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New Living Translation

Judges 16:6

So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Conspiracy;   Deception;   Delilah;   Friends;   Samson;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Evil;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Strength;   Temptresses;   Women;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Delilah;   Gaza or Azzah;   Harosheth of the Gentiles;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Delilah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gaza;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Samson;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Levi;   Philistines;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Delilah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Delilah;   Gaza;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Del'ilah,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Samson;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Delilah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me, where does your great strength come from? How could someone tie you up and make you helpless?”
Hebrew Names Version
Delilah said to Shimshon, Tell me, Please, in which your great strength lies, and with which you might be bound to afflict you.
King James Version
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
Lexham English Bible
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me what makes your strength so great, and with what can you be tied up to subdue you?"
English Standard Version
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you."
New Century Version
So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me why you are so strong. How can someone tie you up and capture you?"
New English Translation
So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated."
Amplified Bible
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies and with what you may be bound and subdued."
New American Standard Bible
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you can be bound to humble you."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Delilah saide to Samson, Tell mee, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest bee bound, to doe thee hurt.
Legacy Standard Bible
Toe vra Delíla vir Simson: vertel my tog waardeur jou krag so groot is, en waarmee jy gebind kan word om jou te bedwing.
Contemporary English Version
The next time Samson was at Delilah's house, she asked, "Samson, what makes you so strong? How can I tie you up so you can't get away? Come on, you can tell me."
Complete Jewish Bible
D'lilah said to Shimshon, "Please tell me what it is that makes you so strong, and how someone could tie you up and subdue you."
Darby Translation
Then Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, in what is thy great strength, and with what thou mightest be bound to overpower thee.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me why you are so strong. How could someone tie you up and make you helpless?"
George Lamsa Translation
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me wherein your great strength lies, and with what you might be bound, and how that you may become weak.
Good News Translation
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me what makes you so strong. If someone wanted to tie you up and make you helpless, how could he do it?"
Literal Translation
And Delilah said to Samson, Now tell me in what your great strength lies , and with what you may be bound in order to afflict you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: I praye the tell me, wherin thy greate stregth is, & how thou mightest be bounde to be subdued.
American Standard Version
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
Bible in Basic English
So Delilah said to Samson, Make clear to me now what is the secret of your great strength, and how you may be put in bands and made feeble.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dalila sayde to Samson: Oh, tell me where thy great strength lyeth, and how thou myghtest be bounde and brought vnder.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Delilah said to Samson: 'Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.'
King James Version (1611)
And Delilah said to Samson, Tel me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lyeth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound, to afflict thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Dalida said to Sampson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein is thy great strength, and wherewith thou shalt be bound that thou mayest be humbled.
English Revised Version
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.
Berean Standard Bible
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you could be tied up and subdued."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Dalida spak to Sampson, Y biseche, seie thou to me, wher ynne is thi gretteste strengthe, and what is that thing, with which thou boundun maist not breke?
Young's Literal Translation
And Delilah saith unto Samson, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, wherein thy great power [is], and wherewith thou art bound, to afflict thee.'
Update Bible Version
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and with which you might be bound to afflict you.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, in what thy great strength [lieth], and with what thou mayest be bound to afflict thee.
World English Bible
Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, Please, in which your great strength lies, and with which you might be bound to afflict you.
New King James Version
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you."
New Life Bible
So Delilah said to Samson, "I beg you. Tell me the secret of your powerful strength. Tell me how one can get power over you and tie you up and hold you."
New Revised Standard
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me what makes your strength so great, and how you could be bound, so that one could subdue you."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Delilah said unto Samson, Do tell me, I pray thee, wherein lieth thy great strength, - and wherewith thou mightest be bound, to humble thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Dalila said to Samson: Tell me, I beseech thee, wherein thy greatest strength lieth, and what it is, wherewith if thou wert bound, thou couldst not break loose.
Revised Standard Version
And Deli'lah said to Samson, "Please tell me wherein your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you."
THE MESSAGE
So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me, dear, the secret of your great strength, and how you can be tied up and humbled."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me where your great strength is and how you may be bound to afflict you."

Contextual Overview

4 Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver." 6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely." 7 Samson replied, "If I were tied up with seven new bowstrings that have not yet been dried, I would become as weak as anyone else." 8 So the Philistine rulers brought Delilah seven new bowstrings, and she tied Samson up with them. 9 She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, "Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!" But Samson snapped the bowstrings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. 10 Afterward Delilah said to him, "You've been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now please tell me how you can be tied up securely." 11 Samson replied, "If I were tied up with brand-new ropes that had never been used, I would become as weak as anyone else." 12 So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them. The men were hiding in the inner room as before, and again Delilah cried out, "Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!" But again Samson snapped the ropes from his arms as if they were thread. 13 Then Delilah said, "You've been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now tell me how you can be tied up securely." Samson replied, "If you were to weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on your loom and tighten it with the loom shuttle, I would become as weak as anyone else." So while he slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Psalms 12:2, Proverbs 6:26, Proverbs 7:21, Proverbs 22:14, Proverbs 26:28, Jeremiah 9:2-5, Micah 7:2, Micah 7:5

Reciprocal: Judges 14:17 - she lay Nehemiah 6:4 - four times

Cross-References

Genesis 16:8
The angel said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress, Sarai," she replied.
Genesis 16:9
The angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority."
Genesis 24:10
Then he loaded ten of Abraham's camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham's brother Nahor had settled.
Exodus 2:15
And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well.
Job 2:6
"All right, do with him as you please," the Lord said to Satan. "But spare his life."
Proverbs 14:29
People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.
Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 27:8
A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest.
Proverbs 29:19
Words alone will not discipline a servant; the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.
Ecclesiastes 10:4
If your boss is angry at you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Delilah said to Samson,.... At a proper opportunity, when in his hands and caresses, as Josephus relates e, and introduced it in an artful manner, admiring his strange exploits, and wondering how he could perform them:

tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth; which she proposed seemingly out of mere curiosity, and as it would be a proof of his affection to her, to impart the secret to her:

and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee; not that she suggested to him that she was desirous to have him afflicted, or to try the experiment herself in order to afflict him, but to know by what means, if he was bound, it would be afflicting to him so that he could not relieve himself; she knew he might be bound, if he would admit of it, as he had been, but she wanted to know how he might be bound, so as to be held, and could not loose himself.

e Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 9.)


 
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