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Judges 16:10-12: The Cable of Muscle and Cords of Rope

Verse 10:[1] 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.



[Thou hast mocked me, הֵתַ֣לְתָּ בִּ֔י] Thou hast deceived me; thou hast lied to me (Vatablus). It is sufficiently clear from this that Samson was not aware of the ambush: and it is likely that she indicated that she wished to test him, whether or not he had spoken true things, and had turned the whole matter into laughter (Bonfrerius).


Verse 11:[2] And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied (Heb. wherewith work hath not been done[3]), then shall I be weak, and be as another man.


[If I shall be bound] Hebrew: If binding they shall bind me,[4] that is, they shall most carefully bind me fast (Vatablus). If…they restrain. It is an impersonal speech (Piscator).


[With cords, בַּעֲבֹתִים[5]] In ropes (Malvenda). It signifies thicker cords consisting of three (Drusius).



Verse 12:[6] 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.



[1] Hebrew: וַתֹּ֤אמֶר דְּלִילָה֙ אֶל־שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן הִנֵּה֙ הֵתַ֣לְתָּ בִּ֔י וַתְּדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֖י כְּזָבִ֑ים עַתָּה֙ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י בַּמֶּ֖ה תֵּאָסֵֽר׃


[2] Hebrew: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֶ֔יהָ אִם־אָס֤וֹר יַאַסְר֙וּנִי֙ בַּעֲבֹתִ֣ים חֲדָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־נַעֲשָׂ֥ה בָהֶ֖ם מְלָאכָ֑ה וְחָלִ֥יתִי וְהָיִ֖יתִי כְּאַחַ֥ד הָאָדָֽם׃


[3] Hebrew: לֹֽא־נַעֲשָׂ֥ה בָהֶ֖ם מְלָאכָ֑ה.


[4] Hebrew: אִם־אָס֤וֹר יַאַסְר֙וּנִי֙.


[5] עֲבֹת/rope is related to the verb עָבַת, to wind or weave.


[6] Hebrew: וַתִּקַּ֣ח דְּלִילָה֩ עֲבֹתִ֙ים חֲדָשִׁ֜ים וַתַּאַסְרֵ֣הוּ בָהֶ֗ם וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֤ים עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן וְהָאֹרֵ֖ב יֹשֵׁ֣ב בֶּחָ֑דֶר וַֽיְנַתְּקֵ֛ם מֵעַ֥ל זְרֹעֹתָ֖יו כַּחֽוּט׃

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
Feb 03, 2019

William Gurnall's Christian in Complete Armour: 'The hypocrite does no less than mock God in all his duties. And of all things God can least bear that. God is not mocked. Christ preached this doctrine when he cursed the fig-tree, which did, by her green leaves, mock the passenger, making him come for fruit, and go ashamed without any. Had it wanted leaves as well as fruit, it had escaped that curse. Every lie is a mocking of him to whom it is told, because such a one goes to cheat him, and thereby puts the fool upon him. Why hast thou "mocked me," said Delilah to Samson, "and told me lies?" Judges 16:10, as if she had said—as i…

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
Feb 03, 2019

Matthew Henry: 'When she still continued her importunity (Judges 16:10) he told her that with two new ropes he might be so cramped and hampered that he might be as easily dealt with as any other man, Judges 16:11. This experiment was tried too, but it failed: the new ropes broke from off his arm like a thread, Judges 16:12.'

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Dr. Dilday
Dr. Dilday
Feb 03, 2019

Hebrew: If you have been following along in the Hebrew text, hopefully you are familiar enough with the vocabulary in these three verses to work through them without much difficulty.


In verse 11, there is a little exercise in the infinitive absolute + imperfect construction.

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