Judges 16:3

Judges 16:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.

Context of Judges 16:3

1Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. 2When it was told to the Gazites, saying, “Samson has come here,” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. And they kept silent all night, saying, “Let us wait until the morning light, then we will kill him.” Now Samson lay until midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the city gate and the two posts and pulled them up along with the bars; then he put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain which is opposite Hebron. 4After this it came about that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and see where his great strength lies and how we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him. Then we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”

Judges 16:3 word by word

וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣ב שִׁמְשׁוֹן֮ עַד־חֲצִ֣י הַלַּיְלָה֒ וַיָּ֣קָם׀ בַּחֲצִ֣י הַלַּ֗יְלָה וַיֶּאֱחֹ֞ז בְּדַלְת֤וֹת שַֽׁעַר־הָעִיר֙ וּבִשְׁתֵּ֣י הַמְּזוּז֔וֹת וַיִּסָּעֵם֙ עִֽם־הַבְּרִ֔יחַ וַיָּ֖שֶׂם עַל־כְּתֵפָ֑יו וַֽיַּעֲלֵם֙ אֶל־רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י חֶבְרֽוֹן׃ פRead the interlinear

• Now Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןshimshôn · SamsonH8123
• layשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: sleepH7901
• untilעַד‛ad · tillH5704
• midnightחֲצִיchêtsîy · halfH2677
• midnightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• he aroseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• and tookאָחַז'âchaz · to graspH270
• of the doorsדֶּ֫לֶתdeleth · doorH1817
• of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• and the twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• postsמְזוּזָהmezûzâh mezûzâh · doorpostH4201
• and pulledנָסַעnâsa‛ · to set outH5265
• them up alongעִם‛im · withH5973
• with the barsבְּרִיחַberîyach · barH1280
• then he putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• them on his shouldersכָּתֵףkâthêph · shoulderH3802
• and carriedעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: establishH5927
• them up to the topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
• of the mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• is oppositeעַל‛al · uponH5921
• is oppositeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• Hebronחֶבְרוֹןchebrôn · HebronH2275

Cross-references for Judges 16:3

• Psalms 107:16For He has shattered gates of bronze And cut bars of iron asunder.
• Isaiah 63:1Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
• Micah 2:13The breaker goes up before them; They break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, And the Lord at their head.”
• Acts 2:24But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Commentaries on Judges 16:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Took the doors of the gate - Though Samson was a very strong man, yet we do not find that he was a giant; consequently we may conjecture that the gates of the city were not very large, as he took at once the doors, the two posts, and the bar, with him. The cities of those days would appear to disadvantage among modern villages. A hill - before Hebron - Possibly there were two Hebrons; it could not be the city generally understood by the word Hebron, as…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Instead of forcing the doors open, he tore the posts up, as it were, by the roots, with the barred doors attached to them. The word rendered “went away with them,” means “to pluck up the tent-pins,” and hence, “to remove.” The present town of Gaza (Ghuzzeh) is an open town, without gates or walls, but the sites of the ancient gates still remain visible. One of these, on the southeast, is shown as the gate carried off by Samson. A partially-isolated hill…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Samson lifted the entire gate system, which was six to twelve feet wide, and carried it to the hills across from Hebron, a town about forty miles away. Samson embarrassed the Philistines but did not defeat them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Samson ... arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city--A ruinous pile of masonry is still pointed out as the site of the gate. It was probably a part of the town wall, and as this ruin is "toward Hebron," there is no improbability in the tradition. carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron--That hill is El-Montar; but by Hebron in this passage is meant "the mountains of Hebron"; for otherwise Samson, had he run…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 16:3

• Friends
• Miracles
• Samson

In the dictionaries

• Hebron
• Samson
• Doors
• Feel
• Fenced cities
• Gate
• Gaza
• Mock
• Quiet
• Sport

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