The Meaning of Judges 16:5 Explained

Judges 16:5

KJV: 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.

YLT: and the princes of the Philistines come up unto her, and say to her, 'Entice him, and see wherein his great power is, and wherein we are able for him -- and we have bound him to afflict him, and we -- we give to thee, each one, eleven hundred silverlings.'

Darby: And the lords of the Philistines came to her and said to her, "Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to subdue him; and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver."

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Judges 16:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 16:1-14 - Playing With The Enemy
Three women, one after another, brought Samson down. If only a noble woman could have influenced him, as Deborah did Barak, how different his record would have been. Let those who are eminent in spiritual capacity guard against the swing of their nature to the opposite, sensual side.
It is clear that Samson's strength was not wholly accounted for by huge stature nor massive muscles, else Delilah would not have needed to ask his secret; and he lost his strength, not merely because the razor deprived him of his hitherto unshorn locks, which lay in glossy ringlets at the feet of his temptress, but because he had yielded to her seductive wiles. We should have supposed that one or two experiences of her shameful treachery would have sufficed to put him on his guard and lead hip to flee from the spot, as did Joseph, Genesis 39:12. But Samson lingered, as the moth which seems unable to resist the fascination of the flame, although already it has singed its wings, Proverbs 1:10-19. There is always a way of escape, but we must take it with instant eagerness, Genesis 19:17-22. [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 16

1  Samson at Gaza escapes, and carries away the gates of the city
4  Delilah corrupted by the Philistines, entices Samson
6  Thrice she is deceived
15  At last she overcomes him
21  The Philistines take him, and put out his eyes
22  His strength renewing, he pulls down the house upon the Philistines and dies

What do the individual words in Judges 16:5 mean?

And came up to her the lords of the Philistines and said to her Entice him and find out what [is] his strength great and by what [means] we may overpower him that we may bind him to afflict him and we will give you every one of us a thousand and a hundred [pieces] of silver
וַיַּעֲל֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יהָ סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים וַיֹּ֨אמְרוּ לָ֜הּ פַּתִּ֣י אוֹת֗וֹ וּרְאִי֙ בַּמֶּה֙ כֹּח֣וֹ גָד֔וֹל וּבַמֶּה֙ נ֣וּכַל ל֔וֹ וַאֲסַרְנֻ֖הוּ לְעַנֹּת֑וֹ וַאֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ נִתַּן־ לָ֔ךְ אִ֕ישׁ אֶ֥לֶף וּמֵאָ֖ה כָּֽסֶף

וַיַּעֲל֨וּ  And  came  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אֵלֶ֜יהָ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
סַרְנֵ֣י  the  lords 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סֶרֶן 
Sense: lord, ruler, tyrant.
פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים  of  the  Philistines 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: פְּלִשְׁתִּי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan.
וַיֹּ֨אמְרוּ  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֜הּ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
פַּתִּ֣י  Entice 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: פָּתָה 
Sense: to be spacious, be open, be wide.
וּרְאִי֙  and  find  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בַּמֶּה֙  what  [is] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
כֹּח֣וֹ  his  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
גָד֔וֹל  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
וּבַמֶּה֙  and  by  what  [means] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
נ֣וּכַל  we  may  overpower 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
וַאֲסַרְנֻ֖הוּ  that  we  may  bind  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: אָסַר  
Sense: to tie, bind, imprison.
לְעַנֹּת֑וֹ  to  afflict  him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
וַאֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙  and  we 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.
נִתַּן־  will  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אִ֕ישׁ  every  one  of  us 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶ֥לֶף  a  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
וּמֵאָ֖ה  and  a  hundred 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, feminine singular
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
כָּֽסֶף  [pieces]  of  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.