The Meaning of Judges 16:20 Explained

Judges 16:20

KJV: And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

YLT: and she saith, 'Philistines are upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and saith, 'I go out as time by time, and shake myself;' and he hath not known that Jehovah hath turned aside from off him.

Darby: And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free." And he did not know that the LORD had left him.

ASV: And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he knew not that Jehovah was departed from him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And she said,  The Philistines  [be] upon thee, Samson.  And he awoke  out of his sleep,  and said,  I will go out  as at other times before,  and shake  myself. And he wist  not that the LORD  was departed  from him. 

What does Judges 16:20 Mean?

Study Notes

wist not
Contra, Exodus 34:29 .

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 16:20 mean?

And she said the Philistines [are] upon you Samson So he awoke from his sleep and said I will go out as before at other times and shake myself free But he not did know that Yahweh had departed from him
וַתֹּ֕אמֶר פְּלִשְׁתִּ֥ים עָלֶ֖יךָ שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן וַיִּקַ֣ץ מִשְּׁנָת֗וֹ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵצֵ֞א כְּפַ֤עַם בְּפַ֙עַם֙ וְאִנָּעֵ֔ר וְהוּא֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה סָ֥ר מֵעָלָֽיו

וַתֹּ֕אמֶר  And  she  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֥ים  the  Philistines  [are] 
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.
עָלֶ֖יךָ  upon  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
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.
שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן  Samson 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁמְשֹׁון  
Sense: a Danite, son of Manoah, a Nazarite for life, and a judge of Israel for 20 years.
וַיִּקַ֣ץ  So  he  awoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַץ  
Sense: (Qal) to awake, awaken, become active.
מִשְּׁנָת֗וֹ  from  his  sleep 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁנָא 
Sense: sleep.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵצֵ֞א  I  will  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
כְּפַ֤עַם  as  before 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
בְּפַ֙עַם֙  at  other  times 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: פַּעַם  
Sense: stroke, beat, foot, step, anvil, occurrence.
וְאִנָּעֵ֔ר  and  shake  myself  free 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָעַר 
Sense: to shake, shake out or off.
וְהוּא֙  But  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יָדַ֔ע  did  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
סָ֥ר  had  departed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מֵעָלָֽיו  from  him 
Parse: Preposition-m, third person masculine singular
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.