Judges 16:12
New International Version
So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.

New Living Translation
So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them. The men were hiding in the inner room as before, and again Delilah cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” But again Samson snapped the ropes from his arms as if they were thread.

English Standard Version
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.

Berean Standard Bible
So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But while the men were hidden in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like they were threads.

King James Bible
Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

New King James Version
Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread.

New American Standard Bible
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For the men in the ambush were waiting in the inner room. But he tore the ropes from his arms like thread.

NASB 1995
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For the men were lying in wait in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms like a thread.

NASB 1977
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For the men were lying in wait in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms like a thread.

Legacy Standard Bible
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” Now the men lying in wait were sitting in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms like a thread.

Amplified Bible
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And the men lying in ambush were in the inner room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like [sewing] thread.

Christian Standard Bible
Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are here! ” But while the men in ambush were waiting in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and shouted, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But while the men in ambush were waiting in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.

American Standard Version
So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And the liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he brake them off his arms like a thread.

Contemporary English Version
Delilah got new ropes, and again some Philistines hid in the room. Then she tied up Samson's arms and shouted, "Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" Samson snapped the ropes as if they were threads.

English Revised Version
So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And the liers in wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Delilah took some new ropes and tied him up with them. Then she said to him, "Samson, the Philistines are attacking!" Some men were in her bedroom waiting to ambush him. But Samson tore the ropes off his arms as though they were strings.

Good News Translation
So Delilah got some new ropes and tied him up. Then she shouted, "Samson! The Philistines are coming!" The men were waiting in another room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like thread.

International Standard Version
So Delilah grabbed some new ropes and tied him up. Then she told him, "The Philistines are attacking you, Samson!" because some kidnappers were hiding inside an inner room. But he snapped the ropes from his arms like thread.

Majority Standard Bible
So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But while the men were hidden in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like they were threads.

NET Bible
So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, "The Philistines are here, Samson!" (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.) But he tore the ropes from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.

New Heart English Bible
So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, "The Philistines are on you, Samson." The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread.

Webster's Bible Translation
Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him with them, and said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. (And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber.) And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

World English Bible
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, then said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Delilah takes thick bands, new ones, and binds him with them, and says to him, “Philistines [are] on you, Samson!” And the ambush is abiding in an inner chamber, and he breaks them from off his arms as a thread.

Young's Literal Translation
And Delilah taketh thick bands, new ones, and bindeth him with them, and saith unto him, 'Philistines are upon thee, Samson;' and the ambush is abiding in an inner chamber, and he breaketh them from off his arms as a thread.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Delilah will take new cords and will bind him with them, and she will say to him, Philisteim upon thee, Samson, (and the lier in wait dwelling in the chamber.) And he will tear them away from off his arms as a thread.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Dalila bound him again with these, and cried out: The Philistines are upon thee, Samson, there being an ambush prepared for him in the chamber. But he broke the bands like threads of webs.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Again, Delilah tied him with these, and she cried out, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For an ambush had been prepared in the bedroom. But he broke the bindings like the filaments of a web.

New American Bible
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them. Then she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” For there were men lying in wait in the room. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like thread.

New Revised Standard Version
So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” (The men lying in wait were in an inner chamber.) But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So Delilah took new chains and bound him with them, and said to him, The Philistines have come upon you, Samson. And the men were lying in wait in the inner chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Daliyala took new chains and she tied him up with them, and she said to him: “The Philistines have come upon you, Samson!” And the ambush waited for him in an inner room, and he broke them off from his arms like a cord
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him: 'The Philistines are upon thee, Samson.' And the liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Dalida took new ropes, and bound him with them, and the liers in wait came out of the chamber, and she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Sampson: and he broke them off his arms like a thread.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samson and Delilah
11He replied, “If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used, I will become as weak as any other man.” 12So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But while the men were hidden in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like they were threads. 13Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me all along! Tell me how you can be tied up.” He told her, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the web of a loom and tighten it with a pin, I will become as weak as any other man.”…

Cross References
Judges 15:14
When Samson arrived in Lehi, the Philistines came out shouting against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him. The ropes on his arms became like burnt flax, and the bonds broke loose from his hands.

Judges 14:6
and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Judges 14:19
Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house,

Judges 15:7-8
And Samson told them, “Because you have done this, I will not rest until I have taken vengeance upon you.” / And he struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter, and then went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam.

Judges 15:15-16
He found the fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and struck down a thousand men. / Then Samson said: “With the jawbone of a donkey I have piled them into heaps. With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men.”

Judges 13:24-25
So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him. / And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Judges 14:1-3
One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman. / So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.” / But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”

Judges 15:3
Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless in doing harm to the Philistines.”

Judges 15:11
In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?” “I have done to them what they did to me,” he replied.

Judges 15:20
And Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:34-37
David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, / I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. / Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” ...

1 Samuel 17:50-51
Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. / David ran and stood over him. He grabbed the Philistine’s sword and pulled it from its sheath and killed him, and he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.

1 Samuel 18:10-11
The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, / and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

1 Samuel 19:9-10
But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp, / Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

2 Samuel 22:30-35
For in You I can charge an army; with my God I can scale a wall. / As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. / For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? ...


Treasury of Scripture

Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, The Philistines be on you, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

Jump to Previous
Abiding Ambush Arms Bound Brake Broke Chamber Cords Delilah Deli'lah Hidden Inner Knotting Liers New Philistines Room Ropes Round Samson Secretly Snapped Therewith Thick Thread Threads Tied Tightly Wait Waiting
Jump to Next
Abiding Ambush Arms Bound Brake Broke Chamber Cords Delilah Deli'lah Hidden Inner Knotting Liers New Philistines Room Ropes Round Samson Secretly Snapped Therewith Thick Thread Threads Tied Tightly Wait Waiting
Judges 16
1. Samson at Gaza escapes, and carries away the gates of the city
4. Delilah corrupted by the Philistines, entices Samson
6. Thrice she is deceived
15. At last she overcomes him
21. The Philistines take him, and put out his eyes
22. His strength renewing, he pulls down the house upon the Philistines and dies














So Delilah took new ropes
The phrase "new ropes" signifies Delilah's persistent attempts to bind Samson, reflecting the Philistine's desperation to subdue him. The Hebrew word for "ropes" (עֲבֹתִים, avotim) can also mean cords or bindings, symbolizing the physical and spiritual constraints that sin and temptation can impose on a person. Delilah's use of "new" ropes suggests a fresh attempt, indicating that sin often presents itself in new and enticing ways to entrap believers.

and bound him with them
The act of binding Samson is symbolic of the spiritual bondage that results from succumbing to temptation. In the Hebrew context, binding is often associated with captivity and oppression. This reflects the broader biblical theme of sin leading to spiritual enslavement, contrasting with the freedom found in obedience to God.

‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ she called out
Delilah's cry is a deceitful warning, highlighting the treachery and betrayal inherent in sin. The Philistines, historical enemies of Israel, represent the external threats that seek to undermine God's people. This phrase serves as a reminder of the vigilance required to guard against spiritual adversaries who seek to exploit weaknesses.

But as he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread
Samson's ability to snap the ropes "like a thread" underscores the supernatural strength granted by God. The imagery of a thread, something fragile and easily broken, contrasts with the supposed strength of the ropes, illustrating that no earthly power can withstand the might of God. This serves as an encouragement to believers that, through divine strength, they can overcome any bondage or temptation.

Verse 12. - Took new ropes. She had them by her, apparently, or could easily procure them, as it is not said that the lords brought them to her. And there were liers. Rather, as before, and the liers in wait were abiding, etc. Each time she had persuaded the lords that Samson had divulged his secret, and that she would deliver him into the hands of the men whom they sent.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Delilah
דְּלִילָה֩ (də·lî·lāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1807: Delilah -- Philistine mistress of Samson

took
וַתִּקַּ֣ח (wat·tiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

new
חֲדָשִׁ֜ים (ḥă·ḏā·šîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2319: New

ropes,
עֲבֹתִ֨ים (‘ă·ḇō·ṯîm)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 5688: Something intwined, a string, wreath, foliage

tied him up,
וַתַּאַסְרֵ֣הוּ (wat·ta·’as·rê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 631: To yoke, hitch, to fasten, to join battle

and called out,
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Samson,
שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן (šim·šō·wn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8123: Samson -- a deliverer of Israel

the Philistines are
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֤ים (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

here!”
עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ (‘ā·le·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

But while the men
וְהָאֹרֵ֖ב (wə·hā·’ō·rêḇ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 693: To lie in wait

were hidden
יֹשֵׁ֣ב (yō·šêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

in her room,
בֶּחָ֑דֶר (be·ḥā·ḏer)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2315: A chamber, room

he snapped
וַֽיְנַתְּקֵ֛ם (way·nat·tə·qêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5423: To pull, draw, or tear away, apart, or off

the ropes off
מֵעַ֥ל (mê·‘al)
Preposition-m
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his arms
זְרֹעֹתָ֖יו (zə·rō·‘ō·ṯāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2220: The arm, the foreleg, force

like a thread.
כַּחֽוּט׃ (ka·ḥūṭ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2339: A string, a measuring tape


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OT History: Judges 16:12 So Delilah took new ropes and bound (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 16:11
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