Judges 16 9

Judges 16:9 kjv

Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

Judges 16:9 nkjv

Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

Judges 16:9 niv

With men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.

Judges 16:9 esv

Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

Judges 16:9 nlt

She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, "Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!" But Samson snapped the bowstrings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.

Judges 16 verses

Judges 16 9 Meaning

Judges 16:9 depicts the first explicit attempt by Delilah to betray Samson by discovering the source of his immense strength, in collusion with the Philistines. She binds him with fresh cords as per his false answer, and upon hearing her deceptive alarm, Samson effortlessly snaps these bonds. The vivid simile highlights his divinely endowed power, revealing that at this stage, his strength remains completely intact and easily surmounts any human-devised restraint, thus confounding his enemies and illustrating his playful but perilous deception.

Judges 16 9 Context

Judges 16:9 is the pivotal beginning of a series of entrapments by Delilah against Samson. Chapter 16 marks the peak of Samson's moral decline and the unraveling of his Nazirite vow. The narrative illustrates Samson's continued struggle with personal lust and pride, consistently playing a dangerous game with the divine power entrusted to him. This particular verse details the Philistine lords' cunning plan, bribing Delilah to discover and then remove the source of Samson's strength. Her repeated attempts to pry his secret reflect the Philistines' persistent efforts to subdue Israel's champion through deception rather than open warfare, while Samson's continued involvement with her highlights his own fatal weaknesses. The broader context of the Book of Judges underscores Israel's cyclical sin and deliverance, with Samson serving as a powerful deliverer who paradoxically becomes a tragic symbol of their moral compromise.

Judges 16 9 Word analysis

• Now she had men lying in ambush: Hebrew ʼôrēḇ (אָרֵב), "to lie in wait, to ambush." This phrase emphasizes the premeditated and treacherous nature of Delilah's actions. It signifies a calculated, hostile plot designed to ensnare Samson when he was at his most vulnerable – in the deceptive intimacy of a "friend." The immediate readiness of these Philistine men reveals the well-orchestrated nature of the betrayal.
• in an inner room: Hebrew baḥeḏer (בַּחֶדֶר), "in the room, in the chamber." This suggests secrecy and an element of personal intimacy, where Samson would be caught unawares and unresistant. The "inner room" also implies a sense of false security where Samson might lower his guard.
• And she said to him: Delilah's voice becomes the signal, a pattern that will be repeated. Her words are not a genuine warning but a calculated test and signal.
• The Philistines are upon you, Samson!: This is a cry of alarm intended to trigger a response and expose the source of his strength. The phrase implies an imminent and sudden threat. It's a psychological tactic to test the veracity of his false revelation.
• And he broke: Hebrew wayyiṭṭōq (וַיִּתֹּק), "to snap, to pull away forcefully." The verb denotes a sudden, decisive, and complete breaking, demonstrating the cords offered no resistance to his power.
• the cords: Hebrew yəṯārîm (יְתָרִים), specifically "new cords" or "bowstrings." Samson had instructed Delilah to bind him with "seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried" (Jdg 16:7), which were presumably quite strong. His effortless breaking them reinforces that their material strength was utterly irrelevant to his divinely given power.
• as a string of tow: Hebrew pīṯīl hahnəʻoret (פְּתִיל הַנְּעֹרֶת). Pīṯīl refers to a thread or string, and neʻoret is "tow," the coarser, shorter fibers of flax that separate during preparation. Tow is highly flammable.
• breaks when it smells fire: Hebrew kəhāriḥô ēš (כְּהָרִיח), "as when it smells/scents fire." The verb rīaḥ typically means "to smell." This vivid and hyperbolic simile conveys the instant, almost preternatural combustibility of tow in the mere proximity of heat or flame, even before direct contact. Applied to Samson, it means the cords offered no more resistance to him than a tinder-dry thread of tow would to the slightest heat, signifying the overwhelming and effortless nature of his power. His strength is not just strong, it's instantaneous and absolute, as if the bindings dissolved.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner room: This phrase highlights the intentionality, secrecy, and treacherous nature of Delilah's scheme. It underscores that Samson was not merely in a casual situation but actively trapped in a staged, dangerous setup. It emphasizes the sinister deception orchestrated against him.
• And she said to him, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!': This is a test, not a genuine warning. The repeated phrase "The Philistines are upon you" serves as a call-and-response trigger throughout the narrative, designed to make Samson act and reveal his 'secret'. Her exclamation demonstrates her immediate obedience to the Philistine lords' plan and her direct involvement in the deception.
• And he broke the cords as a string of tow breaks when it smells fire: This powerful simile visually conveys the astonishing ease and instantaneous nature of Samson's escape. It illustrates the complete inadequacy of the Philistines' binding methods against his supernatural strength, rendering their strongest restraints as weak and flammable as loose flax fibers. This dramatic action confirms his unique power while simultaneously underscoring his dangerous complacency.

Judges 16 9 Bonus section

• Samson's actions here could be seen as him testing the limits of Delilah's and the Philistines' determination, almost toying with them, reflecting a dangerous arrogance that comes with unchecked power.
• The Philistines' repeated reliance on psychological warfare and deception (through Delilah) rather than direct confrontation underscores their recognition that Samson, divinely empowered, was unvanquishable by conventional means.
• The progression of Samson's "false secrets" (from dried bowstrings to new ropes, then the seven locks woven, finally the actual secret of his Nazirite vow) shows him getting progressively closer to the truth, indicating a deepening of the psychological pressure exerted by Delilah and perhaps a weariness on his part.
• The "smelling fire" imagery for flax tow suggests such extreme flammability that even latent heat or fumes from fire would ignite it, symbolizing Samson's instantaneous release from the binds without struggle or effort, reflecting his immense, divine power at work.

Judges 16 9 Commentary

Judges 16:9 portrays Samson's initial response to Delilah's first serious attempt to uncover his strength, demonstrating his power is fully intact despite his moral decline. His effortless breaking of the strong cords, vividly compared to flammable tow igniting upon smelling fire, powerfully showcases the divine and immediate nature of his strength. This action frustrates the Philistines' initial scheme but paradoxically reveals Samson's foolish indulgence in the deceitful game. He continues to play with his divine gift, oblivious or indifferent to the escalating peril. This verse highlights a dangerous cycle of treachery and reckless indifference that will ultimately lead to his downfall, emphasizing the formidable strength God provided but also the tragic flaws of the vessel.