Judges 16:3

1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.

2 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.

And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

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
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.
KJV
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.
WEB
Samson lay until midnight, then arose at midnight and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, with the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
ASV
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
DARBY
And Samson lay till midnight; and he arose at midnight, and seized the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and tore them up with the bar, and put [them] upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
BLB
And Samson lay down until the middle of the night. And he arose in the middle of the night and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two gateposts, and he pulled them up along with the bar, and he put them on his shoulders, and he brought them up to the top of the hill that is at the face of Hebron.
ÅB
Samson ble liggende til midnatt. Ved midnattstid sto han opp; han grep fatt i byportens dører og i begge portstolpene og rykket dem opp sammen med bommen, la dem på sine skuldrer og bar dem opp på toppen av det fjell som ligger midt imot Hebron.
OTB
Samson lå til midnatt, og så sto han opp og grep dørene til byporten sammen med de to stolpene, og rev dem løs, bjelke og alt. Han la dem på skuldrene og bar dem til toppen av høyden som vender mot Hebron.
B1930
Samson blev liggende til midnatt. Ved midnattstid stod han op; han grep fatt i byportens dører og i begge portstolpene og rykket dem op sammen med bommen, la dem på sine skuldrer og bar dem op på toppen av det fjell som ligger midt imot Hebron.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Acts 2:24

    Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 107:16

    For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 63:1–5

    Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

    Read in context
  • Micah 2:13

    The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the LORD on the head of them.

    Read in context