The Meaning of Judges 16:30 Explained

Judges 16:30

KJV: And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

YLT: and Samson saith, 'Let me die with the Philistines,' and he inclineth himself powerfully, and the house falleth on the princes, and on all the people who are in it, and the dead whom he hath put to death in his death are more than those whom he put to death in his life.

Darby: And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." Then he bowed with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than those whom he had slain during his life.

ASV: And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead that he slew at his death were more than they that he slew in his life.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Samson  said,  Let me die  with the Philistines.  And he bowed  himself with [all his] might;  and the house  fell  upon the lords,  and upon all the people  that [were] therein. So the dead  which he slew  at his death  were more  than [they] which he slew  in his life. 

What does Judges 16:30 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 16:30 mean?

And said Samson let die me with the Philistines And he pushed with [all his] might and fell the temple on the lords and all the people who [were] in it so were the dead that he killed at his death more than he had killed in his life
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן תָּמ֣וֹת נַפְשִׁי֮ עִם־ פְּלִשְׁתִּים֒ וַיֵּ֣ט בְּכֹ֔חַ וַיִּפֹּ֤ל הַבַּ֙יִת֙ עַל־ הַסְּרָנִ֔ים וְעַל־ כָּל־ הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ בּ֑וֹ וַיִּהְי֤וּ הַמֵּתִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵמִ֣ית בְּמוֹת֔וֹ רַבִּ֕ים מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵמִ֖ית בְּחַיָּֽיו

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן  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.
תָּמ֣וֹת  let  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
נַפְשִׁי֮  me 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
פְּלִשְׁתִּים֒  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.
וַיֵּ֣ט  And  he  pushed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
בְּכֹ֔חַ  with  [all  his]  might 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּחַ 
Sense: strength, power, might.
וַיִּפֹּ֤ל  and  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
הַבַּ֙יִת֙  the  temple 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַסְּרָנִ֔ים  the  lords 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סֶרֶן 
Sense: lord, ruler, tyrant.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בּ֑וֹ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וַיִּהְי֤וּ  so  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַמֵּתִים֙  the  dead 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הֵמִ֣ית  he  killed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בְּמוֹת֔וֹ  at  his  death 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
רַבִּ֕ים  more 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר  than 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הֵמִ֖ית  he  had  killed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בְּחַיָּֽיו  in  his  life 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.