Judges 16:9 net — They hid in the bedroom and then she said to him,“The Philistines are here, Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easil…

NET Bible

"They hid in the bedroom and then she said to him,“The Philistines are here, Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. The secret of his strength was not discovered."

— Judges 16:9, NET Bible

Read in Another Translation

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Judges 16:9 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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.”

  • ASV

    “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. ”

  • WEB

    “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 string of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.”

  • DRB

    “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 lay.”

  • BBE

    “Now she had men waiting secretly in the inner room; and she said to him, The Philistines are on you, Samson. And the cords were broken by him as a twist of thread is broken when touched by a flame. So the secret of his strength did not come to light.”

  • KJVA

    “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.”

Judges 16 — Context

6

So Delilah said to Samson,“Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated.”

7

Samson said to her,“If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man.”

8

So the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings which had not been dried and she tied him up with them.

9

They hid in the bedroom and then she said to him,“The Philistines are here, Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. The secret of his strength was not discovered.

10

Delilah said to Samson,“Look, you deceived me and told me lies! Now tell me how you can be subdued.”

11

He said to her,“If they tie me tightly with brand new ropes that have never been used, I will become weak and be just like any other man.”

12

So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him,“The Philistines are here, Samson!”(The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.) But he tore the ropes from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.

Judges 16:9 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Judges 16:9 say?
Judges 16:9 in the NET Bible reads: “They hid in the bedroom and then she said to him,“The Philistines are here, Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. The secret of his strength was not discovered.”
Where is Judges 16:9 in the Bible?
Judges 16:9 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, chapter 16, verse 9.
Who wrote Judges?
Judges is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Samuel). It was written c. 1050–1000 BC.
What is the book of Judges about?
Judges chronicles the cycle of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance that defined Israel between Joshua and Samuel. Through twelve raised-up deliverers — including Deborah, Gideon, and Samson — God repeatedly rescues a people who keep doing what is right in their own eyes.
What are the major themes of Judges?
Judges explores themes including Apostasy, Deliverance, Cycles of Sin, Need for a King, Mercy. These themes shape the meaning and context of Judges 16:9.
What translation should I read Judges 16:9 in?
Judges 16:9 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Judges 16:9?
Judges 16:9 reads (NET): “They hid in the bedroom and then she said to him,“The Philistines are here, Samson!” He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. The secret of his strength was not discovered.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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