Juízes 16
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Juízes 16
NJB (MT versing) Samson's Weakness Samson and Delilah Samson (13:1-16:31) Samson's Death Samson at Gaza The Gates of Gaza 16:1-3 16:1-3 16:1-3 16:1-3 16:1-3 Samson and Delilah Samson Betrayed by Delilah 16:4-9 16:4-9 16:4-9 16:4-5 16:4-5 16:6 16:6-9 16:7 16:8-9 16:10-12 16:10-12 16:10-12 16:10 16:10-12 16:11 16:12 16:13-14 16:13-14 16:13-17 16:13a 16:13-14 16:13b Delilah Extracts His Secret 16:14 16:15-17 16:15-17 16:15-17 16:15-21 16:18-22 16:18-20 16:18-22 16:18-22 16:22 16:21-22 Samson Dies with the Philistines The Death of Samson Samson's Revenge and Death 16:23-27 (23b) (24b) 16:23-27 (23b) (24b) 16:23-31 16:23-27 16:23-31 (23b) (24b) Samson Is Avenged 16:28-31 16:28-31 16:28-30 16:31 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS This may be an additional account added later (cf. Jdgs. 15:20). See John H. Walton and D. Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture. Samson's weakness was his lust for Philistine women. girl from Timnah, Judges 14 harlot from Gaza, Jdgs. 16:1-3 seductress from the Sorek valley, Jdgs. 16:4-31 Samson seems so naive in his dealings with Delilah. His love made him blind and so did the Philistine leaders! What a tragedy. However, Jdgs. 14:4 looms in the background!
Juízes 16:1-3
16:1 "Gaza" This was one of five chief cities of the Philistines (i.e., Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gath). It was 36 miles from Samson's hometown. ▣ "a harlot" The term "harlot" (BDB 275, KB 275, Qal ACTIVE PARTICIPLE) was used of Jephthah's mother in Jdgs. 11:1. Philistine women were Samson's weakness. The Bible presents humans, warts and all (i.e., 1 Kgs. 11:1-13). 16:2-3 The sequence is uncertain. Apparently the Philistines missed Samson leaving at midnight and did not even know the gate was gone until the next morning. Where the Philistines kept watch is not stated but one would assume at the harlot's house or workplace. 16:3 "the city gate. . .carried them to the top of the mountain" This apparently was the smaller wicker door within the larger city gates. How far Samson carried them is uncertain. some think all 36 miles, uphill, to Hebron (Jewish Study Bible) others think up the road to Hebron the NASB Study Bible thinks as far as Hebron, which was in Judah, as a physical gesture to the Judeans who had turned him over to the Philistines
Juízes 16:4-9
16:4 "Delilah" Her name (BDB 196, KB 222) means: "dangling curls" from BDB 195, cf. Song of Songs 7:6, KB 223 small, slight from KB 223 "flirtatious" from Arabic root, דלל (IDB, vol. 1, p. 814) "night," ‒ word play on Samson's name, "sun" "informer" ‒ JB reference edition suggested as a nickname "(she who) weakened" ‒ ADJECTIVE "weak," BDB 195 "devotee" or "worshiper" ‒ James Martin, The Book of Judges, p. 177, The Tyndale OT Commentaries, p. 175 "traitress" ‒ Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 160 Obviously it is uncertain from which root it is derived. Josephus (Antiq. 5.8.11) says she was a prostitute also. It is not specifically stated that she is a Philistine. 16:5 "The lords of the Philistines" The leaders of the five city-states (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 295-297) realized Samson had become a national problem. They were prepared to pay a lot of silver for the information on how to capture him. ▣ "eleven hundred pieces of silver" Delilah may have been a sacred prostitute and this large sum of money would have mostly gone to the god's temple treasury. SPECIAL TOPIC: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES 16:6 This question should have made Samson suspicious! It was as if YHWH was blinding his mind to allow the destruction of all the Philistine leaders (civil and military, Jdgs. 16:27, cf. Jdgs. 14:4). 16:7-18 This series of attacks was accomplished by the Philistine military ‒ Jdgs. 16:9 Delilah herself ‒ Jdgs. 16:12 Delilah herself ‒ Jdgs. 16:14 the Philistine military ‒ Jdgs. 16:18 16:7 "seven fresh cords" The RSV has "bowstring," but the term (BDB 452 II, cf. Job 30:11; Ps. 11:2) is uncertain. This series of tricks implies that the Philistines believed Samson had some magical powers! SPECIAL TOPIC: MAGIC SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4. 16:9 "when it touches fire" This same imagery was used in the breaking of the new ropes in Jdgs. 15:14.
Juízes 16:10-12
16:10 "deceive me" This VERB (BDB 1068, KB 1739, Hiphil PERFECT) appears in Jdgs. 16:10, 13, 15 and means "trifle with" (i.e., Jer. 9:4; NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 298-299). 16:11 "bind me tightly" This reflects an intensified construction (i.e., INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB of the same root, BDB 63, KB 75).
Juízes 16:13-14
16:13-14 Notice that the NASB shows the textual expansion by adding parenthetical brackets. 16:14 Samson fled with his hair attached to the loom!
Juízes 16:15-17
16:16 "she pressed him daily with her words. . .soul was annoyed to death" This same thing happened in Jdgs. 14:17, but is expressed by a different Hebrew word. 16:17 "a Nazirite to God" Samson knew the angel's message! He had violated every aspect except the hair (cf. Numbers 6). SPECIAL TOPIC: NAZIRITE VOW
Juízes 16:18-22
16:18 "Come up once more" See Jdgs. 16:8-9. 16:19 "She made him sleep on her knees" I think Samson was really fooled into thinking that she cared about him. How sad! The NET Bible suggests it is an idiom or euphemism for intercourse. ▣ "seven locks of his hair" The hair was not magical but represented his dedication to God's use. ▣ "she began to afflict him" I think this refers to her shouting, "the Philistines are upon you" (cf. Jdgs. 16:9, 12, 14, 20). 16:20 "but he did not know that the Lord had departed from him" What a tragedy! But it is true when there is no emphasis on personal relationship and commitment. 16:21 "gouged out his eyes" This was a common practice in the ANE. ▣ "with bronze chains" These chains (BDB 639, #2) refer to copper or bronze chains (cf. 2 Sam. 3:34; 2 Kgs. 25:7; 2 Chr. 33:11; 36:6; Jer. 39:7; 52:11; Lam. 3:7). ▣ "he was a grinder in the prison" This was apparently a hand grinder. The humiliation was that it was a slave's (cf. Job 31:10) or a woman's task.
Juízes 16:23-27
16:23 "Dagon" This was a grain god (ABD, p. 2) of the Fertile Crescent (BDB 186) from the third millennium. The Philistines assimilated the religious culture of the Canaanites (cf. Jos. 15:41; 19:27; 1 Samuel 5; 1 Chr. 10:10). In some texts found at Ugarit, Dagon is the father of Ba'al. SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST 16:25 "they were in high spirits" They were drunk. ▣ "he entertained them" It is uncertain as to how he entertained them, but it had to be humiliating to Samson. 16:26 "Let me feel the pillars" He pretended to need to rest. 16:27 "about 3,000. . .on the roof" The structure of this temple was common in this day. There are many archaeological examples. The dignitaries were seated under the roof and the populous were on the roof. Several wooden pillars provided support.
Juízes 16:28-31
16:28 "Lord. . .Lord. . .God" YHWH. . . Adonai. . .Elohim. SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, C. D. SPECIAL TOPIC: LORD (kurios)