Judges 16:1-6

1 And Sampson went to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in to her.

2 And it was reported to the Gazites, saying, Sampson is come hither: and they compassed him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and they were quiet all the night, saying, Let us wait till the dawn appear, and we will slay him.

3 And Sampson slept till midnight, and rose up at midnight, and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city with the two posts, and lifted them up with the bar, and laid them on his shoulders, and he went up to the top of the mountain that is before Chebron, and laid them there.

4 And it came to pass after this that he loved a woman in Alsorech, and her name Dalida.

5 And the princess of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Beguile him, and see wherein his great strength , and wherewith we shall prevail against him, and bind him to humble him; and we will give thee each eleven hundred of silver.

6 And Dalida said to Sampson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength, and wherewith thou shalt be bound that thou mayest be humbled.

Judges 16:1-6 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. the brook of Sorech.
• [b]. smelt.
• [c]. a man.