Judges 16:15-17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 16:4-17

The burnt child dreads the fire; yet Samson, that has more than the strength of a man, in this comes short of the wisdom of a child; for, though he had been more than once brought into the highest degree of mischief and danger by the love of women and lusting after them, yet he would not take warning, but is here again taken in the same snare, and this third time pays for all. Solomon seems to refer especially to this story of Samson when, in his caution against uncleanness, he gives this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 16:15

And she said unto him, how canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me ?.... She took an opportunity, when he was caressing her, to upbraid him with dissembled love, and a false heart: thou hast mocked me these three times; she had urged him to tell her where his strength lay, and by what it might be weakened, first pretending it might be done by binding him with green withs, and then with new ropes, and a third time by weaving his locks into the web: and hast not told me... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 16:16

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him ,.... Lay at him day after day to communicate the secret to him, gave him no rest, but was incessant in her applications to him: so that his soul was vexed unto death : could hardly bear to live, but wished to die, being in the utmost perplexity what to do between two different passions, love and fear; on the one hand chained by his lust to this harlot, that was continually teasing him, and whom he had not an... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 16:17

That he told her all his heart ,.... All that was in his heart concerning this affair, all that he knew relating to it; he had told her something before, or at least what came nearer to the truth of the matter, when he directed her to the weaving of his locks into the web; but now he told her all, which is as follows: and said unto her, there hath not come a razor upon mine head ; his head had never been shaved since he was born; which was the order of the angel that foretold his birth,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 16:16

His soul was vexed unto death - What a consummate fool was this strong man! Might he not have seen, from what already took place, that Delilah intended his ruin? After trifling with her, and lying thrice, he at last commits to her his fatal secret, and thus becomes a traitor to himself and to his God. Well may we adopt the sensible observation of Calmet on this passage: La foiblesse du caeur de Samson, dans torte cette histoire, est encore plus etonnante que la force de son corps ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 16:17

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. When Samson... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 16:15-16

Judges 16:15-16. Thy heart is not with me Not open to me. His soul was vexed unto death Being tormented by two contrary passions, desire to gratify her, and fear of betraying himself. So that he had no pleasure of his life. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 16:17

Judges 16:17. There hath not come a razor upon my head Though we have no account of it before, yet it seems from this, that it had been revealed by God to Samson, either by a dream or in some other manner, that his supernatural strength should continue as long as he continued in a Nazarite state, and did not suffer a razor to come upon his head to take off his hair. If I be shaven Not that his hair was in itself the cause of his strength, but because it was the chief condition of that... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 16:1-31

Samson’s exploits (14:1-16:31)So dominant were the Philistines in Israel, that the Israelites had decided to live with them peacefully rather than try to rise up in armed rebellion. Samson had other ideas. He thought that his marriage to a Philistine woman would give him the opportunity to do some harm to the enemy (14:1-4).In spite of Samson’s desire to help Israel, he had little respect for either his Nazirite vow or the Israelite law. He handled a dead lion, married a Philistine woman and... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Judges 16:15

How . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 . read more

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