Judges 16

1 One day [at a certain time, then] Samson [like the sun, a Nazarite] went [to walk, to move] to Gaza [Azzah, the strong city], where he saw [to look, to perceive] a prostitute [a harlot, a woman who fornicates] and went in [to enter, to come] to spend the night [to lodge, to stay] with her [with this woman, intimately]. word study 2 When the Gazites [inhabitants of Gaza, the strong city] heard that Samson [like the sun, a Danite and judge of Israel] was there, they surrounded [compassed, laid wait for] that place and lay in wait for him all night [the time of darkness, adversity] at the city [a place with a wall, a watchman] gate [the entrance, a place of gathering]. They were quiet [silent, still] throughout the night, saying, “Let us wait [tarry, remain] until dawn [the break of day, morning]; then we will kill [slay with intent, destroy] him.” word study 3 But Samson lay [rested, slept] there only until midnight [halfway through the night], when he got up [rose, stood], took hold of the doors [gates, entrances] of the city gate [city entrance, town gate] and both gateposts [doorposts, pillars], and pulled them out [removed, uprooted], bar [bolt, lock] and all. Then he put them on his shoulders [upper back, upper arm] and took them to the top [summit, peak] of the mountain [hill, elevated land] overlooking [facing, in front of] Hebron [a city in Palestine, a place of alliance]. word study 4 Some time [afterward] later, Samson fell in love [to have affection for, to be deeply attracted to] with a woman [female person, wife] in the Valley [brook, small river] of Sorek [known for its vineyards], whose name [identity, character] was Delilah [the one who weakened or impoverished Samson]. word study 5 The lords [chiefs, princes] of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice [seduce, deceive] him and find out the source [secret, mystery] of his great [exceptional, remarkable] strength [power, might] and how we can overpower [prevail against, overcome] him to tie [bind, restrain] him up and subdue [afflict, humble] him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred [a large sum, a significant amount] shekels [pieces, units] of silver [money, wealth]. ” word study 6 So Delilah [the Philistine woman] said to Samson, “Please [I pray thee] tell me [declare openly] the source [what or how] of your great [exceptional, remarkable] strength [power, might] and how [by what means] you can be tied up [bound, restrained] and subdued [afflicted, humbled].” word study 7 Samson told her, “If they tie [bind or restrain] me up with seven fresh [new, moist, or green] bowstrings [cords or ropes] that have not been dried [desiccated or withered], I will become [be made or rendered] as weak [feeble, frail, or powerless] as any other man [a human being, a person like others].” word study 8 So the lords [rulers, leaders] of the Philistines [a non-Israelite people] brought her seven fresh [moist, new] bowstrings [cords, ropes] that had not been dried [desiccated, withered], and she tied [bound, fastened] him up with them [using her cunning and strength]. word study 9 While the men were hidden [lying in wait, in ambush] in her room [chamber, private inner space], she called out, “Samson [meaning’like the sun’, a Danite and judge of Israel], the Philistines [a people from the region of Philistia] are here [upon you, approaching]!” But he snapped the bowstrings [cords, ropes] like a strand of yarn [tow, flax fibers] seared [touched, smelling] by a flame [fire]. So the source [origin, foundation] of his strength [power, might] remained unknown [not perceived, unseen]. word study 10 Then Delilah [the Philistine woman] said to Samson, “You have [deceived] mocked me and lied [spoken falsely, told lies] to me! Now [at this time] please tell me [declare, inform] how you can be tied up [bound, secured, with what you might be bound].” word study 11 He replied, “If they tie [bind, restrain] me up with new [fresh, recently created] ropes [cords, thick bands] that have never [not at all] been used [occupied, worked with], I will become [be, exist as] as weak [feeble, powerless] as any other man [human, one of the human race].” word study 12 So Delilah [a Philistine woman, Samson’s lover] took new [fresh, recently made] ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson [meaning like the sun, a Danite and judge of Israel], the Philistines [enemies of the Israelites, inhabitants of Philistia] are here!” But while the men [liars in wait, ambushers] were hidden in her room [inner chamber, private quarters], he snapped the ropes off his arms [the arm as stretched out; strength, might, power] like they were threads [thin, weak, easily broken]. word study 13 Then Delilah [the deceiver, a Philistine woman] said to Samson, “You have [continually, deceitfully] mocked me and lied [spoken falsehoods, deceived] to me all along [hitherto, until now]! Tell me [declare, reveal] how you can be tied up [bound, restrained].” He told her, “If you weave [plait, braid] the seven braids [locks] of my head into the web [the weave, the threads] of a loom and tighten it with a pin [a peg, a fastener], I will become as weak [feeble, powerless] as any other man [an ordinary, mortal person].” word study 14 So while he slept [was in a deep slumber], Delilah took the seven braids [twists, locks] of his hair and wove them into the web [loom, weaving]. Then she tightened it with a pin [peg, nail] and called to him, “Samson [meaning like the sun, a Danite judge], the Philistines [immigrants from other places, enemies of Israel] are here!” But he awoke [was awakened, became active] from his sleep [rest, slumber] and pulled out the pin [nail, peg] with the loom [weaving tool, shuttle] and the web [unfinished fabric, weave]. word study 15 “How [in what way, by what means] can you say, ‘I love [have affection for, am devoted to] you,’” she asked, “when your heart [inner being, emotions] is not with [near, in close relationship to] me? This [this particular time] is the third [thrice, three times] time you have mocked [deceived, cheated] me and failed to reveal [tell, disclose] to me the source [origin, foundation] of your great [exceptional, extraordinary] strength [power, might]!” word study 16 Finally, after she had pressed [importunately, with persistent urgency] him daily with her words [chronicles, matters] and pleaded [urged, distressed him] until he was sick [vexed, troubled] to death [unto the point of despair, wearied of life], word study 17 Samson told her all that was in his heart [everything, his deepest thoughts]: “My hair has never been cut [with a razor, as a Nazirite vow], because I have been a Nazirite [consecrated, dedicated] to God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] from my mother’s womb [from birth, since conception]. If I am shaved [my hair cut off, as an act of desecration], my strength [power, might] will leave me, and I will become as weak [feeble, powerless] as any other man [human, mortal].” word study 18 When Delilah [the Philistine woman, Samson’s lover] realized that he had revealed [told, disclosed, shared openly] to her all that was in his [innermost, spiritual] heart, she sent [dispatched, summoned] this message to the lords [rulers, leaders, princes] of the Philistines: “Come up [ascend, rise, go up] once more, for he has revealed [told, confessed, shared] to me all that is in his [deepest, inner] heart.” Then the lords [chiefs, nobles] of the Philistines came to her, bringing [carrying, holding] the money [silver, payment, reward] in their hands. word study 19 And having lulled [soothed to sleep, made drowsy] him to sleep [to be in a state of torpor, dormant] on her lap [knees, a place of rest], she called [invited, summoned] a man [male person, individual] to shave off [cut, lay waste] the seven braids [locks] of his head [the topmost part of the body]. In this way she began [started, initiated] to subdue [afflict, oppress] him, and his strength [power, might] left [departed, turned aside] him. word study 20 Then she called out, “Samson [the strong one, like the sun], the Philistines [immigrants from other places, a non-Israelite people] are here [upon you, approaching]!” When Samson awoke [woke up, became active] from his sleep [rest, slumber], he thought, “I will escape [go out, come out] as I did before [at other times, previously] and shake [tremble, free myself] myself free.” But he did not know [was not aware, did not realize] that the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had departed [turned aside, removed Himself] from him. word study 21 Then the Philistines [a non-Israelite people, immigrants from other places] seized him, gouged out his eyes [to dig or bore into, picking out], and brought him down [to go down, descend to a lower place] to Gaza [Azzah, the strong city], where he was bound [to tie or restrain, like a covenant] with bronze [copper, base metal] shackles [fetters, chains of restraint] and forced to grind grain [to crush, like grain into flour] in the prison [a place of captivity, house of restraint]. word study 22 However, the hair [referring to the locks on his head] of his head [upper part of the body] began [to start anew or break forth] to grow [to spring forth or increase] back [again, after a period of loss] after it had been [completely] shaved [cut off or laid bare]. word study 23 Now the lords [chiefs, princes] of the Philistines gathered together [assembled, came together] to offer a great [large, significant] sacrifice [offering, gift] to their god Dagon [their idol, pagan deity]. They rejoiced and said, “Our god [Elohim, supreme God] has delivered [given, handed over] Samson [the judge, Israel’s leader] our enemy [adversary, opponent] into our hands [power, control].” word study 24 And when the people [our nation, the crowd] saw him, they praised their god [Elohim, their supreme deity], saying: “Our god [the one we worship] has delivered [handed over, given into our power] into our hands [our control, our authority] our enemy [adversary, the one who hates us] who destroyed [laid waste, devastated] our land [our country, our territory] and multiplied [increased, grown] our dead [those slain, our fallen ones].” word study 25 And while their hearts [being merry, full of joy] were [in a state of] merry, they said, “Call [summon, invite] for Samson [like the sun, a Danite and judge of Israel] to entertain [make us sport, laugh] us.” So they called Samson out of the prison [place of bondage, house of prisoners] to entertain [make sport, play before] them. And they stationed him between [in the midst of, among] the pillars [columns]. word study 26 Samson [the strong one, like the sun] said to the servant [youth, attendant] who held his hand [as a guide, for support], “Lead me where I can feel [touch, physically sense] the pillars [supporting columns, foundations] supporting the temple [house, place of worship], so I can lean [rest, trust] against them [for strength, for stability].” word study 27 Now the temple [house of worship, place of assembly] was full [completely filled, packed] of men [male individuals, humans] and women [female persons, wives]; all [every single one, the entire group] the lords [rulers, leaders] of the Philistines [inhabitants of Philistia, non-Israelites] were there [present, in attendance], and about three [a multitude of, approximately] thousand men and women [people, individuals] were on the roof [the top, the upper area] watching [observing, beholding] Samson [the strong judge, deliverer] entertain [make sport, perform] them [the crowd, the onlookers]. word study 28 Then Samson called out [cried unto, prayed to] to the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God]: “O Lord GOD [Adonai, the sovereign Master], please [I pray thee, I beseech thee] remember me [think upon me, recall my situation]. Strengthen me [give me power, make me courageous], O God [Elohim, the all-powerful One], just once more [only this once, at this time], so that with one vengeful [avenging, punitive] blow I may pay back [be avenged, take revenge] the Philistines [the enemies of God’s people] for my two [a pair of, both] eyes [the sources of sight, the windows of the soul].” word study 29 And Samson [the strong judge] reached out for the two central [middle, main] pillars [supporting columns, foundations] supporting the temple [house, place of worship]. Bracing himself against them with his right hand [with his strength, firmly] on one pillar [column, foundation] and his left hand [with his weakness, gently] on the other [second, additional], word study 30 Samson said, “Let me die [as a final act of judgment] with the Philistines [a people from the region of Philistia].” Then he pushed [bowed himself, using his strength] with all his might [his full strength], and the temple [the house, a place of worship] fell on the lords [chiefs, rulers] and all the people [the nation, a multitude] in it. So in his death [his mortal end, as a sacrifice] he killed more [a greater number, many more] than he had killed in his life [during his lifetime, while he was alive]. word study 31 Then Samson’s brothers [relatives, family members] and his father’s family [house, household] came down [to a lower place, descended], carried him back, and buried him [laid him to rest, interred] between [in the midst of, among] Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb [grave, sepulchre] of his father Manoah [his earthly father, the one who gave him life]. And he had judged [governed, vindicated] Israel [God’s chosen people, the descendants of Jacob] twenty [a score, a complete cycle] years. word study