Judges 16:8 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

Then the Philistine rulers brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

The writer is showing how Delilah followed the Philistine leaders' plan by using fresh bowstrings to try to bind Samson, based on the false information he had given her.

📚 Historical Context

In the book of Judges, Samson was a powerful judge of Israel who had been dedicated to God from birth, possessing supernatural strength as long as he kept his Nazarite vows. The Philistines, who were ruling over Israel at the time, sought to capture Samson by exploiting his weakness for Delilah, a woman they bribed to discover the secret of his power. In this verse, Delilah attempts to bind Samson with seven fresh, flexible bowstrings as part of her scheme orchestrated by the Philistine lords.

Explore Similar Verses

Judges 16:9

Now there were men hiding and waiting with her in the room. And she said to him, 'The Philistines are attacking you, Samson!' And he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a string breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was still not discovered.

1 Samuel 2:4

The weapons of powerful warriors are broken, and those who were weak and stumbling are now equipped with strength.

1 Samuel 13:19

Now there was no metalworker to be found anywhere in the land of Israel, because the Philistines said, 'We can't let the Hebrews make swords or spears for themselves.'

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