Judges 16
1 Samson at Gaza escapes, and carries away the gates of the city.
4 Delilah, corrupted by the Philistines, entices Samson.
6 Thrice she is deceived.
15 At last she overcomes him.
21 The Philistines take him, and put out his eyes.
22 His strength renewing he pulls down the house upon the Philistines, and dies.
Gaza <05804> [Gaza.]
Gaza, a city of great antiquity, was situated between Raphia and Askelon, twenty-two miles north of the former, and sixteen south of of the latter, according to the Antonine Itinerary; three miles from the sea, according to Arrian, and thirty-four from Ashdod or Azotus, according to Diodorus Siculus. It was a place of great strength and importance; and successively belonged to the Philistines, Hebrews, Chaldeans, and Persians; which latter defended it for two months against Alexander the great, who finally took and destroyed it. It was afterwards rebuilt, and alternately possessed by the Egyptians, Syrians, and Jews. The present town, which the Arabs call Razza, is situated on an eminence, and is rendered picturesque by the number of fine minarets which rise majestically above the buildings, with beautiful date trees interspersed. It contains upwards of 2,000 inhabitants.
her <0802> [an harlot. Heb. a woman an harlot. and went]
surrounded <05437> [compassed.]
[quite. Heb. silent. kill him.]
grabbed <0270> [took.]
bar ..... put <01280 07760> [bar and all. Heb. with the bar.]
love <0157> [he loved.]
Valley <05158> [in the valley. or, by the brook.]
rulers <05633> [the lords.]
Trick <06601> [Entice.]
humiliate <06031> [afflict. or, humble. we will.]
tie ... up <0631> [If they bind.]
fresh bowstrings <03892 03499> [green withs. or, new cords. Heb. moist. another. Heb. one.]
tied ... up <0631> [bound him.]
put close <07306> [toucheth. Heb. smelleth.]
tell ....... subdued <05046 0631> [now tell me.]
tie <0631> [If they bind me.]
used <04399> [that never, etc. Heb. wherewith work hath not been done.]
fabric <04545> [with the web.]
It is evident that this verse ends abruptly, and does not contain a full sense. Houbigant has particularly noticed this, and corrected the text from the Septuagint: which adds after these words, [kai enkrouses to passalo eis ton toichou, kai esomai hos eis ton anthropon asthenes kai egeneto en to koimasthai auton kai elabe Dalida tas hepta seiras tes kephales autou, kai hyphanen en to diasmati, k.t.l.] "and shall fasten them with the pin in the wall, I shall become weak like other men: and so it was, that when he slept, Dalida took the seven locks of his head, and wove them with the web," etc. This is absolutely necessary to complete the sense; else Delilah would appear to do something she was not ordered to do, and to omit what she was commanded. Dr. Kennicott very judiciously observes, that the omission, for such it appears to be, begins and ends with the same word; and that the same word occurring in different places, is a very common cause of omission in Hebrew manuscripts.
<05265> [went away.]
said .... How .... say <0349 0559> [How canst.]
secret <03820> [when thine.]
nagged <06693> [she pressed.]
<07114> [vexed. Heb. shortened.]
secret <03820> [all his heart.]
cut <05927> [There hath.]
Come up ................. went up ..... bringing <05927> [Come up.]
Come up ................. went up ..... bringing ... silver <03701 05927> [brought money.]
sleep <03462> [she made.]
do <03318> [I will go.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
gouged out <05365> [and put out. Heb. and bored out.]
bound .... bronze <0631 05178> [bound him.]
grinder <02912> [grind.]
hair <08181> [the hair.]
had ... shaved off <0834 01548> [after he was shaven. or, as when he was shaven.]
Dagon <01712> [Dagon.]
celebrate <08057> [to rejoice.]
praised <01984> [praised.]
killed ... many <02491 07235> [which slew many of us. Heb. and who multiplied our slain.]
celebrating <03820> [their hearts.]
<06440> [them. Heb. before them. sport.]
roof <01406> [and there.]
"Samson, therefore," says Dr. Shaw, "must have been in a court or area below; and consequently the temple will be of the same kind with the ancient, [temene,] or sacred enclosures, which were only surrounded either in part, or on all sides, with some plain or cloistered buildings. Several palaces, {doutwanas,} (as the courts of justice are called in those countries) are built in this fashion. On their public festivals and rejoicings, the roofs of these cloisters are crowded with spectators. I have often seen numbers of people diverted in this manner on the roof of the dey's palace at Algiers; which, like many others, has an advanced cloister, over against the gate of the palace, like a long pent-house, supported by one or two contiguous pillars in front, or centre."
roof <01406> [the roof.]
called <07121> [called.]
remember ... Strengthen <02142 02388> [remember me.]
swift <0259> [that I may.]
leaned <05564> [on which it was borne up. or, he leaned on them.]
die ...................... killed ....... death ..... killed <04191> [me. Heb. my soul. die.]
temple <01004> [and the house.]
die ...................... killed ....... death ..... killed <04191> [So the dead.]
brothers <0251> [his brethren.]
Zorah <06881> [between Zorah.]
led <08199> [And he judged.]
