Keraia
Judges 16

Judges 16:14

Samson and Delilah · Judges 16:4–14
Read Judges 16

Translations

Modern
So while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the web. Then she tightened it with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin with the loom and the web.
Traditional
And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.
Literal
And while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the web. And she wove it tightly Then she tightened it with a pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson.” And he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom, and with it the web.
Latin
Quod cum fecisset Dalila, dixit ad eum: Philisthiim super te, Samson. Qui consurgens de somno extraxit clavum cum crinibus et licio.

Original

Hebrew
English
So while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the web. Then she tightened it with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin with the loom and the web.

Notes

Judges 16:13–14

Samson's hair might have been woven into the fabric as the weft on the loom's warp, then tightened like in regular weaving.

Judges 16:4–22

Samson's downfall and defeat by Delilah, the temptress, is a universally appealing tragedy.

Judges 16:1–31

This last chapter of Samson's complicated history does not involve his role as a judge. Samson abandoned his calling and eventually lost his gifts. Only in his final encounter, when he prayed to the Lord again, did he regain any of his heroic stature.

Judges 13:1–16:31

Samson, who gets more attention in the book of Judges than any other judge, is more mysterious than Jephthah. Samson shows great inspiration as a leader. He also represents the unstoppable move toward chaos, which shows the need for a more organized society under a godly ruler.

Theme notes and profiles

Samson The Philistines

People

Samson: Israelite judge with great strength from God

Places

Philistia: An ancient people and region in Canaan

Glossary

Cloth and Cloth Manufacturing Delilah Judges, Book of Philistia, Philistines Samson Tribe of Dan

Topics

Conspiracy: Delilah, Against Samson Deception: Delilah Deceives Samson Delilah: Samson's Mistress Friends: False Friends: Delilah Was False to Samson Samson: Cohabits with Delilah, a Prostitute; Her Machinations with the Philistines to Overcome Him Weaving: Beam Women: Delilah, in Her Conspiracy Against Samson