Judges 16:1-13
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.
