1Samson escapeth from Gaza by carrying away the gates of the city. 4Delilah corrupted by the Philistines urgeth him to tell her where his strength lay; he thrice deceiveth her; 15but is at length prevailed upon, and his head shaven. 21The Philistines take him, and put out his eyes; but his strength is renewed as his hair groweth. 23The Philistines hold a great feast to Dagon, and send for Samson to make them sport; 26who pulleth down the house upon the heads of his enemies, and is slain with them.
1THEN went aSamson to bGaza, and saw there 1an harlot, and went in unto her.
1Heb. a woman an harlot.
a ch. 15.1. Ge. 38.16,18. Ezr. 9.1,2. b Ge. 10.19. Jos. 15.47; 13.3. ch. 3.2,3. v.21.
2And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come *hither. And cthey *compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were 2quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall dkill him.
*hither-here, to this place.
*compassed-surrounded.
2Heb. silent.
c 1Sa. 23.26. Ps. 118.10,11,12. Ac. 9.24. d ch. 15.18. Mat. 21.38.
3And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and etook the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, 3bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
3Heb. with the bar.
e Ps. 127.2; 68.18; 107.16. Je. 5.10. Is. 63.1-3; 25.8. Ho. 13.14. He. 2.14,15. Mar. 16.4.
4¶And it came to pass afterward, that he floved a woman 4in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
4Or, by the brook.
f Ps. 144.3. Ne. 13.26. 1Co. 10.6. Pr. 22.14; 23.27. Ec. 7.26. Pr. 6.26.
5And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth , and gby what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to 5afflict him: and hwe will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
5Or, humble. v.6,19.
g ch. 14.15. Pr. 7.26. h ch. 17.2. Nu. 22.17. Mat. 26.15. 1Ti. 6.10.
6¶And Delilah said to Samson, iTell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth , and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
i Ps. 12.2. Pr. 23.27; 26.28; 22.14; 6.26; 7.21. Ec. 7.26.
7And Samson said unto her, jIf they bind me with seven 6green *withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as 7another man.
6Or, new. Heb. moist.
*withs-cords.
7Heb. one. v.11.
j Ro. 3.8. Ga. 6.7. Ps. 25.21; 119.8. Col. 3.9.
8Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green *withs which had not been dried, and she kbound him with them.
*withs-cords.
k Pr. 6.26; 21.22. Ec. 7.26.
9Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the *withs, as a thread of *tow is broken when it 8toucheth the fire. So his strength lwas not known.
*withs-cords.
*tow-coarse fibres of flax or hemp used for spinning.
8Heb. smelleth. Ps. 58.9.
l Jn. 5.14.
10And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now mtell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.
m Pr. 6.26; 7.13; 26.28. Ps. 12.2; 55.21.
11And he said unto her, nIf they bind me fast with new ropes 9that never were occupied, then oshall I be weak, and be as another man.
9Heb. wherewith work hath not been done.
n Ps. 25.21. Ep. 4.25. Ro. 3.8. ch. 15.13,14. o v.7,17.
12Delilah therefore ptook new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.
p Pr. 6.26; 7.22. Ec. 7.26.
13And Delilah said unto Samson, *Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, qIf thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.
*hitherto-until now, before.
q v.7,11,17.
14And rshe fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and swent away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
r ch. 4.21. s Ezr. 9.13,14. Da. 9.7,8. Je. 3.25.
15¶And she said unto him, tHow canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
t ch. 14.16. v.6,10,13. Pr. 2.16; 5.3-14; 6.25,26; 7.13,21,22; 22.14; 23.27; 26.28. Ec. 7.26.
16And it came to pass, when she upressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was 10*vexed unto death;
10Heb. shortened, Job 21.4. Pr. 7.26.
*vexed-grieved.
u ch. 14.17.
17That he told her vall his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come wa razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
v 2Ch. 15.2. Pr. 18.2. Ps. 62.8. w ch. 13.5. Nu. 6.5. 1Sa. 1.11. La. 4.7.
18And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and xbrought money in their hand.
x Nu. 22.7. v.5. 1Ti. 6.10. Mat. 26.15.
19And yshe made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to zafflict him, and his strength went from him.
y Pr. 7.21,23; 5.8-11; 6.26; 26.28; 22.14; 23.27. Ec. 7.26. He. 3.13. z v.5,6.
20And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he *wist not that athe LORD was departed from him.
*wist-knew.
a Ho. 9.12. Jos. 7.12. Je. 9.23,24; 2.17,19; 4.18. Mat. 17.16,20. Is. 59.1,2. 1Sa. 28.15,16.
21¶But the Philistines took him, band 11put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and cbound him with *fetters of brass; and he ddid grind in the prison house.
11Heb. bored out. Nu. 16.14.
*fetters-shackles, metal bands.
b ch. 16.1. Je. 2.19. Pr. 14.14; 5.22; 1.31. c Ho. 9.12. Ps. 107.11. 2Ki. 25.7. 2Ch. 33.11. d Is. 47.2. Mat. 24.41. Ex. 11.5.
22eHowbeit the hair of his head began to grow again 12after he was shaven.
12Or, as when he was shaven.
e De. 32.36. Ps. 106.44,45.
23Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto fDagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
f 1Sa. 5.2-7. Ro. 1.23,25. 1Ch. 10.10.
24And when the people saw him, they gpraised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, 13which slew many of us.
13Heb. and who multiplied our slain.
g Da. 5.4. Hab. 1.16. Re. 11.10.
25And it came to pass, when their hhearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made 14them isport: and they set him between the pillars.
14Heb. before them.
h ch. 9.27; 18.20; 19.6,9. 2Sa. 13.28. i Job 30.9. He. 11.36. Ps. 35.16. Mat. 26.67,68; 27.29.
26And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.
27Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were jupon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
j De. 22.8. Jos. 2.8. 2Sa. 11.2.
28And kSamson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, lremember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
k He. 11.32. Ps. 50.15; 91.15; 116.4. 2Ch. 20.12 l Je. 15.15.
29And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and 15on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
15Or, he leaned on them.
30And Samson said, Let 16me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house mfell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So nthe dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
16Heb. my soul.
m 1Th. 5.2,3. Ec. 9.12. Mat. 24.38,39. Job 31.3. Re. 11.13. n ch. 14.19; 15.8,15. Phi. 2.8. Col. 2.15. He. 2.14,15.
31Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and oburied him between pZorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And qhe judged Israel twenty years.
o ch. 13.2. Jn. 19.38-42. p Jos. 15.33; 19.41. ch. 13.2,25; 18.2,11. 2Ch. 11.10. q ch. 13.5.