Judges 16 31

Judges 16:31 kjv

Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

Judges 16:31 nkjv

And his brothers and all his father's household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.

Judges 16:31 niv

Then his brothers and his father's whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led Israel twenty years.

Judges 16:31 esv

Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.

Judges 16:31 nlt

Later his brothers and other relatives went down to get his body. They took him back home and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, where his father, Manoah, was buried. Samson had judged Israel for twenty years.

Judges 16 verses

Judges 16 31 Meaning

This verse describes the posthumous care and formal recognition of Samson, Israel's judge. Despite his dramatic death among the Philistines, his immediate family members demonstrate loyalty and respect by retrieving his body from the debris, transporting it to their ancestral homeland, and burying him in the family tomb with his father Manoah. The concluding statement, "He had judged Israel twenty years," serves as the formal summation of his divinely appointed role as a leader and deliverer, legitimizing his period of service despite the controversies and personal failings that marked his life.

Judges 16 31 Context

Judges 16:31 concludes the life and judgeship of Samson, following his capture by the Philistines, the gouging out of his eyes, and his forced labor in Gaza. The verse directly follows Samson's final, monumental act where he prayed for strength, brought down the temple of Dagon upon himself and thousands of Philistines, killing more in his death than in his life. The immediate chapter context highlights the Philistine oppression of Israel and God's use of Samson as a flawed, yet chosen, instrument of deliverance. Broader contextually, this verse is set within the book of Judges, a period of cycles of sin, oppression, crying out to God, and deliverance through divinely appointed "judges." Samson's narrative, while often personally catastrophic due to his spiritual and moral failings, consistently underscores God's sovereign plan to deliver Israel despite its disloyalty and the weaknesses of His chosen instruments. The specific geographical markers, Zorah and Eshtaol, point to his tribal inheritance in Dan and the returning of his remains to his familial roots.

Judges 16 31 Word analysis

• Then his brothers: ('eḥaw) Signifies immediate family. This implies the strong family ties and loyalty even after Samson's controversial life and demise among his enemies. This group was responsible for observing the rites for the dead, ensuring his proper burial.
• and all his family: (kol-bêt 'āḇîw – lit. "all the house of his father") Emphasizes the entire paternal household. This collective action highlights familial duty and respect, claiming their kin's body from enemy territory for a proper Israelite burial. It underscores that despite Samson's significant failures, his people did not forsake him in death.
• came down and took him and brought him up: (wayyērəḏû, wayyiśə'uhû, wayya‘ălû) A journey of descent and ascent. "Came down" implies traveling from their Israelite highland territory (likely Zorah/Eshtaol) to the coastal Philistine plain of Gaza to retrieve the body. "Took him" signifies the physical removal of the body from the ruins. "Brought him up" indicates their return to the hill country. This arduous journey speaks volumes about the familial commitment.
• and buried him: (wayyiqbə̄rû) A crucial act in ancient Israelite culture. Proper burial ensured rest and prevented desecration. It allowed for "gathering to one's people" and marked a final honorable repose.
• between Zorah and Eshtaol: (bên Ṣār‘â ûḇên 'Ešṯā'ōl) These specific geographical locations mark his resting place within the territory of the tribe of Dan. Zorah was his birthplace (Jdg 13:2), symbolically completing a circle from birth to burial in his tribal land.
• in the tomb of Manoah his father: (bəqeḇer Mānōaḥ 'āḇîw) Burial within the ancestral tomb signifies a final resting place among his kin. This tradition (e.g., Abraham's burial in the cave of Machpelah, Gen 49:29-31) provided continuity and honor, confirming his place within his people's heritage despite his tumultuous life and the circumstances of his death.
• He had judged Israel: (wəhû’ šāp̄aṭ ’eṯ-Yiśrā’ēl) "Judged" (Hebrew: shapat) in this context means "to rule, to govern, to deliver." It defines his primary God-given role, not merely as a legal arbiter but as a divinely appointed leader who provided a measure of deliverance from Philistine oppression.
• twenty years: (‘eśrîm šānâ) This duration is a recurring stylistic summary at the end of many judges' accounts (e.g., Jdg 10:2, 3; 12:7, 9, 11, 14; 15:20). It officially validates and affirms the entirety of his period of leadership and service to Israel as ordained by God, despite the highly irregular and morally ambiguous aspects of his personal life. It affirms that God’s plan continued even through flawed vessels.

Judges 16 31 Bonus section

• Nazirite Fulfilment: While Samson broke aspects of his Nazirite vow, his final act involved a profound return to dependence on God for strength, demonstrating a kind of "repentant" fulfillment of his Nazirite purpose – to begin to deliver Israel (Jdg 13:5) and deal a massive blow to their oppressors. His hair's restoration prior to his final feat (Jdg 16:22) could symbolize God's renewed grace.
• Tragic Hero/Messianic Type (Partial): Samson's death, more impactful than his life, where he saves his people at the cost of his own life, bears a partial, albeit imperfect, foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. Both achieved decisive victory through their own death: Samson delivered Israel from physical oppression by killing enemies; Christ delivered humanity from spiritual oppression (sin and death) through His ultimate self-sacrifice. However, Samson died with his enemies, Christ died for His enemies.
• God's Sovereignty vs. Human Responsibility: Samson's life poses a complex theological question about the interplay between divine election/empowerment and human responsibility. Despite his personal choices, God's promise to use him (Jdg 13:5) was ultimately realized, albeit in a dramatic and somber way. This verse concludes with a reminder that his period of judgeship was valid and completed under God's appointment.

Judges 16 31 Commentary

Judges 16:31 offers a solemn yet redemptive conclusion to the saga of Samson, transforming his inglorious end into an affirmation of his appointed status and ultimate purpose. The scene begins with a powerful testament to family loyalty: Samson's kinsfolk courageously retrieve his body from the enemy city of Gaza. This act underscores their deep respect for proper Israelite burial rites and a communal claim on their hero, despite his notoriety. Transporting him from the coastal Philistine plain back up to the hill country of Zorah and Eshtaol, his ancestral homeland and birthplace, closes a tragic cycle with a note of return and belonging. His interment in the tomb of his father, Manoah, formally integrates him back into his lineage, signifying honor and peace in death that eluded much of his life.

The final statement, "He had judged Israel twenty years," serves as a concise, divinely authoritative summary of his career. This standard concluding phrase for a judge confirms that, irrespective of his numerous personal failings and breaches of his Nazirite vow, God's sovereign plan for him to be Israel's deliverer was accomplished. Samson, a flawed hero, delivered a mighty blow to the Philistine oppressors, most notably in his death. His judgeship highlights God's ability to work through imperfect vessels, demonstrating that His purposes prevail even through human weakness. Samson's story ultimately serves as a reminder that deliverance comes from God alone, who uses whomever He chooses for His redemptive work, echoing themes of salvation through sacrifice that point toward the greater deliverer, Jesus Christ.