What was wrong with grapes and wine? (Judges 13:14)
What was wrong with grapes and wine? (13:14) 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.”
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Asked February 18 2019
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Jack Gutknecht
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Tim Maas
As indicated in the passage containing the verse cited in the question, Samson was intended by God even from before his birth to be a Nazirite (a person dedicated or holy to God), in accordance with the requirements contained in Numbers 6. In addition to the requirement for a Nazirite to leave his or her hair unshaven (Numbers 6:5)(as commonly associated with Samson), Numbers 6:3 stated that a Nazirite was not permitted to consume grapes, or to eat or drink anything made from grapes (such as wine, other forms of strong drinks, or even vinegar), or even to eat the seeds or the skins of grapes. Those same restrictions thus also applied to a Nazirite's mother during her pregnancy. I would say that these restrictions derived not so much from grapes being somehow by nature unclean, but because of their role as a source for alcoholic drinks, with the prohibition on them just being extended to the most extreme level possible to remove any chance of the Nazirite breaking his or her vow to God in that respect, even from before birth.
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