Discovery BoxJudges 15:10-13 
Context15:10 The men of Judah said, “Why are you attacking 1 us?” The Philistines 2 said, “We have come up to take Samson prisoner so we can do to him what he has done to us.” 15:11 Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the cliff of Etam and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why have you done this to us?” He said to them, “I have only done to them what they have done to me.” 15:12 They said to him, “We have come down to take you prisoner so we can hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said to them, “Promise me 3 you will not kill 4 me.” 15:13 They said to him, “We promise! 5 We will only take you prisoner and hand you over to them. We promise not to kill you.” They tied him up with two brand new ropes and led him up from the cliff.
Judges 16:5-12
Context16:5 The 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 humiliate 6 him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred silver pieces.”
16:6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated.” 7 16:7 Samson said to her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh 8 bowstrings 9 that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 16:8 So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried and they tied him up with them. 16:9 They hid 10 in the bedroom and then she said to him, “The Philistines are here, 11 Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. 12 The secret of his strength was not discovered. 13
16:10 Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you deceived 14 me and told me lies! Now tell me how you can be subdued.” 16:11 He said to her, “If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used, 15 I will become weak and be just like any other man.” 16:12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are here, 16 Samson!” (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.) 17 But he tore the ropes 18 from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.
1 tn Or “come up against.”
2 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Philistines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Or “swear to me.”
4 tn Heb “meet [with hostility]”; “harm.” In light of v. 13, “kill” is an appropriate translation.
5 tn Heb “No,” meaning that they will not harm him.
6 tn Heb “subdue him in order to humiliate him.”
7 tn Heb “how you can be subdued in order to be humiliated.”
8 tn Or “moist.”
9 tn The word refers to a bowstring, probably made from animal tendons. See Ps 11:2; Job 30:11.
10 tn Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting for her.” The grammatically singular form וְהָאֹרֵב (vÿha’orev) is collective here, referring to the rulers as a group (so also in v. 16).
11 tn Heb “are upon you.”
12 tn Heb “when it smells fire.”
13 tn Heb “His strength was not known.”
14 tn See Gen 31:7; Exod 8:29 [8:25 HT]; 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.
15 tn Heb “with which no work has been done.”
16 tn Heb “are upon you.”
17 tn Heb “And the ones lying in wait were sitting in the bedroom.”
18 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the ropes) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
