Judges 16:17
in Judges 16Samson told her all that was in his heart: “My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become as weak as any other man.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite 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.
KJV
That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor 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.
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This verse in Judges 16
Commentary
2 notes on this verseIf I be shaven, then my strength will go from me - The miraculous strength of Samson must not be supposed to reside either in his hair or in his muscles, but in that relation in which he stood to God as a Nazarite, such a person being bound by a solemn vow to walk in a strict conformity to the laws of his Maker. It was a part of the Nazarite’s vow to permit no razor to pass on his head; and his long hair was the mark of his Nazirate, and of his vow to God.
This site's exposition
thine heart is not with me
on Judges 16:15-17
Her complaint answers the one made at 14:16, thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not, and the pressure is the same, since 14:17 says the woman of Timnath wept before him the seven days of the feast. What the text gives as the reason he spoke is that his soul was vexed unto death, and it names no other. Verse 17 is the one place Samson says Nazarite of himself, since at 13:5 the word came from the angel to his mother, and he recites the terms of the vow correctly in the act of giving them away.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And goaded him. She oppressed him. There is no similar word.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Delilah saw that he had confided to her. One instinctively recognizes the truth. 2 Sotah,:b
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
27 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּגֶּד־ | vaiyaged- | and he told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| לָ֣הּ | lah | to <the> her | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לִבּ֗וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהּ֙ | lah | to <the> her | ||
| מוֹרָה֙ | morah | a razor | H4177 → | |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עָלָ֣ה | ʾalah | it has come up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹאשִׁ֔י | roshi | head my | H7218 → | 599 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נְזִ֧יר | nezir | [am] a Nazirite of | H5139 → | 16 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֛ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲנִ֖י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| מִבֶּ֣טֶן | mibeten | from [the] womb of | H990 → | 72 times |
| אִמִּ֑י | ʾimi | mother my | H517 → | 220 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| גֻּלַּ֙חְתִּי֙ | gulachti | I was shaved | H1548 → | 23 times |
| וְסָ֣ר | vesar | and it will depart | H5493 → | 299 times |
| מִמֶּ֣נִּי | mimeni | from me | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| כֹחִ֔י | khochi | strength my | H3581 → | 126 times |
| וְחָלִ֥יתִי | vechaliti | and I will be weak | H2470 → | 76 times |
| וְהָיִ֖יתִי | vehayiti | and I will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כְּכָל־ | kekhol- | like every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָאָדָֽם׃ | haadam | <the> man | H120 → | 551 times |
וַיַּגֶּד־and he told
vaiyaged-H5046 →370 times
לָ֣הּto <the> her
lah
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
לִבּ֗וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָהּ֙to <the> her
lah
מוֹרָה֙a razor
morahH4177 →
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
עָלָ֣הit has come up
ʾalahH5927 →890 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹאשִׁ֔יhead my
roshiH7218 →599 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נְזִ֧יר[am] a Nazirite of
nezirH5139 →16 times
אֱלֹהִ֛יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲנִ֖יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
מִבֶּ֣טֶןfrom [the] womb of
mibetenH990 →72 times
אִמִּ֑יmother my
ʾimiH517 →220 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
גֻּלַּ֙חְתִּי֙I was shaved
gulachtiH1548 →23 times
וְסָ֣רand it will depart
vesarH5493 →299 times
מִמֶּ֣נִּיfrom me
mimeniH4480 →1188 times
כֹחִ֔יstrength my
khochiH3581 →126 times
וְחָלִ֥יתִיand I will be weak
vechalitiH2470 →76 times
וְהָיִ֖יתִיand I will be
vehayitiH1961 →3559 times
כְּכָל־like every
kekhol-H3605 →5413 times
הָאָדָֽם׃<the> man
haadamH120 →551 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 7:5Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 9:4
“Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.
- Psalms 118:8–9
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
- Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
- Job 6:14–15
A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- Judges 16:5–20
The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him.…
- Jeremiah 9:4
Through
Judges 13:5For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall come over his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 1:11
And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Numbers 6:5
For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let…
- 1 Samuel 1:11
Through
Acts 18:18Paul remained in Corinth for quite some time before saying goodbye to the brothers. He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made, and then he sailed for Syria,…
it leads to
- Acts 21:24
Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but…
- Acts 21:24
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.