Judges 16:1 kjv
Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
Judges 16:1 nkjv
Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her.
Judges 16:1 niv
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.
Judges 16:1 esv
Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her.
Judges 16:1 nlt
One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute.
Judges 16 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 6:2 | "When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazirite, to separate themselves unto the Lord..." | Nazirite vows of separation and holiness. |
| Num 6:3-4 | "He shall separate himself from wine...neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes...neither shall he eat fresh grapes, or dried." | Specific Nazirite abstinence. |
| Num 6:7 | "He shall not make himself unclean for his father...because the consecration of his God is upon his head." | Nazirite purity requirements. |
| Jdg 14:1-3 | "And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines..." | Samson's earlier attraction to Philistine women. |
| Jdg 16:4 | "And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah." | Samson's continued pattern with foreign women. |
| Prov 6:25-26 | "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart...For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread..." | Warning against adultery/harlotry and its ruinous effects. |
| Prov 6:27-29 | "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?" | Inevitable destructive consequences of immorality. |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." | Call to flee sexual immorality as a unique sin. |
| Heb 13:4 | "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." | Divine judgment upon sexual impurity. |
| Eph 5:3 | "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you..." | Command for believers to avoid immorality. |
| 2 Cor 6:14 | "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" | Warning against close alliances with the ungodly. |
| Jas 4:4 | "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" | Friendship with the world as spiritual adultery. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." | Samson's overconfidence leading to his downfall. |
| Jer 17:9 | "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" | The human heart's capacity for sin and deceit. |
| Rom 6:12 | "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." | Call to not let sin control the body. |
| Gal 5:16 | "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." | Contrast between walking in Spirit and fleshly lusts. |
| 1 Pet 2:11 | "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;" | Abstaining from lusts that harm the soul. |
| Gen 39:9 | "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" | Joseph's refusal to sin against God, contrasting Samson. |
| 1 Tim 3:2 | "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour..." | Standards for leadership, contrasting Samson's conduct. |
| Rom 8:28 | "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." | God can use even human failure for His ultimate purpose. |
| Rom 1:24 | "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves..." | Consequence of persistent sinful desires. |
Judges 16 verses
Judges 16 1 Meaning
Judges 16:1 records Samson's voluntary journey to Gaza, a primary Philistine city, where he observed and subsequently engaged in sexual relations with a harlot. This act starkly highlights Samson's recurring moral weakness, his self-indulgence, and his profound disregard for his divine calling and Nazirite vows, especially given his status as Israel's judge chosen by God.
Judges 16 1 Context
Judges chapter 16 opens after Samson's great military victories over the Philistines, notably the slaughter of a thousand men with a jawbone (Jdg 15). Despite his remarkable displays of strength, Samson's character reveals a fundamental spiritual weakness and a persistent indulgence in his personal desires. He frequently crosses societal and divine boundaries, particularly through his repeated attraction to Philistine women, contrary to the spirit of the Law (Deut 7:3). This verse immediately sets the stage for his dramatic downfall. Historically, the period of the Judges (roughly 14th-11th century BC) was marked by cyclical apostasy where "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Jdg 17:6). Samson, chosen to begin Israel's deliverance from the Philistines (Jdg 13:5), ironically, exemplifies this spiritual decline through his self-centered actions, directly undermining his divine mandate.
Judges 16 1 Word analysis
- Then went Samson (וַיֵּלֶךְ שִׁמְשׁוֹן, wayyelek shimshon):
- "Then went" (וַיֵּלֶךְ, wayyelek): A consecutive perfect tense, indicating immediate sequence from previous events. It highlights Samson's personal initiative and agency; this was a deliberate act, not an accidental occurrence or divinely commanded mission. His "going" here is motivated by desire, not duty.
- "Samson" (שִׁמְשׁוֹן, Shimshon): His name means "man of the sun" or "sun-like," perhaps alluding to his radiance or strength. He was a Nazirite from birth, set apart to God with special vows, embodying divine empowerment against the Philistines. This act directly contradicts his consecrated status.
- to Gaza (עַזָּה, 'Azzah):
- Gaza was one of the five major Philistine cities (the "pentapolis") and a crucial stronghold, located on the highly strategic coastal trade route (Via Maris). It was a powerful economic and military center of the oppressors of Israel. For Samson, an Israelite judge, to enter such a formidable enemy city on his own, for personal gratification, shows a blend of recklessness, arrogance, and contempt for danger, far removed from any divine strategic objective. His actions invite potential capture and compromise, as later unfolds. This demonstrates his spiritual blindness, as he goes directly into a stronghold of Dagon worship for illicit pleasure.
- and saw there (וַיַּרְא שָׁם, wayyar sham):
- "and saw" (וַיַּרְא, wayyar): A simple verb of seeing, but in this context, it implies a deliberate gaze or observation leading to lust. It’s not a casual glance but an action that precedes the next, darker step.
- "there" (שָׁם, sham): Points to Gaza, emphasizing the impurity and moral degradation available within the very heart of the enemy's territory.
- a harlot (אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה, 'ishshah zonah):
- "a harlot" (זוֹנָה, zonah): The Hebrew term specifically means prostitute or harlot. This is a definitive description of the woman's profession. Her identity highlights the nature of Samson's sin as a transgression of God's law regarding sexual purity, a violation for any Israelite, and particularly scandalous for a consecrated Nazirite and judge. It's a plain and unvarnished description of his moral failing.
- and went in unto her (וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ, wayyavo' 'eleiha):
- This phrase is a common biblical euphemism for engaging in sexual intercourse. It signifies the culmination of his lustful intention and completes the act of immorality. This wasn't just observation or fleeting thought; it was full, physical participation in an act expressly forbidden by divine law and completely contrary to his calling. It speaks to a profound lack of self-control and spiritual discipline.
Judges 16 1 Bonus section
The seemingly casual phrasing of this verse belies the profound theological and moral implications. Samson, a Nazirite from birth and Israel's appointed judge, effectively desecrates his divine calling through this act. This is not a strategic mission against the Philistines, but a descent into personal desire, revealing that Samson saw his strength not as a stewardship from God for divine purposes, but as an enabler for his own carnal will. His self-indulgent actions reflect a spiritual blindness; he literally walks into the heart of the enemy's territory to partake in its depravity, symbolizing how sin makes one a captive of the very forces meant to be defeated. His weakness for foreign women (already seen in Jdg 14 with the woman of Timnath, and further with Delilah in this same chapter) becomes his undoing. This recurring pattern subtly warns against spiritual compromise and entanglement with the world, illustrating how internal moral decay can cripple even the strongest and most divinely endowed individuals.
Judges 16 1 Commentary
Judges 16:1 is a poignant illustration of the paradox that was Samson: a man of immense physical strength and divine anointing, yet one plagued by profound moral weakness and self-indulgence. His unprovoked visit to Gaza for sexual pleasure underscores his continuous pattern of prioritizing personal gratification over his sacred duties and the commands of God. This act reveals not only a lapse in sexual purity but also an astounding spiritual indifference and recklessness for a man chosen to deliver Israel from Philistine oppression. It highlights the devastating potential of unbridled lust, capable of compromising even the most powerful of God's servants and leading them into the very snares of the enemy. Samson's entry into Gaza, a formidable enemy stronghold, for such an ignoble purpose foreshadows his eventual capture and humiliation in that same city, revealing that spiritual downfall precedes physical bondage. His conduct serves as a solemn warning against the deceptive nature of sin, which often promises pleasure but delivers destruction, even to those specially gifted by God.