Judges 16:2
1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.
When 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.”
3 But 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.
4 Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- When 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.”
- KJV
- And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
- WEB
- The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, “Wait until morning light; then we will kill him.”
- ASV
- [And it was told] the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, [Let be] till morning light, then we will kill him.
- DARBY
- [And it was told] the Gazathites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they surrounded [him], and laid wait for him all night at the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning light we will kill him.
- BLB
- To the Gazites it was said, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded and lay in wait for him all the night at the gate of the city, and they were quiet all the night, saying, “At the light of the morning, then we will kill him.”
- ÅB
- Da folkene i Gasa fikk høre at Samson var kommet dit, omringet de ham og lurte på ham hele natten ved byporten, men holdt seg ellers rolig hele natten og sa: Når det lysner mot dag, vil vi slå ham ihjel.
- OTB
- Folket i Gaza fikk vite, "Samson er her." De omringet stedet og lå i bakhold for ham hele natten ved byporten, og forble stille gjennom natten, og sa: "Ved daggry vil vi drepe ham."
- B1930
- Da folkene i Gasa fikk høre at Samson var kommet dit, omringet de ham og lurte på ham hele natten ved byporten, men holdt sig ellers rolig hele natten og sa: Når det lysner mot dag, vil vi slå ham ihjel.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Psalms 118:10–12
All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
Read in context1 Samuel 23:26
Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.
Read in contextActs 9:24
but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.
Read in context1 Samuel 19:11
Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
Read in contextJudges 15:18
And being very thirsty, Samson cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great deliverance through Your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”
Read in contextActs 23:15
Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”
Read in contextMatthew 27:1
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death.
Read in context2 Corinthians 11:32–33
In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.
Read in context