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for you will conceive and bear a son. No razor shall touch his head, for the boy is to be a nazirite for God[a] from the womb. It is he who will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.

The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, fearsome indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will conceive and bear a son. So drink no wine or beer, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be a nazirite for God from the womb, until the day of his death.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 13:5 A nazirite for God: according to the rules for nazirites set forth in Nm 6:2–8, Samson’s vows would have obliged him to abstain from wine and other products of the vine and to keep his hair uncut. As the story that follows shows, the last requirement proved especially fateful in Samson’s life.

You will become pregnant and have a son(A) whose head is never to be touched by a razor(B) because the boy is to be a Nazirite,(C) dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead(D) in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God(E) came to me. He looked like an angel of God,(F) very awesome.(G) I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine(H) or other fermented drink(I) and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.(J)’”

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