Judges 16:23

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 16:22-31

Though the last stage of Samson's life was inglorious, and one could wish there were a veil drawn over it, yet this account here given of his death may be allowed to lessen, though it does not quite roll away, the reproach of it; for there was honour in his death. No doubt he greatly repented of his sin, the dishonour he had by it done to God and his forfeiture of the honour God had put upon him; for that God was reconciled to him appears, 1. By the return of the sign of his Nazariteship (Jdg.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 16:23

Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together ,.... The five lords, with their friends, not directly upon Samson's being taken and committed to prison, but some time after; perhaps some months: for to get a great sacrifice to Dagon their god ; in later times their god was called Marnas F15 Hicron. in Isa. xvii. fol. 39. K. , which signifies the lord of men, but now Dagon; who also had a temple at Ashdod, another of the five principalities of the Philistines, 1 Samuel... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 16:23

Unto Dagon their god - Diodorus Siculus describes their god thus: Το μεν προσωπον εχει γυναικος, το δ ' αλλο σωμα παν ιχθους ; "It had the head of a woman, but all the rest of the body resembled a fish." Dagon was called Dorceto among the heathens. Horace, in the following lines, especially in the third and fourth, seems to have in view the image of Dagon: - Humano capiti cervicem pictor equinam Pingere si velit; et varias inducere plumas, Undique collatis Inembris;... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 16:23

Dagon was the national idol of the Philistines 1 Chronicles 10:10, so called from Dag, a fish. The description of Dagon, in his temple at Ashdod 1 Samuel 5:4, exactly agrees with the representations of a fish-god on the walls of Khorsabad, on slabs at Kouyunjik, and on sundry antique cylinders and gems. In these the figures vary. Some have a human form down to the waist, with that of a fish below the waist; others have a human head, arms, and legs, growing, as it were, out of a fish’s body, and... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 16:23

Judges 16:23. To offer a great sacrifice They assembled to render honour to their idol, for their triumph over a man who as much detested their idolatry as he did their barbarous oppression of his countrymen. Unto Dagon their god Whose image is supposed to have been, in the upper part, of the human form, and in the lower part like a fish; probably one of the sea-gods of the heathen. The Philistines foolishly attributed to this idol what had come to pass by the will of the God of Israel,... 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 16:23

offer. Hebrew "slay". See App-43 . to rejoice. Figure of speech Antimereia (of Noun). App-6 . Noun "rejoicing", put for verb "to rejoice" = for a rejoicing read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Judges 16:23

THAT GREAT FESTIVAL IN THE TEMPLE OF DAGON"And the lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country who hath slain many of us. And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Judges 16:23

Judges 16:23. Then the Lords of the Philistines, &c.— Then, that is, some time after Samson had been in prison, his hair having grown again to a considerable length, the Philistines prepared to celebrate their annual festival in honour of Dagon, to whom they conceived themselves indebted for this triumph over their great enemy. Dagon, which comes from דג dag, a fish, was the tutelary deity of the Philistines; and the lower part of this idol, it is most probable, was in the form of a fish.... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Judges 16:23

23. the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon—It was a common practice in heathen nations, on the return of their solemn religious festivals, to bring forth their war prisoners from their places of confinement or slavery; and, in heaping on them every species of indignity, they would offer their grateful tribute to the gods by whose aid they had triumphed over their enemies. Dagon was a sea idol, usually represented as having the head and... read more

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