Judges 16:1

Judges 16:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her.
• New Living Translation (NLT)One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute.

Context of Judges 16:1

One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. 2The people of Gaza were told, “Samson is here!” So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, “At dawn we’ll kill him.” 3But 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.

Judges 16:1 word by word

וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן עַזָּ֑תָה וַיַּרְא־שָׁם֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה זוֹנָ֔ה וַיָּבֹ֖א אֵלֶֽיהָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןshimshôn · SamsonH8123
• to Gazaעַזָּה‛azzâh · GazaH5804
• and sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• there an harlotזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
• there an harlotאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• and went inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): marryH935

Cross-references for Judges 16:1

• Genesis 10:19and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.
• Joshua 15:47Ashdod, its surrounding settlements and villages; and Gaza, its settlements and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt and the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
• Genesis 38:16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.
• Ezra 9:1After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.

Commentaries on Judges 16:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there a harlot - The Chaldee, as in the former case, renders the clause thus: Samson saw there a woman, an inn-keeper. Perhaps the word זונה zonah is to be taken here in its double sense; one who keeps a house for the entertainment of travelers, and who also prostitutes her person. Gaza was situated near the Mediterranean Sea, and was one of the most southern cities of Palestine. It has been supposed by some to have…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Gaza - About 8 hours from Eleutheropolis, and one of the chief strong-holds of the Philistines.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Samson's escape from Gaza. (1-3) Samson enticed to declare his strength lay. (4-17) The Philistines take Samson, and put out his eyes. (18-21) Samson's strength is renewed. (22-24) He destroys many of the Philistines. (25-31) Verses 1-3 Hitherto Samson's character has appeared glorious, though uncommon. In this chapter we find him behaving in so wicked a manner, that many question whether or not he were a godly man. But the apostle has determined this, He…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-31This last chapter of Samson's complicated history does not involve his role as a judge. Samson abandoned his calling and eventually lost his gifts. Only in his final encounter, when he prayed to the Lord again, did he regain any of his heroic stature.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-31-2. Gaza--now Guzzah, the capital of the largest of the five Philistine principal cities, about fifteen miles southwest of Ashkelon. The object of this visit to this city is not recorded, and unless he had gone in disguise, it was a perilous exposure of his life in one of the enemy's strongholds. It soon became known that he was there; and it was immediately resolved to secure him. But deeming themselves certain of their prey, the Gazites deferred the…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 16:1

• Adultery
• Friends
• Samson

In the dictionaries

• Gaza
• Samson
• Feel
• Mock
• Quiet
• Sport
• Told
• Dagon
• Delilah
• Israel, History of

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