Judges 16

Judges · Chapter 16

Judges 16:9

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
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.While the men were hidden in her room, she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he snapped the bowstrings like a strand of yarn seared by a flame. So the source of his strength remained unknown.Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

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 the ambusherוְהָאֹרֵ֗בve-ha-'o-REVH0693
to ambush

אָרַב (a.rav) 1) to lie in wait, ambush, lurk 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lie in wait 1a2) ambush (participle as subst) 1b) (Piel) ambushers, liers-in-wait (pl. participle) 1c) (Hiphil) to lay an ambush

[was] sittingיֹשֵׁ֥בyo-SHEVH3427
to dwell

יָשַׁב (ya.shav) 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)

in the chamberבַּחֶ֔דֶרba-CHE-derH2315
chamber

חֶ֫דֶר (che.der) chamber, room, parlour, innermost or inward part, within

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 tore apartוַיְנַתֵּק֙vay-na-TEKH5423
to tear

נָתַק (na.taq) 1) to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, lift, root out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to draw away 1a2) to draw or pull off 1a3) to pull or tear away 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be drawn away, be drawn out 1b2) to be torn apart or in two, be snapped 1b3) to be separated 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to tear apart, snap 1c2) to tear out, tear up, tear away 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to draw away 1d2) to drag away 1e) (Hophal) to be drawn away

the cordsהַיְתָרִ֔יםhay-ta-RIMH3499B
cord

יֶ֫תֶר (ye.ter) cord

just asכַּאֲשֶׁ֨רka-'a-SHERH0834D
as which

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) conj 1) according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

it is torn apartיִנָּתֵ֤קyi-na-TEKH5423
to tear

נָתַק (na.taq) 1) to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, lift, root out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to draw away 1a2) to draw or pull off 1a3) to pull or tear away 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be drawn away, be drawn out 1b2) to be torn apart or in two, be snapped 1b3) to be separated 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to tear apart, snap 1c2) to tear out, tear up, tear away 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to draw away 1d2) to drag away 1e) (Hophal) to be drawn away

the thread ofפְּתִֽיל־pe-til-H6616
cord

פָּתִיל (pa.til) cord, thread (twisted)

the towהַנְּעֹ֙רֶת֙ha-ne-'O-retH5296
tow

נְעֹ֫רֶת (ne.o.ret) a strand of flax, tow (as shaken from flax when beaten)

when smells itבַּהֲרִיח֣וֹba-ha-ri-CHOH7306
to smell

רִיחַ (ru.ach) 1) (Hiphil) to smell, scent, perceive odour, accept 1a) of horse 1b) of delight (metaph)

fireאֵ֔שׁ'EshH0784
fire

אֵשׁ (esh) 1) fire 1a) fire, flames 1b) supernatural fire (accompanying theophany) 1c) fire (for cooking, roasting, parching) 1d) altar-fire 1e) God's anger (fig.) Aramaic equivalent: esh (אֶשָּׁא "fire" H0785)

and notוְלֹ֥אve-LO'H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

it was knownנוֹדַ֖עno-DA'H3045
to know

יָדַע (ya.da) 1) to know 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to know 1a1a) to know, learn to know 1a1b) to perceive 1a1c) to perceive and see, find out and discern 1a1d) to discriminate, distinguish 1a1e) to know by experience 1a1f) to recognise, admit, acknowledge, confess 1a1g) to consider 1a2) to know, be acquainted with 1a3) to know (a person carnally) 1a4) to know how, be skilful in 1a5) to have knowledge, be wise 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be made known, be or become known, be revealed 1b2) to make oneself known 1b3) to be perceived 1b4) to be instructed 1c) (Piel) to cause to know 1d) (Poal) to cause to know 1e) (Pual) …

strength hisכֹּחֽוֹ׃ko-CHOH3581B
strength

כֹּחַ (ko.ach) 1) strength, power, might 1a) human strength 1b) strength (of angels) 1c) power (of God) 1d) strength (of animals) 1e) strength, produce, wealth (of soil)

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