Shìshījì 16:7

7 Cānsūn huídá shuō , rén ruò yòng qī tiaó wèi gān de qīng shéngzi kúnbǎng wǒ , wǒ jiù ruǎnfuò xiàng biérén yíyàng .

Shìshījì 16:7 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 16:7

And Samson said unto her
In answer to her pressing solicitations:

if they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried;
the word is sometimes used for nerves, and cords or ropes; but neither of these can be here meant, since these, if moistened or made wet, are the less fit to bind with, and the drier the better; but rods or branches of trees just cut off, such as faggots are bound up with, or green osiers, which are easily bent and twisted, and may bind with; Josephus ^F21 calls them vine branches:

then shall I be weak, and be as another man;
which cannot well be excused from a lie; for Samson knew full well that being bound would not weaken his strength; but as he had fallen into one sin, it is no wonder he was drawn into another: unless this can be understood, as it is by some, as jesting with her; however, it shows that he was "compos mentis", as Josephus ^F23 observes, and was upon his guard with respect to the secret of his strength.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 9.)
F23 Ibid.

Shìshījì 16:7 In-Context

5 Fēilìshì rén de shǒulǐng shàng qù jiàn nà fùrén , duì tā shuō , qiú nǐ kuāng hōng Cānsūn , tàn tàn tā yīn hé yǒu zhème dà de lì qì , wǒmen yòng hé fǎ néng shēng tā , kúnbǎng kèzhì tā . wǒmen jiù mĕi rén gĕi nǐ yī qiā yī bǎi Shĕkèlè yínzi .

6 Dà lì lā duì Cānsūn shuō , qiú nǐ gàosu wǒ , nǐ yīn hé yǒu zhème dà de lì qì , dāng yòng hé fǎ kúnbǎng kèzhì nǐ .

7 Cānsūn huídá shuō , rén ruò yòng qī tiaó wèi gān de qīng shéngzi kúnbǎng wǒ , wǒ jiù ruǎnfuò xiàng biérén yíyàng .

8 Yúshì Fēilìshì rén de shǒulǐng ná le qī tiaó wèi gān de qīng shéngzi lái , jiāo gĕi fùrén , tā jiù yòng shéngzi kúnbǎng Cānsūn .

9 Yǒu rén yùxiān máifu zaì fùrén de neì shì lǐ . fùrén shuō , Cānsūn nǎ . Fēilìshì rén ná nǐ lái le . Cānsūn jiù zhēng duàn shéngzi , rú zhēng duàn jīng huǒ de má xiàn yìbān . zhèyàng , tā lì qì de gēn yóu rén háishì bù zhīdào .