Judges 13:7

13:7 He said to me, ‘Look, you will conceive and have a son. ¹  So now, do not drink wine or beer and do not eat any food that will make you ritually unclean. ²  For the child will be dedicated ³  to God from birth till the day he dies.’”

Judges 14:9

14:9 He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned ⁴  to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass. ⁵ 

[13:7]  ¹ tn See the note on the word “son” in 13:5, where this same statement occurs.

[13:7]  ² tn Heb “eat anything unclean.” Certain foods were regarded as ritually “unclean” (see Lev 11). Eating such food made one ritually “contaminated.”

[13:7]  ³ tn Traditionally “a Nazirite.”

[14:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “went.” Samson apparently went home to his parents before going to Timnah for the marriage. Seeing and tasting the honey appears to encourage Manoah to go with his son to Timnah. Perhaps both Samson and his father viewed the honey as a good omen of future blessing. Possibly Samson considered it a symbol of sexual pleasure or an aphrodisiac. Note the use of honey imagery in Song 4:11 and 5:1.

[14:9]  ⁵ sn Touching the carcass of a dead animal undoubtedly violated Samson’s Nazirite status. See Num 6:6.