Judges 16:9

9 while ambushments were hid at her, and abided in a closet the end of the thing. And she cried to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he brake those bonds, as if a man breaketh a thread of hards (of flax), thrown with spittle, when it hath touched the heat of fire; and (so) it was not yet known wherein his strength was. (while the ambushers were hid with her, and waited in a closet for the end of it all. And she cried to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he broke those bonds, like a man breaketh a flaxen thread, thrown with spittle, when it hath touched the heat of the fire; and so it was not yet known where his strength lay.)

Judges 16:9 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 16:9

Now there were men lying in wait
Very likely some of the servants of the lords of the Philistines, who were placed privately on purpose, that when an opportunity offered, they might rush out, and fall upon Samson; Josephus ^F25 calls them soldiers:

abiding with her in the chamber;
in a private part of it, or otherwise they could not be said to lie in wait; in it may mean near it; perhaps it was in the next apartment to hers, where they were set:

and she said unto him, the Philistines be upon thee, Samson;
are just ready to fall upon thee, and seize thee; this she said to arouse him, and try whether he could break the withs or not, before she called in the men that lay in wait, and whether he had told her the truth or not:

and he brake the withs as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth
the fire;
or "smells it" ^F26; as soon as it comes near it; a thread of tow or linen catches the fire presently, it being so weak that it cannot stand before the least force of it; so easily did the withs give way, and were broken, when Samson did but just stir himself, and move his arms:

so his strength was not known;
by Delilah, nor by the Philistines; that is, where it lay, so as that it might be weakened; for otherwise it was known by the easy breaking of the withs.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 11.
F26 (wxyrhb) "cum olfecerit", Drusius, so Piscator.

Judges 16:9 In-Context

7 To whom Samson answered, If I be bound with seven cords of moist sinews not yet dry, I shall be (made as) feeble as other men.

8 And the princes of [the] Philistines brought to her seven cords, as he had said; with which she bound him,

9 while ambushments were hid at her, and abided in a closet the end of the thing. And she cried to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he brake those bonds, as if a man breaketh a thread of hards (of flax), thrown with spittle, when it hath touched the heat of fire; and (so) it was not yet known wherein his strength was. (while the ambushers were hid with her, and waited in a closet for the end of it all. And she cried to him, Samson, the Philistines be upon thee! And he broke those bonds, like a man breaketh a flaxen thread, thrown with spittle, when it hath touched the heat of the fire; and so it was not yet known where his strength lay.)

10 And Delilah said to Samson, Lo! thou hast scorned me, and thou hast spoken false(ly); nevertheless now show thou to me, with what thing thou shouldest be bound.

11 To whom he answered, If I be bound with new cords, that were not yet in work, I shall be feeble, and like other men (I shall be made as feeble as other men).