וַיֵּלֶךְ שִׁמְשׁוֹן עַזָּתָה וַיַּרְא שָׁם אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה וַיָּבֹא אֵלֶיהָ

Some time later, Samson went to Gaza, a major Philistine city, and he saw there a harlot, and he consorted with her.

לַעַזָּתִים לֵאמֹר בָּא שִׁמְשׁוֹן הֵנָּה וַיָּסֹבּוּ וַיֶּאֶרְבוּ לוֹ כָל הַלַּיְלָה בְּשַׁעַר הָעִיר וַיִּתְחָרְשׁוּ כָל הַלַּיְלָה לֵאמֹר עַד אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר וַהֲרַגְנֻהוּ

This verse is truncated, but its meaning is clear. It was said to the Gazites: Samson has come here. Someone discovered that Samson was in the city, but they did not know his precise whereabouts. Even if they had been able to locate him, they feared him and knew only too well that capturing him would not be easy. They went about, roamed the city searching for him, and set an ambush for him all night at the city gate; they were quiet all night, saying: Until the dawn, and then we will kill him. They had general knowledge of the purpose of Samson’s visit. They realized that since he would have no alternative way of exiting in the morning other than through the city gate, it would be possible to capture and kill him there.

וַיִּשְׁכַּב שִׁמְשׁוֹן עַד חֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיָּקָם בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיֶּאֱחֹז בְּדַלְתוֹת שַׁעַר הָעִיר וּבִשְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזוֹת וַיִּסָּעֵם עִם הַבְּרִיחַ וַיָּשֶׂם עַל כְּתֵפָיו וַיַּעֲלֵם אֶל רֹאשׁ הָהָר אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי חֶבְרוֹן

Samson lay with the harlot until midnight; he arose at midnight, grasped the doors of the city gate and the two doorposts, and he dislodged them from their place with the bar. Since the gates of a city were designed to withstand a siege and enemy attack, they were certainly large and heavy. The Philistines assumed that the gate, which was locked with a bar, would be impassable for Samson. However, with his superhuman strength he lifted both of the gates, together with the bar and the posts to which they were attached; he placed them on his shoulders and took them up all the way from Gaza to the mountaintop that is before Hebron. There, on one of the mountains of Hebron, he placed the gates for all to see.

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כֵן וַיֶּאֱהַב אִשָּׁה בְּנַחַל שֹׂרֵק וּשְׁמָהּ דְּלִילָה

It was after that that he, Samson, fell in love with a woman at the Sorek Stream, and her name was Delilah. It is unclear whether Delilah was a Philistine, or of some other nationality.

וַיַּעֲלוּ אֵלֶיהָ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָהּ פַּתִּי אוֹתוֹ וּרְאִי בַּמֶּה כֹּחוֹ גָדוֹל וּבַמֶּה נוּכַל לוֹ וַאֲסַרְנֻהוּ לְעַנֹּתוֹ וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִתַּן לָךְ אִישׁ אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה כָּסֶף

Once they became aware that Samson had developed a relationship with Delilah, the governors of the Philistines went up to her and said to her: Entice him, and see by what his strength is great, as it is clear to us that his powers are superhuman, and we will thereby know by what we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict and subdue him. In return for this service, each one of us will give you one thousand one hundred pieces of silver. This was a very large sum; later in the book it becomes clear that ten pieces of silver was a respectable annual salary, not including food and clothing (17:10). Each of them personally promised her this sum, as Samson was liable to attack any of their cities if he so chose.

וַתֹּאמֶר דְּלִילָה אֶל שִׁמְשׁוֹן הַגִּידָה נָּא לִי בַּמֶּה כֹּחֲךָ גָדוֹל וּבַמֶּה תֵאָסֵר לְעַנּוֹתֶךָ

Delilah accepted the lords’ proposal. Delilah said to Samson: Please tell me: By what is your strength great, and by what could you be bound to afflict you? How is it possible to dominate you?

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן אִם יַאַסְרֻנִי בְּשִׁבְעָה יְתָרִים לַחִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא חֹרָבוּ וְחָלִיתִי וְהָיִיתִי כְּאַחַד הָאָדָם

Dismissing her with a fabrication, Samson said to her: If they bind me with seven moist ropes that were not dried, I will be weakened, and I will become like an ordinary person.

וַיַּעֲלוּ לָהּ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים שִׁבְעָה יְתָרִים לַחִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא חֹרָבוּ וַתַּאַסְרֵהוּ בָּהֶם

The governors of the Philistines brought up to her seven moist ropes that were not dried, and she bound him with them. Presumably, she explained to him that it was a game of sorts, or she did this while he was asleep.

וְהָאֹרֵב יֹשֵׁב לָהּ בַּחֶדֶר וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן! וַיְנַתֵּק אֶת הַיְתָרִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יִנָּתֵק פְּתִיל הַנְּעֹרֶת בַּהֲרִיחוֹ אֵשׁ וְלֹא נוֹדַע כֹּחוֹ

The Philistine ambush, which was sent there for this purpose, was positioned in the chamber. She said to him: Philistines are coming upon you, Samson! He easily severed the ropes like a thread of flammable tow is severed when it smells, i.e., merely draws near to, fire, and the source of his strength was not made known.

וַתֹּאמֶר דְּלִילָה אֶל שִׁמְשׁוֹן הִנֵּה הֵתַלְתָּ בִּי וַתְּדַבֵּר אֵלַי כְּזָבִים עַתָּה הַגִּידָה נָּא לִי בַּמֶּה תֵּאָסֵר

Delilah said to Samson: Behold, you have mocked me and have spoken deceitfully to me. Now, please tell me the truth; with what could you be bound?

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אִם אָסוֹר יַאַסְרוּנִי בַּעֲבֹתִים חֲדָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לֹא נַעֲשָׂה בָהֶם מְלָאכָה וְחָלִיתִי וְהָיִיתִי כְּאַחַד הָאָדָם

He said to her: If they bind me with thick new ropes with which labor has not been performed, I will be weakened, and I will become like an ordinary man.

וַתִּקַּח דְּלִילָה עֲבֹתִים חֲדָשִׁים וַתַּאַסְרֵהוּ בָהֶם וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן! וְהָאֹרֵב יֹשֵׁב בֶּחָדֶר וַיְנַתְּקֵם מֵעַל זְרֹעֹתָיו כַּחוּט

Delilah took new ropes, bound him with them, and again said to him: Philistines are upon you, Samson! The ambush was positioned in the chamber, and these ropes were also ineffective; he severed them from upon his arms like a thread.

וַתֹּאמֶר דְּלִילָה אֶל שִׁמְשׁוֹן עַד הֵנָּה הֵתַלְתָּ בִּי וַתְּדַבֵּר אֵלַי כְּזָבִים הַגִּידָה לִּי בַּמֶּה תֵּאָסֵר וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אִם תַּאַרְגִי אֶת שֶׁבַע מַחְלְפוֹת רֹאשִׁי עִם הַמַּסָּכֶת

Delilah said to Samson: Until now you have mocked me and have spoken deceitfully to me; tell me, with what could you be bound? He said to her: If you weave the seven locks of the hair on my head with the warp strings that are tied across the loom, intertwining my hair with those warp strings, I will be immobilized.

וַתִּתְקַע בּיָּתֵד וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן! וַיִּיקַץ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיִּסַּע אֶת הַיְתַד הָאֶרֶג וְאֶת הַמַּסָּכֶת

She did this, and she even fastened it, his hair, with the peg, to hold the woven locks tightly. And she said to him: Philistines are upon you, Samson! He awoke from his sleep, and he, with his head, dislodged the peg of the loom and the entire loom from its place.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֵיךְ תֹּאמַר אֲהַבְתִּיךְ וְלִבְּךָ אֵין אִתִּי! זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים הֵתַלְתָּ בִּי וְלֹא הִגַּדְתָּ לִּי בַּמֶּה כֹּחֲךָ גָדוֹל

She said to him: How can you say: I love you, when your heart is not with me? These three times you have mocked me, and you did not tell me by what your strength is great.

וַיְהִי כִּי הֵצִיקָה לּוֹ בִדְבָרֶיהָ כָּל הַיָּמִים וַתְּאַלֲצֵהוּ וַתִּקְצַר נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת

It was as she pestered him daily and continually pestered him with her words and pressured him, he became irritated to death. He could no longer tolerate her incessant nagging.

וַיַּגֶּד לָהּ אֶת כָּל לִבּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מוֹרָה לֹא עָלָה עַל רֹאשִׁי כִּי נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים אֲנִי מִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אִם גֻּלַּחְתִּי וְסָר מִמֶּנִּי כֹחִי וְחָלִיתִי וְהָיִיתִי כְּכָל הָאָדָם

He told her his whole heart and said to her: A razor has not ever been set upon my head; I have never been shaved; as I have been a nazirite of God from my mother’s womb. If I were shaved, my strength would leave me, I would be weakened, and I would become like all people.

וַתֵּרֶא דְּלִילָה כִּי הִגִּיד לָהּ אֶת כָּל לִבּוֹ וַתִּשְׁלַח וַתִּקְרָא לְסַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים לֵאמֹר עֲלוּ הַפַּעַם כִּי הִגִּיד לִי אֶת כָּל לִבּוֹ וְעָלוּ אֵלֶיהָ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּעֲלוּ הַכֶּסֶף בְּיָדָם

Delilah saw that this time he had told her his whole heart, as truth is evident. Another indication that this response was honest was that Samson had invoked God’s name, which he would not have done in vain. And she sent and called for the governors of the Philistines, saying: Go up this time, as he has told me his whole heart. The governors of the Philistines went up to her, and they brought up the promised money in their hand, as they were convinced that this time she had, indeed, discovered his secret.

וַתְּיַשְּׁנֵהוּ עַל בִּרְכֶּיהָ וַתִּקְרָא לָאִישׁ וַתְּגַלַּח אֶת שֶׁבַע מַחְלְפוֹת רֹאשׁוֹ וַתָּחֶל לְעַנּוֹתוֹ וַיָּסַר כֹּחוֹ מֵעָלָיו

She put him to sleep upon her knees, and when he fell asleep, she called the man who was waiting there for this purpose, and she, by means of that man, shaved the seven locks of his head. And then she began to afflict him, to provoke him and irritate him while he was still sleeping, in order to test his reactions, and it became clear that his strength had left him.

וַתֹּאמֶר פְּלִשְׁתִּים עָלֶיךָ שִׁמְשׁוֹן! וַיִּקַץ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵצֵא כְּפַעַם בְּפַעַם וְאִנָּעֵר וְהוּא לֹא יָדַע כִּי ה' סָר מֵעָלָיו

She said: Philistines are upon you, Samson! He awoke from his sleep, and he said to himself: I will go out like every other time, and I will awaken and recover. But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Once his naziriteship was terminated, his strength left him.

וַיֹּאחֲזוּהוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיְנַקְּרוּ אֶת עֵינָיו וַיּוֹרִידוּ אוֹתוֹ עַזָּתָה וַיַּאַסְרוּהוּ בַּנְחֻשְׁתַּיִם וַיְהִי טוֹחֵן בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים

As he was now an ordinary person and they were a large group, the Philistines easily overpowered him, and they seized him, and they gouged out his eyes. They took him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles; he became a grinder in the prison. Presumably, they forced him to turn a mill ordinarily operated by an animal. In this manner they exploited their prisoner, who remained large and powerful, capable of moving in circles despite his blindness.

וַיָּחֶל שְׂעַר רֹאשׁוֹ לְצַמֵּחַ כַּאֲשֶׁר גֻּלָּח

The hair of his head slowly began to grow after he was shaved.

וְסַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים נֶאֶסְפוּ לִזְבֹּחַ זֶבַח גָּדוֹל לְדָגוֹן אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וּלְשִׂמְחָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ נָתַן אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּיָדֵנוּ אֵת שִׁמְשׁוֹן אוֹיְבֵינוּ

The governors of the Philistines gathered to worship and slaughter a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and for rejoicing. They said: Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. They proclaimed a public celebration of the capture of Samson and the removal of the threat he had posed.

וַיִּרְאוּ אֹתוֹ הָעָם וַיְהַלְלוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי אָמְרוּ נָתַן אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְיָדֵנוּ אֶת אוֹיְבֵנוּ וְאֵת מַחֲרִיב אַרְצֵנוּ וַאֲשֶׁר הִרְבָּה אֶת חֲלָלֵינוּ

The people saw him, and they praised their god, as they said: Our god has delivered into our hand our enemy, the destroyer of our country, and he who multiplied our slain.

וַיְהִי כְּטוֹב לִבָּם וַיֹּאמְרוּ קִרְאוּ לְשִׁמְשׁוֹן וִישַׂחֶק לָנוּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְשִׁמְשׁוֹן מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים וַיְצַחֵק לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיַּעֲמִידוּ אוֹתוֹ בֵּין הָעַמּוּדִים

It was when their hearts were merry over their victory, they said: Summon Samson and let him amuse us. They believed it would be demeaning to him, as their enemy, to have to perform at their bidding. They summoned Samson from the prison, and he amused them. They positioned him between the pillars. The celebration was held in a large building supported by pillars. Samson was placed in the center of the structure, so that the entire crowd could see him.

וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶל הַנַּעַר הַמַּחֲזִיק בְּיָדוֹ הַנִּיחָה אוֹתִי וַהֲמִשֵׁנִי אֶת הָעַמֻּדִים אֲשֶׁר הַבַּיִת נָכוֹן עֲלֵיהֶם וְאֶשָּׁעֵן עֲלֵיהֶם

As he was blind, Samson said to the lad who was holding his hand: Leave me and let me feel the pillars upon which the building rests, and I will lean on them, so that I will not need to continue holding your hand.

וְהַבַּיִת מָלֵא הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְשָׁמָּה כֹּל סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים ועַל הַגָּג כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה הָרֹאִים בִּשְׂחוֹק שִׁמְשׁוֹן

The building was full of men and women, and all the governors of the Philistines were also there; in addition, on the roof there were some three thousand men and women, who watched Samson’s entertainment.

וַיִּקְרָא שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶל ה' וַיֹּאמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים זָכְרֵנִי נָא וְחַזְּקֵנִי נָא אַךְ הַפַּעַם הַזֶּה הָאֱלֹהִים וְאִנָּקְמָה נְקַם אַחַת מִשְּׁתֵי עֵינַי מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים

Samson called to the Lord, and said: My Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me just this once, God, by restoring my former divine strength, and let me take one ultimate vengeance from the Philistines for my two eyes, or vengeance for one of my two eyes. According to a midrash, Samson requested that he be rewarded in this world for the suffering of one of his eyes, by taking vengeance from the Philistines, while the reward for his second eye would be preserved for him in the World to Come. It must be recalled that Samson was not simply a remarkably strong person, but that his abilities stemmed from the fact that he was fulfilling a divine service by fighting the enemies of Israel.

וַיִּלְפֹּת שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶת שְׁנֵי עַמּוּדֵי הַתָּוֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הַבַּיִת נָכוֹן עֲלֵיהֶם וַיִּסָּמֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶחָד בִּימִינוֹ וְאֶחָד בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ

Samson wrapped his hand around and grasped tightly the two central pillars upon which the building rested, and he leaned upon them, one with his right and one with his left.

וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְשׁוֹן תָּמוֹת נַפְשִׁי עִם פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיֵּט בְּכֹחַ וַיִּפֹּל הַבַּיִת עַל הַסְּרָנִים וְעַל כָּל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ וַיִּהְיוּ הַמֵּתִים אֲשֶׁר הֵמִית בְּמוֹתוֹ רַבִּים מֵאֲשֶׁר הֵמִית בְּחַיָּיו

Samson said: Let my soul die with the Philistines. He leaned, moving the two pillars forcefully, and the building fell upon the governors and upon all the people who were in it. When the pillars fell, the roof of the building collapsed on all those inside the structure. The dead whom he put to death in his death, which included the entire Philistine leadership, were more than those he put to death during his life.

וַיֵּרְדוּ אֶחָיו וְכָל בֵּית אָבִיהוּ וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֹתוֹ וַיַּעֲלוּ וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ בֵּין צָרְעָה וּבֵין אֶשְׁתָּאֹל בְּקֶבֶר מָנוֹחַ אָבִיו וְהוּא שָׁפַט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה

His brothers and the entire household of his father went down, picked him up, and brought him up; they buried him between Tzora and Eshtaol, where he had begun his heroic activities, in the grave of Mano’ah his father, who was no longer alive. Many years had passed since Samson’s birth, and his father was not a young man when he was born. He, Samson, judged Israel twenty years.