Discovery BoxJudges 13:5 
Context13:5 Look, you will conceive and have a son. 1 You must never cut his hair, 2 for the child will be dedicated to God 3 from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the power 4 of the Philistines.”
Judges 16:11
Context16:11 He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used, 5 I will become weak and be just like any other man.”
Judges 21:12
Context21:12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls who were virgins – they had never had sexual relations with a male. 6 They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.
1 tn Another option is to translate, “you are already pregnant and will have a son.” The earlier reference to her being infertile (v. 3) suggests that her conception is still future, but it is possible that the earlier statement only reflects her perspective (as far as she is concerned, she is infertile). According to this interpretation, in v. 5 the angel reveals the truth to her – actually she has recently conceived and is now pregnant (see the translation in R. G. Boling, Judges [AB], 217). Usage favors this interpretation. The predicate adjective הָרָה (harah, “[be/become] pregnant”) elsewhere has a past (1 Sam 4:19) or present (Gen 16:11; 38:25; 2 Sam 11:5) translation value. (The usage in Isa 7:14 is debated, but a present translation is definitely possible there.) A final, but less likely possibility, is that she miraculously conceived during the angel’s speech, sometime between his statements recorded in vv. 3 and 5.
2 tn Heb “a razor should not go up on his head.”
3 tn Or “set apart to God.” Traditionally the Hebrew term נָזִיר (nazir) has been translated “Nazirite.” The word is derived from the verb נָזַר (nazar, “to dedicate; to consecrate; to set apart”).
4 tn Heb “hand.”
5 tn Heb “with which no work has been done.”
6 tn Heb “who had not known a man with respect to the bed of a male.”
