King James Version

Judges 16:9

Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וְהָאֹרֵ֗בvehaorevand the ambushאָרַבconjunction, definite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “and the ambush”, a verb used as a describing wordH693to lurk(lie in) ambush(-ment), lay (lie in) wait.יֹשֵׁ֥בyoshevdwellיָשַׁבverb, qal, participle, absolute — “dwell”, a verb used as a describing wordH3427properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, r…לָהּ֙lahtoלָהּ֙preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “to”toבַּחֶ֔דֶרbachederin inner) chamberחֶדֶרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in inner) chamber”, the ordinary formH2315an apartment (usually literal)((bed) inner) chamber, innermost(-ward) part, parlour, [phrase] south, [idiom] within.וַתֹּ֣אמֶרvatomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֵלָ֔יוelayvamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).פְּלִשְׁתִּ֥יםpelishtimPhilistineפְּלִשְׁתִּיnoun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “Philistine”, the ordinary formH6430a Pelishtite or inhabitant of PeleshethPhilistine.עָלֶ֖יךָaleykhaaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹןshimshonSamsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןnoun, proper name — “Samson”H8123Shimshon, an IsraeliteSamson.וַיְנַתֵּק֙vaynateqand breakנָתַקconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and break”, the next action in the storyH5423to tear offbreak (off), burst, draw (away), lift up, pluck (away, off), pull (out), root out.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הַיְתָרִ֔יםhaytarimthe cordיֶתֶרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the cord”, the ordinary formH3499properly, an overhanging, i.e. (by implication) an excess, superiority, remainder; also a small rope (as hanging free)[phrase] abundant, cord, exceeding, excellancy(-ent), what they leave, that hath left, plentifully, remnant, residue, rest, string, with.כַּאֲשֶׁ֨רkaasheras becauseאֲשֶׁרpreposition, particle, relative — “as because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…יִנָּתֵ֤קyinateqbreakנָתַקverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “break”, an unfinished actionH5423to tear offbreak (off), burst, draw (away), lift up, pluck (away, off), pull (out), root out.פְּתִֽילpetilboundפָּתִילnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “bound”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6616twinebound, bracelet, lace, line, ribband, thread, wire.הַנְּעֹ֨רֶת֙hanoretthe towנְעֹרֶתdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the tow”, the ordinary formH5296something shaken out, i.e. tow (as the refuse of flax)tow.בַּהֲרִיח֣וֹbaharichvoin smellרוּחַpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in smell”, the to-form of the verbH7306properly, to blow, i.e. breathe; only (literally) to smell or (by implication, perceive (figuratively, to anticipate, enjoy)accept, smell, [idiom] touch, make of quick understanding.אֵ֔שׁeshfireאֵשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “fire”, the ordinary formH784fire (literally or figuratively)burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.וְלֹ֥אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…נוֹדַ֖עnodaknowיָדַעverb, niphal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “know”, a completed actionH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…כֹּחֽוֹkochvoforceכֹּחַnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “force”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3581vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizardability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him: 'The Philistines are upon thee, Samson.' And he broke the bowstrings as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

Young’s Literal Translation

And the ambush is abiding with her in an inner chamber, and she saith unto him, 'Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson;' and he breaketh the withs as a thread of tow is broken in its smelling fire, and his power hath not been known.

World English Bible

Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner room. She said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He broke the cords as a flax thread is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.

Darby Translation

Now she had liers in wait abiding in the chamber; and she said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he broke the cords, as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire; and his strength was not known.

Douay-Rheims

Men lying privately in wait with her, and in the chamber expecting the event of the thing, and she cried out to him: The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he broke the bands, as a man would break a thread of tow twined with spittle, when it smelleth the fire: so it was not known wherein his strength Jay.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the liers in wait remained with her in the chamber; and she said to him, The Philistines are upon thee, Sampson: and he broke the cords as if any one should break a thread of tow when it has touched the fire, and his strength was not known.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ τὸ ἔνεδρον αὐτῇ ἐκάθητο ἐν τῷ ταμείῳ· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπὶ σὲ Σαμψών· καὶ διέσπασε τὰς νευρὰς ὡς εἴ τις ἀποσπάσοι στρέμμα στυππίου ἐν τῷ ὀσφρανθῆναι αὐτὸ πυρὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἐγνώσθη ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ.