^16:5The rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her and said to her, “Trick him! Find out what makes him so strong and how we can subdue him and humiliate¹² him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred silver pieces.”

^16:6So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated.”¹³^16:7Samson said to her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh¹⁴ bowstrings¹⁵ that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man.” ^16:8So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried and they tied him up with them. ^16:9They hid¹⁶ in the bedroom and then she said to him, “The Philistines are here,¹⁷ Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire.¹⁸ The secret of his strength was not discovered.¹⁹

^16:10Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you deceived²⁰ me and told me lies! Now tell me how you can be subdued.” ^16:11He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used,²¹ I will become weak and be just like any other man.” ^16:12So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are here,²² Samson!” (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.)²³ But he tore the ropes²⁴ from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.

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Footnotes

12 Heb “subdue him in order to humiliate him.”
13 Heb “how you can be subdued in order to be humiliated.”
14 Or “moist.”
15 The word refers to a bowstring, probably made from animal tendons. See Ps 11:2; Job 30:11.
16 Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting for her.” The grammatically singular form וְהָאֹרֵב (véha’orev) is collective here, referring to the rulers as a group (so also in v. 16).
17 Heb “are upon you.”
18 Heb “when it smells fire.”
19 Heb “His strength was not known.”
20 See Gen 31:7; Exod 8:29 [8:25 ]; Job 13:9; Isa 44:20; Jer 9:4 for other uses of this Hebrew word (II תָּלַל, talal), which also occurs in v. 13.
21 Heb “with which no work has been done.”
22 Heb “are upon you.”
23 Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting in the bedroom.”
24 Heb “them”; the referent (the ropes) has been specified in the translation for clarity.