Judges 16:19

Judges 16:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.

Context of Judges 16:19

17Finally, Samson told her his secret. He said to her, ‘No one has ever cut my hair. Even before I was born, I belonged to God as a Nazirite. If someone cuts off my hair, I would have no more strength. I would become as weak as any other man.’ 18Delilah realized that Samson had told her the truth. So she sent a message to the rulers of the Philistines. She told them, ‘Samson has now told me his secret. So come back once more.’ So the Philistine rulers went to visit Delilah again. They took their pieces of silver with them. Delilah made Samson sleep with his head on her knees. She called a man to come and he cut off the seven tails of Samson's hair. This made Samson helpless, so that he had no more strength. 20Then Delilah shouted, ‘Samson, the Philistines are here!’ He woke up and he thought, ‘I will make myself free as I have always done before.’ But he did not realize that the Lord had gone away from him. 21The Philistines took hold of Samson. They cut out his eyes. They tied him up with bronze chains. They made him do hard work as their prisoner. He had to push a heavy stone to make grain into flour.

Judges 16:19 word by word

וַתְּיַשְּׁנֵ֙הוּ֙ עַל־בִּרְכֶּ֔יהָ וַתִּקְרָ֣א לָאִ֔ישׁ וַתְּגַלַּ֕ח אֶת־שֶׁ֖בַע מַחְלְפ֣וֹת רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַתָּ֙חֶל֙ לְעַנּוֹת֔וֹ וַיָּ֥סַר כֹּח֖וֹ מֵעָלָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And she made him sleepיָשֵׁןyâshên · to sleepH3462
• upon her kneesבֶּ֫רֶךְberek · kneeH1290
• and she calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• for a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• and she caused him to shave offגָּלַחgâlach · to shaveH1548
• the sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• locksמַחֲלָפָהmachlâphâh · lockH4253
• of his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• and she beganחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: beginH2490
• to afflictעָנָה‛ânâh · to afflictH6031
• him, and his strengthכֹּחַkôach kôach · strengthH3581
• wentסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: departH5493

Cross-references for Judges 16:19

• Proverbs 7:21With those sweet words she deceived the young man. She made him want to be with her.
• Proverbs 23:33Your eyes will see strange things. Your mind will be confused so that you say crazy things.
• Ecclesiastes 7:26I learned this: Some women are like a trap that catches animals. Women like that are more dangerous than death. They may pretend to love you. They may hold you in their arms. But really their arms are like chains. They want to catch you, as hunters catch animals. Women like that will easily catch a man who has turned away from God. But a man who pleases God will escape from them.

Commentaries on Judges 16:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19She began to affect him - She had probably tied his hands slyly, while he was asleep, and after having cut off his hair, she began to insult him before she called the Philistines, to try whether he were really reduced to a state of weakness. Finding he could not disengage himself, she called the Philistines, and he, being alarmed, rose up, thinking he could exert himself as before, and shake himself, i.e., disengage himself from his bonds and his enemies…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 See the fatal effects of false security. Satan ruins men by flattering them into a good opinion of their own safety, and so bringing them to mind nothing, and fear nothing; and then he robs them of their strength and honour, and leads them captive at his will. When we sleep our spiritual enemies do not. Samson's eyes were the inlets of his sin, (ver. #(1),) and now his punishment began there. Now the Philistines blinded him, he had time to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-19Samson's hair symbolized his promise to the Lord. Cutting his hair would break this promise. The seven braided locks were just a symbol; the Lord's presence was the true source of his strength.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head--It is uncertain, however, whether the ancient Hebrews cut off the hair to the same extent as Orientals now. The word employed is sometimes the same as that for shearing sheep, and therefore the instrument might be only scissors.Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 16:19

• Conspiracy
• Deception
• Friends
• Samson
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Barber
• Delilah
• Feel
• Lock
• Mock
• Quiet
• Samson
• Sport
• Told
• Dagon

Commentaries on Judges 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings