Judges 16 17

Judges 16:17 kjv

That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a 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.

Judges 16:17 nkjv

that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

Judges 16:17 niv

So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother's womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."

Judges 16:17 esv

And he told her all his heart, and said to her, "A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man."

Judges 16:17 nlt

Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. "My hair has never been cut," he confessed, "for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else."

Judges 16 verses

Judges 16 17 Meaning

This verse details Samson's confession of the true source of his supernatural strength, revealing that it was intrinsically tied to his lifelong Nazirite vow, specifically the commandment to never cut his hair. He explicitly states that if his hair, the sign of his dedication to God, were to be shaven, his unique, divinely endowed strength would depart, leaving him as weak as any ordinary person.

Judges 16 17 Context

Judges 16:17 appears at a crucial turning point in the story of Samson and Delilah. Following three failed attempts by Delilah to discover the secret of Samson's strength, where Samson had offered progressively closer but still deceptive answers, Delilah intensifies her psychological torment. She reproaches him constantly, asserting his lack of true affection due to his concealment of this deep secret (Judg 16:15). Samson's soul becomes "vexed to death" (Judg 16:16) by her relentless nagging. In this state of profound emotional and spiritual fatigue, he finally capitulates and discloses his most sacred, life-defining secret—his Nazirite vow. This act marks the final step in a series of compromises and weaknesses that characterized Samson's judgeship, from his attraction to foreign women to his recklessness with his divine calling. His confession here seals his fate, as it directly violates the foundational condition of his empowerment from God to deliver Israel from the Philistines.

Judges 16 17 Word analysis

• That he told her all his heart (וַיַּגֶּד־לָהּ֙ אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ֙, vayagged-lah et-kol-libbo): This phrase indicates a complete and unreserved disclosure. "All his heart" signifies not just a piece of information, but his deepest, most personal, and vulnerable truth. It suggests a surrender of his innermost being and resistance, reflecting profound emotional exhaustion or misguided trust, after repeatedly giving her false answers.
• a razor (מוֹרָה, morah): This specific tool, a razor or sharp blade, is explicitly forbidden for a Nazirite by the Law of God (Num 6:5). Its application symbolizes the breaking of the Nazirite vow and covenant relationship with God. The power was not in the hair itself, but in the adherence to the divine command symbolized by the hair.
• upon mine head: The head is where the Nazirite's hair, a visible sign of dedication, grew. This detail pinpoints the specific area of his vow that was crucial.
• for I have been a Nazirite (כִּי נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים אֲנִי, ki nezir Elohim ani): This declares his consecrated status. A Nazirite (נָזִיר, nazir) is one "separated" or "consecrated" to God by a special vow, adhering to specific regulations like abstinence from wine, not touching dead bodies, and most notably, not cutting their hair. Samson's strength derived from God's empowering Spirit (Judg 13:25, 14:6, 19, 15:14) working through his faithfulness to this covenantal sign, not from some inherent magic of the hair itself.
• unto God (אֱלֹהִים, Elohim): This emphasizes that his Nazirite vow was specifically directed towards God, establishing a unique relationship and dependency. His strength was therefore divine in origin and sustained by this unique divine-human covenant.
• from my mother's womb: This phrase underscores the lifelong and predestined nature of Samson's Nazirite vow (Judg 13:5). It highlights that his consecration was not a temporary choice but a divine calling from birth, making his subsequent betrayal even more grievous.
• if I be shaven: This sets the specific condition for the loss of his strength. The act of shaving symbolized the breach of his sacred vow.
• then my strength will go from me: This is the immediate, promised consequence of breaking the vow. The loss of his power indicates God's withdrawal of the special empowerment He had granted, contingent upon Samson's adherence to the terms of the Nazirite vow.
• and I shall become weak as any other man: This highlights the profound change. From a divinely endowed champion, Samson would be reduced to complete ordinariness, losing his distinctive mark and capability. It emphasizes the total cessation of God's supernatural empowerment, stripping him of his unique purpose and ability as a deliverer.

• Told her all his heart: Signifies the culmination of Samson's giving in, after long resistance, revealing his most protected and intimate secret. It's an act of utter vulnerability and misplaced trust, indicating the triumph of temptation through relentless badgering.
• There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother's womb: This detailed statement links his physical appearance (uncut hair) directly to his unique spiritual identity and divine calling as a lifelong Nazirite. It is not about the hair possessing magical power, but about the hair being a visible, tangible sign of a sacred, God-ordained covenant. The strength was a result of God's covenant loyalty, empowering Samson while he maintained his Nazirite commitment.
• if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak as any other man: This passage directly states the condition for the loss of strength and the subsequent outcome. The strength was connected to his consecration, symbolized by his hair. The act of shaving would desecrate his vow and nullify the terms of his unique covenant with God, leading to the departure of the Spirit and, consequently, the loss of his divine enablement, reducing him from extraordinary to ordinary.

Judges 16 17 Bonus section

Samson's revealing of his Nazirite vow to Delilah wasn't simply sharing a secret; it was sharing a sacred, deeply personal identity tied to God's calling upon his life from birth. This secret, held for a lifetime, highlights the extent of his yielding under Delilah's manipulation and his own spiritual weakness. The Philistines were searching for the source of his strength, likely believing in pagan magic; Samson explains it in terms of his vow to God, something entirely outside their pagan understanding. However, Delilah, as an Israelite, likely understood the concept of the Nazirite vow, making his revelation an even deeper betrayal of his sacred commitment to the God of Israel. Samson’s statement of becoming "weak as any other man" after the haircut underscores the critical nature of his Nazirite commitment as the direct channel of God's extraordinary strength in his life. It indicates that the strength was never his own, but God's through him, dependent on his fidelity to the covenant.

Judges 16 17 Commentary

Judges 16:17 serves as the tragic climax of Samson's protracted downfall. It is here that he yields completely to the Philistine Delilah, exposing the divine secret that anchored his extraordinary power. His strength was never magical, inherent in his hair, but was a spiritual empowerment directly from God, a result of his lifelong Nazirite vow. The long hair was merely the visible symbol of his separation and dedication to God. By revealing this, Samson made himself vulnerable to the breaking of the vow, an act of unfaithfulness that would signify his ultimate separation from God's special anointing. His disclosure stemmed from persistent spiritual and emotional fatigue brought on by Delilah's relentless prodding, rather than physical torture. This verse powerfully illustrates how slow, consistent compromise and indulgence in worldly desires can erode one's commitment to God, ultimately leading to spiritual blindness, loss of divine presence, and a surrender to one's enemies, thereby transforming one's anointing into ordinary weakness.Practical examples include how persistent temptations, if entertained, can gradually wear down resistance, or how repeated small compromises against one's spiritual convictions can lead to a complete collapse of integrity and spiritual power, much like a constant drip can erode stone.