The Meaning of Judges 16:17 Explained

Judges 16:17

KJV: That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

YLT: that he declareth to her all his heart, and saith to her, 'A razor hath not gone up on my head, for a Nazarite to God I am from the womb of my mother; if I have been shaven, then hath my power turned aside from me, and I have been weak, and have been as any of the human race.'

Darby: And he told her all his mind, and said to her, "A razor has never come upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I be shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man."

ASV: And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That he told  her all his heart,  and said  unto her, There hath not come  a razor  upon mine head;  for I [have been] a Nazarite  unto God  from my mother's  womb:  if I be shaven,  then my strength  will go  from me, and I shall become weak,  and be like any [other] man. 

What does Judges 16:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 16:15-31 - Dying With The Philistines
It may be that the razor has already severed your union with Christ. If we abide not in living union with Him, we are cast out as branches from the vine, and wither. This is bad enough, but it is still worse when we are not aware of it. See Hosea 7:9. Some of our greatest spiritual experiences may be like sunrise or sunset. "There is no speech nor language; their voice is not heard," but the effect, for good or ill, soon shows itself.
We may be blind and captive, yet for us also the hair that was cut may begin to grow again. The old faith and love, the old consecration and surrender, the old power with God and man may come again. Do not turn away from Him, penitent soul, for God is willing to take you back again into the secret of His power. "He hateth putting away," Malachi 2:16; Isaiah 50:1. Out of your sorrowful heart, send up Samson's prayer! But do not ask to be strengthened only this once. God will do it not for once, but for many times, if only you will trust Him absolutely, 2 Kings 13:19. And do not ask to die; believe that life shall again become bright, strong and victorious [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 16:17 mean?

that he told her - all his heart and said to her razor No has ever come upon my head for a Nazirite God I [have been] from womb Of my mother if I am shaven then will leave me my strength and I shall become weak and be like any [other] man
וַיַּגֶּד־ לָ֣הּ אֶת־ כָּל־ לִבּ֗וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מוֹרָה֙ לֹֽא־ עָלָ֣ה עַל־ רֹאשִׁ֔י כִּֽי־ נְזִ֧יר אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֲנִ֖י מִבֶּ֣טֶן אִמִּ֑י אִם־ גֻּלַּ֙חְתִּי֙ וְסָ֣ר מִמֶּ֣נִּי כֹחִ֔י וְחָלִ֥יתִי וְהָיִ֖יתִי כְּכָל־ הָאָדָֽם

וַיַּגֶּד־  that  he  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לָ֣הּ  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לִבּ֗וֹ  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהּ֙  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
מוֹרָה֙  razor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹורָה  
Sense: razor.
לֹֽא־  No 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָלָ֣ה  has  ever  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
רֹאשִׁ֔י  my  head 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
נְזִ֧יר  a  Nazirite 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נָזִיר  
Sense: consecrated or devoted one, Nazarite.
אֱלֹהִ֛ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲנִ֖י  I  [have  been] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
מִבֶּ֣טֶן  from  womb 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בֶּטֶן  
Sense: belly, womb, body.
אִמִּ֑י  Of  my  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
גֻּלַּ֙חְתִּי֙  I  am  shaven 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: גָּלַח  
Sense: to poll, shave, shave off, be bald.
וְסָ֣ר  then  will  leave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מִמֶּ֣נִּי  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
כֹחִ֔י  my  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
וְחָלִ֥יתִי  and  I  shall  become  weak 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: חָלָה 
Sense: to be or become weak, be or become sick, be or become diseased, be or become grieved, be or become sorry.
וְהָיִ֖יתִי  and  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּכָל־  like  any  [other] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָדָֽם  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.