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They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let’s wait until dawn; then we will kill him.” <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.3" /> <A name="4"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors of the city gate along with the two gateposts, and pulled them out, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and took them to the top of the mountain overlooking Hebron.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.4" /> <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Some time later, he fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.5" /> <A name="6"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>The Philistine leaders<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Judges.16.5.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> went to her and said, “Persuade him to tell you<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Judges.16.5.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> where his great strength comes from, so we can overpower him, tie him up, and make him helpless. Each of us will then give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.6" /> <A name="7"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me, where does your great strength come from? How could someone tie you up and make you helpless? ”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.7" /> <A name="8"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become weak and be like any other man.”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.8" /> <A name="9"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>The Philistine leaders brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.9" /> <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>While the men in ambush were waiting in her room, she called out to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Judges.16.9.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> But he snapped the bowstrings as a strand of yarn snaps when it touches fire. The secret of his strength remained unknown.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.10" /> <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and told me lies! Won’t you please tell me how you can be tied up? ”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.11" /> <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>He told her, “If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Judges.16.11.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> I will become weak and be like any other man.”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.12" /> <A name="13"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ” But while the men in ambush were waiting in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.13" /> <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me all along and told me lies! Tell me how you can be tied up.”</p><p class="scripture">He told her, “If you weave the seven braids on my head into the fabric on a loom — ”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Judges.16.13.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.14" /> <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>She fastened the braids with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ” He awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin, with the loom and the web.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.15" /> <A name="16"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>“How can you say, ‘I love you,’ ”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Judges.16.15.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> she told him, “when your heart is not with me? This is the third time you have mocked me and not told me what makes your strength so great! ”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.16" /> <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>Because she nagged him day after day and pleaded with him until she wore him out,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Judges.16.16.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.17" /> <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>he told her the whole truth and said to her, “My hair has never been cut,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Judges.16.17.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> because I am a Nazirite<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Judges.16.17.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> to God from birth. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become weak and be like any other man.”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.18" /> <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>When Delilah realized that he had told her the whole truth, she sent this message to the Philistine leaders: “Come one more time, for he has told me the whole truth.” The Philistine leaders came to her and brought the silver with them.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.19" /> <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>Then she let him fall asleep on her lap and called a man to shave off the seven braids on his head. In this way, she made him helpless, and his strength left him. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.20" /> <A name="21"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Then she cried, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ” When he awoke from his sleep, he said, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span> had left him.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Judges.16.20.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a></p><h3 class="head1">Samson’s Defeat and Death</h3><p class="noind"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.21" /> <A name="22"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles, and he was forced to grind grain in the prison. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.22" /> <A name="23"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>But his hair began to grow back after it had been shaved.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.23" /> <A name="24"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Now the Philistine leaders gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Judges.16.23.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> They rejoiced and said:</p><blockquote class="poetryblock"><p class="poem">Our god has handed over</p><p class="poem">our enemy Samson to us.</p></blockquote><p class="noind"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.24" /> <A name="25"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>When the people saw him, they praised their god<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Judges.16.24.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and said:</p><blockquote class="poetryblock"><p class="poem">Our god has handed over to us</p><p class="poem">our enemy who destroyed our land</p><p class="poem">and who multiplied our dead.</p></blockquote><p class="noind"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.25" /> <A name="26"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>When they were in good spirits,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Judges.16.25.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> they said, “Bring Samson here to entertain us.” So they brought Samson from prison, and he entertained them. They had him stand between the pillars.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.26" /> <A name="27"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>Samson said to the young man who was leading him by the hand, “Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them.” <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.27" /> <A name="28"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>The temple was full of men and women; all the leaders of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.28" /> <A name="29"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>He called out to the L<span class="smallcaps">ord</span>, “Lord G<span class="smallcaps">od</span>, please remember me.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Judges.16.28.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> Strengthen me, God, just once more. With one act of vengeance, let me pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.” <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.29" /> <A name="30"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Samson took hold of the two middle pillars supporting the temple and leaned against them, one on his right hand and the other on his left. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.30" /> <A name="31"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the leaders and all the people in it. And those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Judges.16.31" /> <span class="reftext"><a href="/judges/16-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>Then his brothers and his father’s whole family came down, carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. So he judged Israel twenty years.</p><br /><section id="footnotes-Judges.16" class="fnSection"><aside id="fn.Judges.16.5.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.5">16:5</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">him and see</span></aside><aside id="fn.Judges.16.9.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.9">16:9</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">are on you</span>, also in vv. 12,14,20</aside><aside id="fn.Judges.16.13.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.13">16:13-14</a></span> LXX reads <span class="italic">loom and fasten them with a pin into the wall and I will become weak and be like any other man.”</span> 14<span class="italic">And while he was sleeping, Delilah wove the seven braids on his head into the loom.</span></aside><aside id="fn.Judges.16.16.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.16">16:16</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">him and he became short to death</span></aside><aside id="fn.Judges.16.17.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.17">16:17</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">A razor has not gone up on my head</span></aside><aside id="fn.Judges.16.25.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.25">16:25</a></span> Or <span class="italic">When they were feeling good</span></aside><br /><section id="cross-references-Judges.16" class="xrfSection"><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.1.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.1">16:1</a></span> Jos 15:47</aside><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.5.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.5">16:5</a></span> Jos 13:3</aside><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.11.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.11">16:11</a></span> Jdg 15:13</aside><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.15.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.15">16:15</a></span> Jdg 14:6</aside><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.17.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.17">16:17</a></span> Nm 6:5; Jdg 13:5</aside><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.20.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.20">16:20</a></span> Nm 14:9,42–43; Jos 7:12; 1Sm 16:14; 18:12; 28:15–16; 2Ch 15:2</aside><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.23.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.23">16:23</a></span> Jos 15:41; 19:27; 1Sm 5:2–5,7; 1Ch 10:10</aside><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.24.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.24">16:24</a></span> Dn 5:4</aside><aside id="xrf.Judges.16.28.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Judges.16.28">16:28</a></span> Jr 15:15</aside><br /><section id="study-notes-Judges.16" class="snSection"><br /></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Christian Standard Bible. 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