Judges 16:21
New International Version
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.

New Living Translation
So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison.

English Standard Version
And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison.

King James Bible
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

New King James Version
Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.

New American Standard Bible
Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and restrained him with bronze chains, and he became a grinder in the prison.

NASB 1995
Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison.

NASB 1977
Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison.

Amplified Bible
Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with [two] bronze chains; and he was forced to be a grinder [of grain into flour at the mill] in the prison.

Christian Standard Bible
The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles, and he was forced to grind grain in the prison.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles, and he was forced to grind grain in the prison.

American Standard Version
And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.

Contemporary English Version
The Philistines grabbed Samson and poked out his eyes. They took him to the prison in Gaza and chained him up. Then they put him to work, turning a millstone to grind grain.

English Revised Version
And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Philistines grabbed him. They poked out his eyes and took him to the prison in Gaza. They tied him up with double chains and made him grind grain in the mill there.

Good News Translation
The Philistines captured him and put his eyes out. They took him to Gaza, chained him with bronze chains, and put him to work grinding at the mill in the prison.

International Standard Version
Then the Philistines grabbed him, gouged out his eyes, brought him down to Gaza, tied him up in bronze chains, and made him grind grain in their prison.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison.

NET Bible
The Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him in bronze chains. He became a grinder in the prison.

New Heart English Bible
The Philistines seized him, and gouged out his eyes. And they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with bronze shackles, and he ground at the mill in the prison.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.

World English Bible
The Philistines laid hold on him and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of bronze; and he ground at the mill in the prison.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the Philistines seize him, and pick out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza, and bind him with two bronze chains; and he is grinding in the prison-house.

Young's Literal Translation
And the Philistines seize him, and pick out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza, and bind him with two brazen fetters; and he is grinding in the prison-house.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Philisteim will seize him, and they will bore out his eyes, and will bring him down to Gaza and bind him with fetters of brass, and he will be grinding in the house of bonds.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then the Philistines seized upon him, and forthwith pulled out his eyes, and led him bound in chains to Gaza, and shutting him up in prison made him grind.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when the Philistines had seized him, they immediately plucked out his eyes. And they led him, bound in chains, to Gaza. And enclosing him in a prison, they made him work a millstone.

New American Bible
But the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. Then they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze fetters, and he was put to grinding grain in the prison.

New Revised Standard Version
So the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. They brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles; and he ground at the mill in the prison.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes and bound him with fetters and brought him down to Gaza, and he did grind wheat in the prison house.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the Philistines seized him and they put out his eyes, and they bound him with chains, and they took him down to Azath, and he was grinding meal in the house of prisoners
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he ground in the prison-house.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Delilah Discovers the Secret
20Then she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” When Samson awoke from his sleep, he thought, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him. 21Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze shackles and forced to grind grain in the prison. 22However, the hair of his head began to grow back after it had been shaved.…

Cross References
2 Kings 25:7
And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

Jeremiah 39:7
Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon.

2 Samuel 12:11
This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight.

Lamentations 5:13
Young men toil at millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.

Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

2 Kings 25:4-6
Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah, / but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and his whole army deserted him. / The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they pronounced judgment on him.

Jeremiah 52:11
Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until his dying day.

Isaiah 3:1-3
For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water, / the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder, / the commander of fifty and the dignitary, the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter.

2 Chronicles 33:11
So the LORD brought against them the military commanders of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon.

Psalm 107:10-12
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains, / because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. / He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

Matthew 18:34
In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.

Acts 12:4
He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

Matthew 27:2
They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.

John 18:12
Then the band of soldiers, with its commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him.

Acts 16:23-24
And after striking them with many blows, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. / On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.


Treasury of Scripture

But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

and put out.

Proverbs 5:22
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

Proverbs 14:14
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

Judges 2:19
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

bound him

2 Kings 25:7
And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon.

2 Chronicles 33:11
Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

Psalm 107:10-12
Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; …

grind

Exodus 11:5
And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

Isaiah 47:2
Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

Matthew 24:42
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

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Bound Brass Chaining Chains Crushing Eyes Hold House Laid Mill Philistines Pick Prison Prison-House Seize Seized Shackles Work
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Bound Brass Chaining Chains Crushing Eyes Hold House Laid Mill Philistines Pick Prison Prison-House Seize Seized Shackles Work
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














Then the Philistines seized him
The Philistines, ancient enemies of Israel, were a seafaring people known for their military prowess and advanced metallurgy. The Hebrew root for "seized" (תָּפַשׂ, taphas) implies a forceful capture, indicating the Philistines' determination to subdue Samson, who had been a significant threat to them. This moment marks a turning point where Samson's physical strength, once a divine gift, is rendered powerless due to his spiritual and moral failings.

gouged out his eyes
The act of gouging out Samson's eyes is both literal and symbolic. In Hebrew culture, the eye is often seen as the lamp of the body, representing insight and understanding. By removing his eyes, the Philistines not only physically incapacitate Samson but also metaphorically strip him of his vision and leadership. This brutal act fulfills the consequences of Samson's earlier spiritual blindness and moral lapses, particularly his entanglement with Delilah.

and brought him down to Gaza
Gaza, one of the five principal cities of the Philistines, serves as a place of humiliation for Samson. Historically, Gaza was a fortified city, and its mention here underscores the depth of Samson's fall from a judge of Israel to a prisoner in enemy territory. The phrase "brought him down" is not only geographical but also spiritual, highlighting Samson's descent from his God-given position.

They bound him with bronze shackles
Bronze, a symbol of strength and durability in ancient times, is used here to bind Samson, ironically highlighting his loss of strength. The Hebrew word for "bound" (אָסַר, asar) suggests confinement and restriction, contrasting sharply with the freedom and power Samson once enjoyed. This binding is a physical manifestation of Samson's spiritual bondage due to his disobedience to God.

and he ground grain in the prison
Grinding grain was a task typically assigned to slaves or animals, emphasizing Samson's degradation. The Hebrew context suggests a repetitive, humiliating labor, symbolizing the consequences of sin and the loss of divine purpose. This imagery serves as a powerful reminder of the cost of turning away from God's calling and the potential for redemption through repentance and humility.

(21) Put out his eyes.--the margin, "bored out," is more correct. The Arabic version has the curious gloss that they burnt out his eyes with the red-hot style with which stibium (see Job 42:14) is applied to the eyes. To blind a man was the most effectual humiliation (2Kings 25:7). The story of Evenius, a priest of the sun-god, who is blinded by the people of Apollonia, who thereby incur the anger of the gods, seems to move in a similar circle of ideas to this.

Fetters of brass.--Literally, two brasses--i.e., pairs of brazen fetters (nechushtarim).

He did grind in the prison house.--This was the degrading work of slaves and females (Exodus 11:5; Isaiah 47:2). Grotius in a curious note says that slaves thus employed were blinded by the Scythians to save them from giddiness (see Herod. iv. 2). The end of Samson was mournful; "his whole powerful life was only like a light, blazing up brightly at moments, and shining afar, but often dimmed, and utterly extinguished before its time" (Ewald).

Verse 21. - Put out his eyes. One of the cruel punishments of those times (see Numbers 16:14; 2 Kings 25:7), and still, or till quite lately, practised by Oriental despots to make their rivals incapable of reigning. So King John, in Shakespeare, ordered Arthur s eyes to be put out with a hot iron (King John, Act IV. scene 1.). Herodotus (Melp. 4:2) says that the Scythians used to put out the eyes of all their slaves. He did grind - the most degrading form of labour, the punishment of slaves among the Greeks and Romans (see too Isaiah 47:2).

CHAPTER 16:23-31

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the Philistines
פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים (p̄ə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

seized him,
וַיֹּאחֲז֣וּהוּ (way·yō·ḥă·zū·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 270: To grasp, take hold, take possession

gouged out
וַֽיְנַקְּר֖וּ (way·naq·qə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5365: To bore, pick, dig

his eyes,
עֵינָ֑יו (‘ê·nāw)
Noun - cdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

and brought him down
וַיּוֹרִ֨ידוּ (way·yō·w·rî·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

to Gaza,
עַזָּ֗תָה (‘az·zā·ṯāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5804: A Philistine city

where he was bound
וַיַּאַסְר֙וּהוּ֙ (way·ya·’as·rū·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular
Strong's 631: To yoke, hitch, to fasten, to join battle

with bronze shackles
בַּֽנְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם (ban·ḥuš·ta·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - fd
Strong's 5178: Copper, something made of that metal, coin, a fetter, base

and forced
וַיְהִ֥י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

to grind
טוֹחֵ֖ן (ṭō·w·ḥên)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2912: To grind meal, to be a, concubine

grain in the prison.
בְּבֵ֥ית (bə·ḇêṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house


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OT History: Judges 16:21 The Philistines laid hold on him (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 16:20
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