Judges 16:5-15

5 The ¹lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "²Entice him, and see where his great strength lies and how we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him. Then we will each give you eleven * hundred pieces of silver."

6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength is and how you may be bound to afflict you."

7 Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven fresh cords that have not been dried, then I will become weak and be like any other man."

8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh cords that had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

9 Now she had men lying in wait in an inner room. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he snapped the cords as a string of tow snaps when it touches fire. So his strength was not discovered.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, "Behold, you have deceived me and told me lies; now please tell me how you may be bound."

11 He said to her, "If they bind me tightly with new ropes which have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any other man."

12 So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" For the men were lying in wait in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms like a thread.

13 Then Delilah said to Samson, "Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies; tell me how you may be bound." And he said to her, "If you weave the seven locks of my hair with the web [and fasten it with a pin, then I will become weak and be like any other man."

14 So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his hair and wove them into the web ]. And she fastened it with the pin and said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom and the web.

Delilah Extracts His Secret

15 Then she said to him, "³How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is."

Read Chapter Compare

Judges 16:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 16

In this chapter we have an account of Samson's too great familiarity with two harlots; by the one he was brought into great danger, and narrowly escaped, Jud 16:1-3, and by the other he was betrayed into the hands of the Philistines, having got the secret out of him wherein his great strength lay, Jud 16:4-20 who having him in their hands, put out his eyes, imprisoned him, and in their idol temple made sport of him, Jud 16:21-25, where praying for renewed strength from the Lord, he pulled down the temple, and destroyed multitudes with the loss of his own life, Jud 16:26-31.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 3

1. Joshua 13:3
2. Judges 14:15
3. Judges 14:16

Footnotes 10

[a]. Lit "by what"
[b]. Lit "by what"
[c]. Lit "smells"
[d]. Lit "by what"
[e]. Lit "with which work has not been done"
[f]. Lit "them"
[g]. Lit "by what"
[h]. Lit "head"
[i]. The passage in brackets is found in Gr but not in any Heb mss
[j]. Lit "head"