Judges 16:11

Wycliffe Bible

To whom he answeride, If Y be boundun with newe coordis, that weren not yit in werk, I schal be feble, and lijk othere men.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He told her, “If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used, I will become weak and be like any other man.”

Hebrew Names Version
He said to her, If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.

King James Version
And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

Lexham English Bible
He said to her, "If they tie me tightly with new ropes that have not been used, I will become weak and be like everyone else."

English Standard Version
And he said to her, "If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man."

New Century Version
Samson said, "They would have to tie me with new ropes that have not been used before. Then I would become as weak as any other man."

New English Translation
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."

Amplified Bible
He said to her, "If they bind me tightly with new ropes that have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any [other] man."

New American Standard Bible
Then he said to her, "If they bind me tightly with new ropes which have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any other man."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he answered her, If they binde mee with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, then shal I be weake, and be as an other man.

Legacy Standard Bible
En hy antwoord haar: As hulle my stewig vasbind met nuwe toue waarmee geen werk gedoen is nie, dan sal ek swak word en wees soos 'n ander mens.

Contemporary English Version
Samson answered, "Use some new ropes. If I'm tied up with ropes that have never been used, I'll be just as weak as anyone else."

Complete Jewish Bible
"All it takes," he answered, "is to tie me up with new ropes that haven't been used. Then I'll become weak and be like anyone else."

Darby Translation
And he said to her, If they should bind me fast with new ropes, with which no work has been done, then should I be weak, and be as another man.

Easy-to-Read Version
Samson said, "Someone would have to tie me up with new ropes. They would have to tie me with ropes that have not been used before. If someone did that, I would become as weak as any other man."

George Lamsa Translation
And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new chains that never were used, then shall I be weak and be like any other man.

Good News Translation
He told her, "If they tie me with new ropes that have never been used, I'll be as weak as anybody else."

Literal Translation
And he said to her, If binding they bind me with new ropes, by which no work has been done, then I shall be weak and shall be as any man.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He answered her: Yf they bounde me with new coardes, wherwith no labor hath bene done, I shulde be feble, & as another man.

American Standard Version
And he said unto her, If they only bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.

Bible in Basic English
And he said to her, If they only put round me new thick cords which have never been used, then I will become feeble and will be like any other man.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He aunswered her: Yf they bynde me with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, I shall be weake, and be as an other man.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said unto her: 'If they only bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall I become weak, and be as any other man.'

King James Version (1611)
And he said vnto her, If they bind me fast with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, then shall I bee weake, and be as another man.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to her, If they should bind me fast with new ropes with which work has not been done, then shall I be weak, and shall be as another man.

English Revised Version
And he said unto her, If they only bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.

Berean Standard Bible
He replied, "If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used, I will become as weak as any other man."

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith unto her, `If they certainly bind me with thick bands, new ones, by which work hath not been done, then I have been weak, and have been as one of the human race.'

Update Bible Version
And he said to her, If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then I shall become weak, and be as one of man.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were used, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

World English Bible
He said to her, If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.

New King James Version
So he said to her, "If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

New Living Translation
Samson replied, "If I were tied up with brand-new ropes that had never been used, I would become as weak as anyone else."

New Life Bible
Samson said to her, "They must tie me with new ropes which have never been used. Then I will become weak and be like any other man."

New Revised Standard
He said to her, "If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak, and be like anyone else."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said unto her, If they, bind me fast, with new ropes, wherewith work was never done, then shall I become weak, and be as any other man.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he answered her: If I shall be bound with new ropes, that were never in work, I shall be weak and like other men.

Revised Standard Version
And he said to her, "If they bind me with new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

THE MESSAGE
He told her, "If you were to tie me up tight with new ropes, ropes never used for work, then I would be helpless, just like anybody else."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said to her, "If they bind me tightly with new ropes which have not been used, then I will become weak and be like any other man."

Contextual Overview

⁴ After these thingis Sampson louyde a womman that dwellide in the valey of Soreth, and sche was clepid Dalida. ⁵ And the princes of Filisteis camen to hir, and seiden, Disseyue thou hym, and lerne thou of hym, in what thing he hath so greet strengthe, and how we mowen ouercome hym, and turmente hym boundun; that if thou doist, we schulen yyue to thee ech man a thousynde and an hundrid platis of siluer. ⁶ 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? ⁷ To whom Sampson answeride, If Y be boundun with seuene coordis of senewis not yit drye `and yit moiste, Y schal be feble as othere men. <sup>8</sup> And the princis of Filisteis brouyten `to hir seuene coordis, as he hadde seide; with whiche sche boond him, ⁹ while buyschementis weren hid at hir, and abididen in a closet the ende of the thing. And sche criede to hym, Sampson, Filisteis ben on thee! Which brak the boondis, as if a man brekith a threed of herdis, writhun with spotle, whanne it hath take the odour of fier; and it was not knowun wher ynne his strengthe was. ¹⁰ And Dalida seide to hym, Lo! thou hast scorned me, and thou hast spok fals; nameli now schewe thou to me, with what thing thou schuldist be boundun. ¹¹ To whom he answeride, If Y be boundun with newe coordis, that weren not yit in werk, I schal be feble, and lijk othere men. ¹² With whiche Dalida boond him eft, and criede, Sampson, Filistees ben on thee! the while buyschementis weren maad redi in closet. Which brak `so the boondis as thredis of webbis. ¹³ And Dalida seide eft to hym, Hou long schalt thou disseyue me, and schalt speke fals? Schew thou to me, with what thing thou schalt be boundun. To whom Sampson answeryde, he seide, If thou plattist seuene heeris of myn heed with a strong boond, and fastnest to the erthe a naile boundun a boute with these, Y schal be feble.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If they bind me: Proverbs 13:3, Proverbs 13:5, Proverbs 29:25, Ephesians 4:25

that never: etc. Heb. wherewith work hath not been done

Cross-References

Genesis 17:19
And the Lord seide to Abraham, Sara, thi wijf, schal bere a sone to thee, and thou schalt clepe his name Ysaac, and Y schal make my couenaunt to hym in to euerlastynge boond of pees, and to his seed aftir hym;

Exodus 3:7
To whom the Lord seide, Y seiy the affliccion of my puple in Egipt, and Y herde the cry therof, for the hardnesse of hem that ben souereyns of werkis.

Exodus 3:9
Therfor the cry of the sones of Israel cam to me, and Y seiy the turment of hem, bi which thei ben oppressid of Egipcians.

1 Samuel 1:20
And it was doon after the cumpas of daies, Anna conseyuede, and childide a sone, and sche clepide his name Samuel; for sche hadde axid hym of the Lord.

Job 38:41
Who makith redi for the crowe his mete, whanne hise briddis crien to God, and wandren aboute, for tho han not meetis?

Psalms 22:24
Al the seed of Israel drede hym; for he forsook not, nethir dispiside the preier of a pore man. Nethir he turnede awei his face fro me; and whanne Y criede to hym, he herde me.

Isaiah 7:14
For this thing the Lord hym silf schal yyue a signe to you. Lo! a virgyn schal conseyue, and schal bere a sone; and his name schal be clepid Emanuel.

Luke 1:13
And the aungel seide to hym, Zacarie, drede thou not; for thi preyer is herd, and Elizabeth, thi wijf, schal bere to thee a sone, and his name schal be clepid Joon.

Luke 1:31
Lo! thou schalt conceyue in wombe, and schalt bere a sone, and thou schalt clepe his name Jhesus.

Luke 1:63
And he axynge a poyntil, wroot, seiynge, Joon is his name.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto her,.... Abarbinel presents Samson replying to her, that he had told her the truth at first, only forgot one circumstance, that the "cords", for so he takes the word for "withs" to signify, should be "new", such as were never used, as follows:

if they bind me fast with new ropes, that never were occupied; the word signifies thick ropes, which, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, were trebled, or made of three cords twisted together, and those such as were just made, and had never been put to any use, and so strong and firm:

then shall I be weak, and be as another man; see Judges 16:7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Occupied - The margin, “wherewith work hath not been done,” is better.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 16:11. If they bind me fast with new ropes — Samson wishes to keep up the opinion which the Philistines held; viz., that his mighty strength was the effect of some charm; and therefore he says, Seven green withs which had not been dried; new ropes that were never occupied; weave the seven locks of my hair with the web, c. the green withs, the new ropes, and the number seven, are such matters as would naturally be expected in a charm or spell.