Judges 16:17 BSB — MannaFest

Judges 16:17

Samson 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

Parallel translations (2) ▾

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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Commentary

1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

If 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.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

27 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וַיַּגֶּד־	vai.ya.ged-	and he told	H5046 →
לָ֣הּ	lah	to <the> her
אֶת־	'et-	<obj.>	H853 →
כָּל־	kol-	all	H3605 →
לִבּ֗וֹ	li.Bo	heart his	H3820 →
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	vai.Yo.mer	and he said	H559 →
לָהּ֙	lah	to <the> her
מוֹרָה֙	mo.Rah	a razor	H4177 →
לֹֽא־	lo'-	not	H3808 →
עָלָ֣ה	'a.Lah	it has come up	H5927 →
עַל־	'al-	on	H5921 →
רֹאשִׁ֔י	ro.Shi	head my	H7218 →
כִּֽי־	ki-	for	H3588 →
נְזִ֧יר	ne.Zir	[am] a Nazirite of	H5139 →
אֱלֹהִ֛ים	'E.lo.Him	God	H430 →
אֲנִ֖י	'a.Ni	I	H589 →
מִבֶּ֣טֶן	mi.Be.ten	from [the] womb of	H990 →
אִמִּ֑י	'i.Mi	mother my	H517 →
אִם־	'im-	if	H518 →
גֻּלַּ֙חְתִּי֙	gu.Lach.ti	I was shaved	H1548 →
וְסָ֣ר	ve.Sar	and it will depart	H5493 →
מִמֶּ֣נִּי	mi.Me.ni	from me	H4480 →
כֹחִ֔י	kho.Chi	strength my	H3581 →
וְחָלִ֥יתִי	ve.cha.Li.ti	and I will be weak	H2470 →
וְהָיִ֖יתִי	ve.ha.Yi.ti	and I will be	H1961 →
כְּכָל־	ke.khol-	like every	H3605 →
הָאָדָֽם׃	ha.'a.Dam	<the> man	H120 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Micah 7:5
Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
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.…
Through
Judges 13:5
For 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…
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 independent 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…
Through
Acts 18:18
Paul 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,…
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…