Judges 16
16
Samson’s Downfall
1 Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute and went in to have sex with her.#tn Heb “and he went in to her.” The idiom בּוֹא אֶל (bo’ ’el, “to go to”) often has sexual connotations. 2 The Gazites were told,#tc Heb “To the Gazites, saying.” A verb is missing from the MT; some ancient Greek witnesses add “it was reported.” “Samson has come here!” So they surrounded the town#tn Heb “And they surrounded.” The rest of the verse suggests that “the town” is the object, not “the house.” Though the Gazites knew Samson was in the town, apparently they did not know exactly where he had gone. Otherwise, they would could have just gone into or surrounded the house and would not have needed to post guards at the city gate. and hid all night at the city gate, waiting for him to leave.#tn Heb “and they lay in wait for him all night in the city gate.” They relaxed#tn Heb “were silent.” all night, thinking,#tn Heb “saying.” “He will not leave#tn The words “He will not leave” are supplied in the translation for clarification. until morning comes;#tn Heb “until the light of the morning.” then we will kill him!” 3 Samson spent half the night with the prostitute; then he got up in the middle of the night and left.#tn Heb “And Samson lay until the middle of the night and arose in the middle of the night.” He grabbed the doors of the city gate, as well as the two posts, and pulled them right off, bar and all.#tn Heb “with the bar.” He put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill east of Hebron.#tn Heb “which is upon the face of Hebron.”
4 After this Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her and said to her, “Trick him! Find out what makes him so strong and how we can subdue him and humiliate#tn Heb “subdue him in order to humiliate him.” him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred silver pieces.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated.”#tn Heb “how you can be subdued in order to be humiliated.” 7 Samson said to her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh#tn Or “moist.” bowstrings#tn The word refers to a bowstring, probably made from animal tendons. See Ps 11:2; Job 30:11. that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 8 So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried and they tied him up with them. 9 They hid#tn Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting for her.” The grammatically singular form וְהָאֹרֵב (vÿha’orev) is collective here, referring to the rulers as a group (so also in v. 16). in the bedroom and then she said to him, “The Philistines are here,#tn Heb “are upon you.” Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire.#tn Heb “when it smells fire.” The secret of his strength was not discovered.#tn Heb “His strength was not known.”
10 Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you deceived#tn See Gen 31:7; Exod 8:29 [8:25 HT]; Job 13:9; Isa 44:20; Jer 9:4 for other uses of this Hebrew word (II תָּלַל, talal), which also occurs in v. 13. me and told me lies! Now tell me how you can be subdued.” 11 He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used,#tn Heb “with which no work has been done.” I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are here,#tn Heb “are upon you.” Samson!” (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.)#tn Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting in the bedroom.” But he tore the ropes#tn Heb “them”; the referent (the ropes) has been specified in the translation for clarity. from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.
13 Delilah said to Samson, “Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me how you can be subdued.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven braids of my hair#tn Heb “head” (also in the following verse). By metonymy the head is mentioned in the Hebrew text in place of the hair on it. into the fabric on the loom#tn Heb “with the web.” For a discussion of how Delilah did this, see C. F. Burney, Judges, 381, and G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 353-54. and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.” 14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom, fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are here,#tn Heb “are upon you.” Samson!”#tc The MT of vv. 13b-14a reads simply, “He said to her, ‘If you weave the seven braids of my head with the web.’ And she fastened with the pin and said to him.” The additional words in the translation, “and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man.’ 16:14 So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom,” which without doubt represent the original text, are supplied from the ancient Greek version. (In both vv. 13b and 14a the Greek version has “to the wall” after “with the pin,” but this is an interpretive addition that reflects a misunderstanding of ancient weaving equipment. See G. F. Moore, Judges [ICC], 353-54.) The Hebrew textual tradition was accidentally shortened during the copying process. A scribe’s eye jumped from the first instance of “with the web” to the second, causing him to leave out inadvertently the intervening words. He woke up#tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons. and tore away the pin of the loom and the fabric.
15 She said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you will not share your secret with me?#tn Heb “when your heart is not with me.” Three times you have deceived me and have not told me what makes you so strong.” 16 She nagged him#tn Heb “forced him with her words.” every day and pressured him until he was sick to death of it.#tn Heb “and his spirit was short [i.e., impatient] to the point of death.” 17 Finally he told her his secret.#tn Heb “all his heart.” He said to her, “My hair has never been cut,#tn Heb “a razor has not come upon my head.” for I have been dedicated to God#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”). from the time I was conceived.#tn Heb “from the womb of my mother.” If my head#tn Heb “I.” The referent has been made more specific in the translation (“my head”). were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would become weak, and be just like all other men.” 18 When Delilah saw that he had told her his secret,#tn Heb “all his heart.” she sent for#tn Heb “she sent and summoned.” the rulers of the Philistines, saying, “Come up here again, for he has told me#tc The translation follows the Qere, לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the Kethib, לָהּ (lah, “to her”). his secret.”#tn Heb “all his heart.” So the rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her, bringing the silver in their hands. 19 She made him go to sleep on her lap#tn Heb “on her knees.” The expression is probably euphemistic for sexual intercourse. See HALOT 160-61 s.v. בֶּרֶךְ. and then called a man in to shave off#tn Heb “she called for a man and she shaved off.” The point seems to be that Delilah acted through the instrumentality of the man. See J. A. Soggin, Judges (OTL), 254. the seven braids of his hair.#tn Heb “head.” By metonymy the hair of his head is meant. She made him vulnerable#tn Heb “She began to humiliate him.” Rather than referring to some specific insulting action on Delilah’s part after Samson’s hair was shaved off, this statement probably means that she, through the devious actions just described, began the process of Samson’s humiliation which culminates in the following verses. and his strength left him. 20 She said, “The Philistines are here,#tn Heb “are upon you.” Samson!” He woke up#tn The Hebrew adds, “from his sleep.” This has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons. and thought,#tn Heb “and said.” “I will do as I did before#tn Heb “I will go out as before.” and shake myself free.” But he did not realize that the Lord had left him. 21 The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison. 22 His hair#tn Heb “the hair of his head.” began to grow back after it had been shaved off.
Samson’s Death and Burial
23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed Samson, our enemy, over to us.” 24 When the people saw him,#tn Most interpret this as a reference to Samson, but this seems premature, since v. 25 suggests he was not yet standing before them. Consequently some prefer to see this statement as displaced and move it to v. 25 (see C. F. Burney, Judges, 387). It seems more likely that the pronoun refers to an image of Dagon. they praised their god, saying, “Our god has handed our enemy over to us, the one who ruined our land and killed so many of us!”#tn Heb “multiplied our dead.”
25 When they really started celebrating,#tn Heb “When their heart was good.” they said, “Call for Samson so he can entertain us!” So they summoned Samson from the prison and he entertained them.#tn Heb “before them.” They made him stand between two pillars. 26 Samson said to the young man who held his hand, “Position me so I can touch the pillars that support the temple.#tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house is founded.” Then I can lean on them.” 27 Now the temple#tn Heb “house.” was filled with men and women, and all the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were three thousand men and women on the roof watching Samson entertain. 28 Samson called to the Lord, “O Master, Lord,#tn The Hebrew has אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה (’adonay yehovih, “Lord Yahweh”). remember me! Strengthen me just one more time, O God, so I can get swift revenge#tn Heb “so I can get revenge with one act of vengeance.” against the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars that supported the temple#tn Heb “the pillars upon which the house was founded.” and he leaned against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other. 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard#tn Heb “he stretched out with strength.” and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it. He killed many more people in his death than he had killed during his life.#tn Heb “And the ones whom he killed in his death were many more than he killed in his life.” 31 His brothers and all his family#tn Heb “and all the house of his father.” went down and brought him back.#tn Heb “and lifted him up and brought up.” They buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led#tn Traditionally, “judged.” Israel for twenty years.
Currently Selected:
Judges 16: NET
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
1996 - 2007 by Biblical Studies Press, LLC
Judges 16
16
1Then went Samson to Azzah, and sawe there an harlot, and went in vnto her. 2And it was tolde to the Azzahites, Samson is come hither. And they went about, and laied wayte for him all night in the gate of the citie, and were quiet all the nyght, saying, Abide till the morning earely, and we shall kill him. 3And Samson slept till midnight, and arose at midnight, and tooke the doores of the gates of the citie, and the two postes and lift them away with the barres, and put them vpon his shoulders, and caried them vp to the top of the mountaine that is before Hebron. 4And after this hee loued a woman by the riuer of Sorek, whose name was Delilah: 5Vnto whome came the princes of the Philistims, and said vnto her, Entise him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what meane we may ouercome him, that we may binde him, and punish him, and euery one of vs shall giue thee eleuen hundreth shekels of siluer. 6And Delilah saide to Samson, Tell mee, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest bee bound, to doe thee hurt. 7Samson then answered vnto her, If they binde mee with seuen greene cordes, that were neuer dryed, then shall I bee weake, and be as an other man. 8And the princes of the Philistims brought her seuen greene cordes that were not dry, and she bound him therewith. 9(And she had men lying in wayte with her in the chamber) Then she said vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson. And hee brake the cordes, as a threede of towe is broken, when it feeleth fire: so his strength was not knowen. 10After Delilah saide vnto Samson, See, thou hast mocked mee and tolde mee lies. I pray thee nowe, tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. 11Then he answered her, If they binde mee with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, then shall I be weake, and be as an other man. 12Delilah therefore tooke newe ropes, and bounde him therewith, and saide vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson: (and men lay in wayte in the chamber) and hee brake them from his armes, as a threede. 13Afterward Delilah said to Samson, Hitherto thou hast beguiled mee, and tolde me lies: tell me how thou mightest be bounde. And he sayde vnto her, If thou plattedst seuen lockes of mine head with the threedes of the woufe. 14And she fastened it with a pinne, and saide vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleepe, and went away with the pinne of the webbe and the woufe. 15Againe shee sayde vnto him, Howe canst thou say, I loue thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked mee these three times, and hast not tolde me wherein thy great strength lieth. 16And because shee was importunate vpon him with her wordes continually, and vexed him, his soule was pained vnto the death. 17Therefore he tolde her all his heart, and said vnto her, There neuer came rasor vpon mine head: for I am a Nazarite vnto God from my mothers wombe: therefore if I bee shauen, my strength will goe from me, and I shalbe weake, and be like all other men. 18And when Delilah sawe that he had tolde her all his heart, she sent, and called for the Princes of ye Philistims, saying, Come vp once againe: for he hath shewed mee all his heart. Then the Princes of the Philistims came vp vnto her, and brought the money in their handes. 19And she made him sleepe vpon her knees, and she called a man, and made him to shaue off the seuen lockes of his head, and shee began to vexe him, and his strength was gone from him. 20Then she said, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson. And hee awoke out of his sleepe, and thought, I will go out now as at other times, and shake my selfe, but he knewe not that the Lord was departed from him. 21Therefore the Philistims tooke him, and put out his eyes, and brought him downe to Azzah, and bounde him with fetters: and hee did grinde in the prison house. 22And the heare of his head began to growe againe after that it was shauen. 23Then the Princes of the Philistims gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice vnto Dagon their god, and to reioyce: for they said, Our god hath deliuered Samson our enemie into our handes. 24Also when the people saw him, they praysed their god: for they sayde, Our god hath deliuered into our hands our enemie and destroyer of our countrey, which hath slayne many of vs. 25And when their heartes were merie, they said, Call Samson, that he may make vs pastime. So they called Samson out of the prison house, and he was a laughing stocke vnto them, and they set him betweene the pillars. 26Then Samson saide vnto the seruant that led him by the hande, Lead me, that I may touch the pillars that the house standeth vpon, and that I may leane to them. 27(Nowe the house was full of men and women, and there were all the princes of the Philistims: also vpon the roofe were about three thousande men and women that behelde while Samson played) 28Then Samson called vnto the Lord, and sayde, O Lord God, I pray thee, thinke vpon me: O God, I beseech thee, strengthen me at this time onely, that I may be at once auenged of the Philistims for my two eyes. 29And Samson layd hold on the two middle pillars whereupon the house stood, and on which it was borne vp: on the one with his right hand, and on the other with his left. 30Then Samson saide, Let me lose my life with the Philistims: and he bowed him with all his might, and the house fell vpon the princes, and vpon all the people that were therein. so the dead which he slewe at his death were more then they which he had slaine in his life. 31Then his brethren, and all the house of his father came downe and tooke him, and brought him vp and buryed him betweene Zorah and Eshtaol, in the sepulchre of Manoah his father: nowe he had iudged Israel twenty yeeres.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Compare
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
PUBLIC DOMAIN