Judges 16 · Verse 19

Judges 16:19

And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
Judges 16:19, King James Version

Judges 16:19 in other translations

BSBAnd having lulled him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his head. In this way she began to subdue him, and his strength left him.
WEBShe made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
ASVAnd she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
YLTand she maketh him sleep on her knees, and calleth for a man, and shaveth the seven locks of his head, and beginneth to afflict him, and his power turneth aside from off him;
DARBYAnd she made him sleep upon her knees, and called a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to overpower him, and his strength went from him.
BBEAnd she made him go to sleep on her knees; and she sent for a man and had his seven twists of hair cut off; and while it was being done he became feeble and his strength went from him.
WebsterAnd she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

What does Judges 16:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head--It is uncertain, however, whether the ancient Hebrews cut off the hair to the same extent as Orientals now. The word employed is sometimes the same as that for shearing sheep, and therefore the instrument might be only scissors.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 She began to affect him - She had probably tied his hands slyly, while he was asleep, and after having cut off his hair, she began to insult him before she called the Philistines, to try whether he were really reduced to a state of weakness. Finding he could not disengage himself, she called the Philistines, and he, being alarmed, rose up, thinking he could exert himself as before, and shake himself, i.e., disengage himself from his bonds and his enemies: but he wist not that the Lord was departed from him; for as Delilah had cut off his locks while he was asleep, he had not yet perceived that they were gone.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 16:18-21

See the fatal effects of false security. Satan ruins men by flattering them into a good opinion of their own safety, and so bringing them to mind nothing, and fear nothing; and then he robs them of their strength and honour, and leads them captive at his will. When we sleep our spiritual enemies do not. Samson's eyes were the inlets of his sin, (ver. #(1),) and now his punishment began there. Now the Philistines…

Read the full comment on Judges 16:18-21 →

Judges 16:19 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַתְּיַשְּׁנֵ֙הוּ֙va.te.ya.she.Ne.huand she made sleep himH3462
עַל\־'al-onH5921
בִּרְכֶּ֔יהָbir.Kei.haknees herH1290
וַתִּקְרָ֣אva.tik.Ra'and she summonedH7121
לָאִ֔ישׁla.'Ish<to> the manH376
וַתְּגַלַּ֕חva.te.ga.Lachand she shaved offH1548
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שֶׁ֖בַעShe.va'sevenH7651
מַחְלְפ֣וֹתmach.le.Fot[the] plaits ofH4253
רֹאשׁ֑וֹro.Shohead hisH7218
וַתָּ֙חֶל֙va.Ta.cheland she beganH2490
לְעַנּוֹת֔וֹle.'a.no.Toto humble himH6031
וַיָּ֥סַרvai.Ya.sarand it departedH5493
כֹּח֖וֹko.Chostrength hisH3581
מֵעָלָֽיו\׃me.'a.Lavfrom on <the> himH5921

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 16:19

  • Proverbs 7:26-27

    For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

  • Proverbs 7:21-23

    With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

  • Ecclesiastes 7:26

    And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

  • Proverbs 23:33-34

    Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
she made.
Pr 7:21-23,26,27; 23:33,34; Ec 7:26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 16:18

    And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

  • Judges 16:19

    And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

  • Judges 16:20

    And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.

Read all of Judges 16

Judges 16:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y ella hizo que él se durmiese sobre sus rodillas; y llamado un hombre, rapóle siete guedejas de su cabeza, y comenzó á afligirlo, pues su fuerza se apartó de él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et elle l’endormit sur ses genoux, et appela un homme, et rasa les sept tresses de sa tête; et elle commença de l’humilier, et sa force se retira de lui.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie ließ ihn auf ihren Knien einschlafen, und rief einen Mann und ließ die sieben Flechten seines Hauptes abscheren; und sie fing an, ihn zu bezwingen, und seine Stärke wich von ihm.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At illa dormire eum fecit super genua sua, et in sinu suo reclinare caput. Vocavitque tonsorem, et rasit septem crines ejus, et cœpit abigere eum, et a se repellere: statim enim ab eo fortitudo discessit.