Focused Passage

Judges 16:1-3

Samson's Fall, Blindness, Final Prayer, and Death

Judges 16 moves from Samson's repeated entanglement with Philistine women to his exposed weakness, captivity, and final prayer, showing that the LORD can judge His enemies through a broken deliverer while still warning that consecration cannot be treated casually.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.

2When the Gazites heard that Samson was there, they surrounded that place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They were quiet throughout the night, saying, “Let us wait until dawn; then we will kill him.”

3But Samson lay there only until midnight, when he got up, took hold of the doors of the city gate and both gateposts, and pulled them out, bar and all. Then he put them on his shoulders and took them to the top of the mountain overlooking Hebron.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

One day Samsonשִׁמְשׁ֖וֹןH8123Noun - proper - masculine singularwentוַיֵּ֥לֶךְH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularto Gazaעַזָּ֑תָהH5804Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singularwhereשָׁם֙H8033Adverb. . .אִשָּׁ֣הH802Noun - feminine singularhe sawוַיַּרְא־H7200Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulara prostituteזוֹנָ֔הH2181Noun - feminine singularand went in to spend the nightוַיָּבֹ֖אH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularwith herאֵלֶֽיהָ׃H413Preposition | third person feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

When the Gazitesלַֽעַזָּתִ֣ים׀H5841Preposition-l, Article | Noun - proper - masculine pluralheard thatלֵאמֹ֗רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructSamsonשִׁמְשׁוֹן֙H8123Noun - proper - masculine singularwasבָּ֤אH935Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularthereהֵ֔נָּהH2008Adverbthey surrounded [that place]וַיָּסֹ֛בּוּH5437Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluraland lay in waitוַיֶּאֶרְבוּ־H693Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralfor himל֥וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularallכָל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructnightהַלַּ֖יְלָהH3915Article | Noun - masculine singularat the cityהָעִ֑ירH5892Article | Noun - feminine singulargateבְּשַׁ֣עַרH8179Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructThey were quietוַיִּתְחָרְשׁ֤וּH2790Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralthroughoutכָל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe nightהַלַּ֙יְלָה֙H3915Article | Noun - masculine singularsayingלֵאמֹ֔רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructLet us wait untilעַד־H5704Prepositiondawnא֥וֹרH216Noun - common singular construct. . .הַבֹּ֖קֶרH1242Article | Noun - masculine singularthen we will kill himוַהֲרְגְנֻֽהוּ׃H2026Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural | third person masculine singular
Verse 3

Original words

But Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹן֮H8123Noun - proper - masculine singularlay thereוַיִּשְׁכַּ֣בH7901Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularonly untilעַד־H5704Prepositionmidnightחֲצִ֣יH2677Noun - masculine singular construct. . .הַלַּיְלָה֒H3915Article | Noun - masculine singularwhen he got upוַיָּ֣קָם׀H6965Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-בַּחֲצִ֣יH2677Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular construct-הַלַּ֗יְלָהH3915Article | Noun - masculine singulartook holdוַיֶּאֱחֹ֞זH270Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularof the doorsבְּדַלְת֤וֹתH1817Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural constructof the cityהָעִיר֙H5892Article | Noun - feminine singulargateשַֽׁעַר־H8179Noun - masculine singular constructand bothוּבִשְׁתֵּ֣יH8147Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Number - feminine dual constructgatepostsהַמְּזוּז֔וֹתH4201Article | Noun - feminine pluraland pulled them outוַיִּסָּעֵם֙H5265Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine pluralbarהַבְּרִ֔יחַH1280Article | Noun - masculine singularand allעִֽם־H5973PrepositionThen he put [them]וַיָּ֖שֶׂםH7760Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularonעַל־H5921Prepositionhis shouldersכְּתֵפָ֑יוH3802Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singularand took themוַֽיַּעֲלֵם֙H5927Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine pluraltoאֶל־H413Prepositionthe topרֹ֣אשׁH7218Noun - masculine singular constructof the mountainהָהָ֔רH2022Article | Noun - masculine singular-אֲשֶׁ֖רH834Pronoun - relativeoverlookingעַל־H5921Preposition. . .פְּנֵ֥יH6440Noun - common plural constructHebronחֶבְרֽוֹן׃פH2275Noun - proper - feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.