Keraia
Judges 16

Judges 16:3

Samson Escapes Gaza · Judges 16:1–3
Read Judges 16

Translations

Modern
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.
Traditional
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.
Literal
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.
Latin
Dormivit autem Samson usque ad medium noctem: et inde consurgens, apprehendit ambas portæ fores cum postibus suis et sera, impositasque humeris suis portavit ad verticem montis, qui respicit Hebron.

Original

Hebrew
English
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.

Notes

Judges 16:3

Samson lifted the entire gate system, which was six to twelve feet wide, and carried it to the hills across from Hebron, a town about forty miles away. Samson embarrassed the Philistines but did not defeat them.

Judges 16:2–3

During that time, city gates were locked at night to stop anyone from entering or leaving. The men of the city, seeing the gates locked, likely slept in a gatehouse. They planned to continue their watch in the morning.

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

Hebron: An important city in Judah; burial place of patriarchs

Glossary

Architecture Delilah Hebron (Place) Judges, Book of Philistia, Philistines Samson Tribe of Dan

Topics

Friends: False Friends: Delilah Was False to Samson Miracles Wrought Through Servants of God: Samson: The Gates of Gaza Carried Away Miracles: Catalogue of Samson's Strength Samson: Cohabits with Delilah, a Prostitute; Her Machinations with the Philistines to Overcome Him