He shall begin to deliver Israel_ He did not complete the deliverance of the Israelites from the servile yoke of the...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Israel is in the hand of the Philistines. 2 An Angel appeareth to Manoahs wife. 8 The Angel appeareth to Manoah. 15 Manoahs sacrifice, whereby the Angel is discouered. 24 Samson is borne. 1 AND...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE ANGEL...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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, from his birth to his death, Numbers 6:5. AND HE SHALL BEGIN...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    AMSON'S BIRTH PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED (vv. 1-25) After this, because of Israel's further disobedience, the Lord brought them under bondage to the Philistines for forty long years (v. 1). In this case...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    A NAZARITE; a person separated from others, and consecrated to God's service. HE SHALL BEGIN TO DELIVER ISRAEL; and the deliverance shall be carried on and perfected by others, as it was in part by El...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Judges 13:5 conceive H2030 bear H3205 (H8802) son H1121 razor H4177 come H5927 (H8799) head H7218 child...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Now therefore beware, I pray you, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and do not eat any unclean thing. For, lo, you will conceive and bear a son, and no razor shall come on his head, for the child s...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Judges 13:16 I. We must first ask what principles, regarding the way in which God works deliverance for man, were taught by Samson. (1) The first principle impressed on the minds of his contemporaries...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Parents of Samson and Samson's birth. CHARACTERS: God, Angel (Jesus), Holy Spirit, Manoah. CONCLUSION: A promise is given to try our faith and a precept to try our obedience for God requir...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Judges 13:1. _Forty years._ There are no exact dates of the commencement and termination of this servitude. Therefore to harmonize it with the four hundred and eighty years from the going out of Egypt...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Manoah; and his wife._ THE ANGELIC APPEARANCES TO MANOAH AND HIS WIFE I. The unknown visitor. Manoah’s wife was just the woman to be visited by an angel--bold, energetic, large-hearted, believing....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    NEW OPPRESSORS AND A NEW DELIVERER In fixing the date at which Samson appeared, it must be remembered that great diversity of opinion exists, as to the exact chronology of the whole period between the...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JUDGES 13:1 DID EVIL AGAIN. It by no means follows from this phrase that this chapter is in direct chronological sequence to the preceding The scene is shifted to the tribe of Dan, and to...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    [Now, again] The children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. There was a certain man from Zorah, he was o...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 18:1; 1 Samuel 1:11; 1 Samuel 7:13; 2 Samuel 8:1; Number

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    A Nazarite — A person consecrated to God's service. Begin to deliver — And the deliverance shall be carried on and perfected by others, as it was by Eli, Samuel, and Saul; but especially by David. God...

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