Judges 13:6-8

13:6 The woman went and said to her husband, “A man sent from God ¹  came to me! He looked like God’s angelic messenger – he was very awesome. ²  I did not ask him where he came from, and he did not tell me his name. 13:7 He said to me, ‘Look, you will conceive and have a son. ³  So now, do not drink wine or beer and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean. ⁴  For the child will be dedicated ⁵  to God from birth till the day he dies.’”

13:8 Manoah prayed to the Lord, ⁶  “Please, Lord, allow the man sent from God ⁷  to visit ⁸  us again, so he can teach ⁹  us how we should raise ¹⁰  the child who will be born.”

[13:6]  ¹ tn Heb “The man of God.”

[13:6]  ² tn Heb “His appearance was like the appearance of the messenger of God, very awesome.”

[13:7]  ³ tn See the note on the word “son” in 13:5, where this same statement occurs.

[13:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

[13:7]  ⁵ tn Traditionally “a Nazirite.”

[13:8]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew text adds “and said.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “the man of God.”

[13:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “come to.”

[13:8]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “what we should do for.”