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Judges 16

Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.

And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.

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.

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

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.

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

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.

And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

That he told her all his heart, and said unto her. There hath not come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.

Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

What does Judges 16:23 mean?

Judges 16:23

"Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand."

Explanation

Judges 16:23 describes a gathering of the Philistine lords to offer sacrifices to their god Dagon and to celebrate the capture of Samson, the Israelite judge and warrior who had terrorized them.

The verse highlights the Philistines' attribution of their success to their deity, Dagon, whom they believed had delivered Samson into their hands.

This act of worship and thanksgiving underscores the religious practices of the Philistines and their recognition of what they perceived as divine intervention in their favor.

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Historical Context

The historical context of this verse is during the period of the Judges, a time when Israel had no king and was led by individuals called judges.

Samson was one of these judges, and his exploits against the Philistines, who were enemies and oppressors of Israel, are well documented in the Bible.

The Philistines were a sea people who settled along the coastal regions of Canaan and were known for worshipping a pantheon of gods, including Dagon, who was often associated with fertility and agriculture.

The celebration mentioned in the verse reflects the Philistine custom of attributing military victory to the favor of their gods.

Theological Insights

This verse presents several theological insights from different perspectives:

From a Christian perspective, it shows the conflict between monotheism, represented by Israel and their worship of Yahweh, and polytheism, represented by the Philistines and the worship of Dagon.
The Philistines' belief in Dagon's intervention contrasts with the Israelite belief in divine providence, which holds that God is in control of all events.
Additionally, the verse implicitly sets up the idea of divine justice, as later in the narrative, Samson is used by God to bring down the temple of Dagon, turning the Philistines' celebration into tragedy.

Practical Applications

This verse can offer several practical applications:

It serves as a reminder to avoid pride and attributing success solely to human efforts, recognizing instead the possibility of divine assistance or providence.
It warns against the temptation to rejoice over the misfortunes of others, as the Philistines did with Samson, since circumstances can quickly change.
The story of Samson's eventual triumph, even in his weakened state, encourages individuals to remain faithful and hopeful, even in adversity.

Cross-References

Judges 16:30: "And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life."
1 Samuel 5:2-4: "When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. [...] And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD."
Psalm 96:5: "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens."

Language Study

"Lords": Refers to the rulers or leaders of the Philistines.
"Philistines": An ancient people who were enemies of Israel; their name is the origin of the term "Palestine."
"Dagon": The name of a well-known Near Eastern deity worshiped by the Philistines, associated with fertility and grain.
"Samson": His name in Hebrew is "Shimshon," which is derived from "shemesh," meaning "sun," perhaps alluding to his perceived strength and power.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Dagon is similar to grain and fertility gods found in other ancient Near Eastern cultures, like Hadad in the Syrian and Mesopotamian pantheons, or Osiris in Egyptian mythology.

These deities were often celebrated with festivals that included sacrifices and rejoicing, much like the one mentioned in Judges 16:23.

The act of attributing military success to a deity is a common theme in ancient cultures.

Scientific Perspectives

There is no direct scientific perspective related to the worship of deities like Dagon.

However, the study of ancient religions through archaeology and anthropology can provide insights into the cultural practices and beliefs of the Philistines.

The existence of temples and objects of worship discovered in archaeological digs help corroborate historical accounts and give context to biblical narratives.

commentaries

Commentaries on this verse emphasize the irony of the Philistines' celebration.

Matthew Henry's Commentary, for example, notes that the Philistines gave credit to Dagon for Samson's capture when in reality, Samson's downfall was due to his own personal failings and the providence of the God of Israel.

Others, like the Pulpit Commentary, point out the Philistines' failure to recognize the power of God, despite earlier experiences like the Ark of the Covenant triumphing over the idol Dagon in 1 Samuel 5.

Ultimately, many commentaries see the event as setting the stage for God to demonstrate His power over the Philistine gods.

Judges 16

Judges 16

What does Judges 16:23 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Judges Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Judges 16:23 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Judges Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?