Judges 16

Judges · Chapter 16

Judges 16:14

1Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.2And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.3And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.4And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.5And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.6And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.7And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.8Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.9Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.10And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.11And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.12Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.13And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.14And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.15And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.16And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;17That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.18And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.19And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.20And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.21But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.22Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.23Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.24And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.25And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.26And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.27Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.28And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.29And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.30And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.31Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
14And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.So while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the web.Then she tightened it with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin with the loom and the web.And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and she made sleep himוַתְּיַשְּׁנֵהוּva-te-ya-she-NE-huH3462
to sleep

יָשֵׁן (ya.shen) 1) to sleep, be asleep 1a) (Qal) to sleep, go to sleep, be asleep 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to remain a long time, be stored up 1b2) to be festering (of leprosy) 1c) (Piel) to cause to sleep, entice to sleep

and she woveוַתַּאֲרִיגva-ta-'a-rigH0707
to weave

אָרַג (a.rag) 1) to weave 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to weave (cloth) 1a2) to braid (Samson's hair) 1a3) weaver (subst.) 1a4) intrigue (fig.)

sevenשֶׁבַעSHE-va'H7651
seven

שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) 1) seven (cardinal number) 1a) as ordinal number 1b) in combination-17, 700 etc Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)

[the] plaitsמַחְלְפוֹתmach-le-FOTH4253
lock

מַחֲלָפָה (mach.la.phah) 1) braid, lock, plait 1a) of hair

head hisרֹאשׁוֹro-SHOH7218A
head

רֵאשׁ (resh) 1) chief, head 1a) head (of man) 1b) head (as seat of visions) 1c) chief 1d) sum (essential content)

withעִם־'im-H5973A
with

עִם (im) 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as

the webהַמַּסֶּכֶתha-ma-SE-khetH4545
weave

מַסֶּ֫כֶת (mas.se.khet) 1) web 1a) web of unfinished stuff on a loom

and she thrustוַתִּתְקַע֙va-tit-KA'H8628
to blow

תָּקַע (ta.qa) 1) to blow, clap, strike, sound, thrust, give a blow, blast 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to thrust, drive (of weapon) 1a2) to give a blast, give a blow 1a3) to strike or clap hands 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be blown, blast (of horn) 1b2) to strike or pledge oneself

with the pinבַּיָּתֵ֔דbai-ya-TEDH3489
peg

יָתֵד (ya.ted) 1) pin, stake, peg, nail 1a) pin, peg, tent pin, tent stake 1b) nail, pin (fig.) 1c) pin (used in weaving)

and she saidוַתֹּ֣אמֶרva-TO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

to himאֵלָ֔יו'e-LAVH0413
to(wards)

אֶל (el) 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)

[the] Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּ֥יםpe-lish-TIMH6430G
Philistine

פְּלִשְׁתִּי (pe.lish.ti) Philistine = "immigrants" an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan Another spelling of pe.le.shet (פְּלֶ֫שֶׁת "Philistia" H6429)

[are] on youעָלֶ֖יךָ'a-LEI-khaH5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

O Samsonשִׁמְשׁ֑וֹןshim-SHONH8123
Samson

שִׁמְשׁוֹן (shim.shon) A Judge living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.13.24; son of: Manoah (H4495); married to Delilah (H1807) Also named: Sampsōn (Σαμψών "Samson" G4546) § Samson = "like the sun" a Danite, son of Manoah, a Nazarite for life, and a judge of Israel for 20 years

and he awokeוַיִּיקַץ֙vai-yi-KATZH3364
to awake

יָקַץ (ya.qats) (Qal) to awake, awaken, become active

from sleep hisמִשְּׁנָת֔וֹmi-she-na-TOH8142
sleep

שְׁנָה (she.nah) sleep Aramaic of she.nah (שֵׁנָה "sleep" H8142)

and he pulled outוַיִּסַּ֛עvai-yi-SA'H5265
to set out

נָסַע (na.sa) 1) to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to pull out or up 1a2) to set out, depart 1a3) to journey, march 1a4) to set forth (of wind) 1b) (Niphal) to be pulled up, be removed, be plucked up 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to set out, lead out, cause to spring up 1c2) to remove, quarry

the pin ofהַיְתַ֥דhay-TADH3489
peg

יָתֵד (ya.ted) 1) pin, stake, peg, nail 1a) pin, peg, tent pin, tent stake 1b) nail, pin (fig.) 1c) pin (used in weaving)

the loomהָאֶ֖רֶגha-'E-regH0708
shuttle

אֶ֫רֶג (e.reg) loom, shuttle

the webהַמַּסָּֽכֶת׃ha-ma-SA-khetH4545
weave

מַסֶּ֫כֶת (mas.se.khet) 1) web 1a) web of unfinished stuff on a loom

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.