Judges 16

KJ3 Literal Translation — Chapter 16 of 21

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

2 The Gazites were told, saying, Samson has come here. And they encircled and set a trap for him all the night at the gate of the city, and kept quiet all night, saying, Until the light of the morning, then we will kill him.

3 And Samson lay down until the middle of the night, and rose up in the middle of the night. And he took hold on the leaves of the gate of the city, and on the two side posts, and plucked them up with the bar, and put them on his shoulders and took them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.

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Chapter Summary

Samson escapes from Gaza. 4 He loves Delilah; she entices him to tell the secret of his strength. 15 At last she persuades him. 21 The Philistines take him, and put out his eyes. 22 He pulls down the stadium upon the Philistines, and dies.

Key Hebrew Words

זֶֽבַח sacrifice H2077 · TWOT 525a
זוֹנָ֔ה commit fornication H2181 · TWOT 563
עַמּוּדֵ֣י pillar H5982 · TWOT 1637c
יְתָרִ֥ים cord H3499 · TWOT 936b
נַפְשׁ֖ soul H5315 · TWOT 1395a

People & Context

Samson Escapes Gaza with the City Gates

Samson visits a harlot in Gaza. The locals set a night ambush, but Samson rises at midnight, tears out the city gates, and carries them to a mountain …

Delilah is Bribed

Samson falls in love with Delilah. The Philistine rulers offer her eleven hundred pieces of silver each to find the source of his strength and how to …

The First False Secret: Seven Green Bowstrings

Delilah asks Samson for his secret. He lies, saying seven green bowstrings will weaken him. She binds him, but he easily snaps them when she shouts th…

Timeline

Samson Escapes Gaza with the City Gates

Samson visits a harlot in Gaza. The locals set a night ambush, but Samson rises at midnight, tears out the city gates, and carries them to a mountain near Hebron.

Judges 16:1-3
Delilah is Bribed

Samson falls in love with Delilah. The Philistine rulers offer her eleven hundred pieces of silver each to find the source of his strength and how to bind him.

Judges 16:4-5
The First False Secret: Seven Green Bowstrings

Delilah asks Samson for his secret. He lies, saying seven green bowstrings will weaken him. She binds him, but he easily snaps them when she shouts that the Philistines are upon him.

Judges 16:6-9

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Word-for-word literal translation with Hebrew interlinear, Strong's numbers, and audio.

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