Judges 16:7
5 The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”
6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become as weak as any other man.”
8 So the lords of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them.
9 While the men were hidden in her room, she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he snapped the bowstrings like a strand of yarn seared by a flame. So the source of his strength remained unknown.
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
- Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become as weak as any other man.”
- KJV
- And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
- WEB
- Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.”
- ASV
- And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.
- DARBY
- And Samson said to her, If they should bind me with seven fresh cords which have not been dried, then should I be weak, and be as another man.
- BLB
- And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I shall become weak and I will be as any man.”
- ÅB
- Samson svarte: Dersom en binder meg med syv friske strenger som ikke er blitt tørre, så blir jeg svak og er som et annet menneske.
- OTB
- Samson fortalte henne, "Hvis noen binder meg med syv friske buestrenger som ikke har blitt tørket, vil jeg bli like svak som enhver annen mann."
- B1930
- Samson svarte: Dersom en binder mig med syv friske strenger som ikke er blitt tørre, så blir jeg svak og er som et annet menneske.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Proverbs 12:19
Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Read in contextColossians 3:9
Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
Read in contextGalatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
Read in contextRomans 3:8
Why not say, as some slanderously claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!
Read in context1 Samuel 21:2–3
“The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.
Read in contextJudges 16:10
Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me! Now please tell me how you can be tied up.”
Read in contextProverbs 17:7
Eloquent words are unfit for a fool; how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
Read in context1 Samuel 19:17
And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”
Read in context