Judges 16 · Verse 4

Judges 16:4

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Judges 16:4, King James Version

Judges 16:4 in other translations

BSBSome time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
WEBIt came to pass afterward that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
ASVAnd it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
YLTAnd it cometh to pass afterwards that he loveth a woman in the valley of Sorek, and her name is Delilah,
DARBYAnd it came to pass afterwards that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
BBENow after this, he was in love with a woman in the valley of Sorek, named Delilah.
WebsterAnd it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

What does Judges 16:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Jud 16:4-14. Delilah Corrupted by the Philistines.

4. he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek--The location of this place is not known, nor can the character of Delilah be clearly ascertained. Her abode, her mercenary character, and her heartless blandishments afford too much reason to believe she was a profligate woman.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 He loved a woman in the valley of Sorek - Some think Samson took this woman for his wife; others, that he had her as a concubine. It appears she was a Philistine; and however strong his love was for her, she seems to have had none for him. He always matched improperly, and he was cursed in all his matches. Where the valley or brook of Sorek was, is not easy to be ascertained. Eusebius and Jerome say it lay southward of Eleutheropolis; but where was Eleutheropolis? Ancient writers take all their measurements from this city; but as it is nowhere mentioned in the Scriptures, it is impossible to fix its situation for we know not its ancient name.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 16:4-17
Samson had been more than once brought into mischief and danger by the love of women, yet he would not take warning, but is again taken in the same snare, and this third time is fatal. Licentiousness is one of the things that take away the heart. This is a deep pit into which many have fallen; but from which few have escaped, and those by a miracle of mercy, with the loss of reputation and usefulness, of almost all, except their souls. The anguish of the suffering is ten thousand times greater than all the pleasures of the sin.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Judges 16:4 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.

וַֽיְהִי֙vay.Hiand it wasH1961
אַחֲרֵי\־'a.cha.rei-afterH310
כֵ֔ןKhenthusH3651
וַיֶּאֱהַ֥בvai.ye.'e.Havand he lovedH157
אִשָּׁ֖ה'i.Shaha womanH802
בְּנַ֣חַלbe.Na.chalin [the] valley ofH5158
שֹׂרֵ֑קso.RekSorekH7796
וּשְׁמָ֖הּu.she.Mahand name herH8034
דְּלִילָֽה\׃de.li.Lah[was] DelilahH1807

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

Cross references for Judges 16:4

  • Proverbs 22:14

    The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.

  • Proverbs 23:27

    For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:6

    Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

  • Proverbs 27:22

    Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

  • Proverbs 26:11

    As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

  • 1 Kings 11:1

    But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

  • Nehemiah 13:26

    Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he loved.
1Ki 11:1; Ne 13:26; Pr 22:14; 23:27; 26:11; 27:22; 1Co 10:6
in the valley. or, by the brook.

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

Context

  • Judges 16:3

    And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

  • Judges 16:4

    And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

  • Judges 16:5

    And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

Read all of Judges 16

Judges 16:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Después de esto aconteció que se enamoró de una mujer en el valle de Sorec, la cual se llamaba Dalila.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il arriva, après cela, qu’il aima une femme dans la vallée de Sorek, et son nom était Delila.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es geschah hernach, da liebte er ein Weib im Tale Sorek, ihr Name war Delila.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Post hæc amavit mulierem, quæ habitabat in valle Sorec, et vocabatur Dalila.