Judges 16:1Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a prostitute, and went in to her.
The setting
Gaza, Philistine coastal city (modern-day Gaza Strip). Samson, Israel's judge and deliverer, enters enemy territory and seeks out a prostitute...
The emotion here: soberly recording the beginning of a tragic downward spiral
The original word
zonah (זוֹנָה) — prostitute, harlot, one who sells sexual services, highlighting the transactional nature of Samson's choice
Why it matters
Gaza was one of five major Philistine cities, making this especially dangerous territory for Israel's leader
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 16:1
The narrator states this matter-of-factly, without commentary — sometimes Scripture lets our actions speak louder than any moral lecture
Common misconceptionPeople think this was just about sex, but Samson was in enemy territory putting his entire mission at risk. This was treason disguised as pleasure.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 16:1
Bible Genome reading
Judges 16:1 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 16:1 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include moral failure, temptation. Notable phrases: went to Gaza; saw there a prostitute.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Judges 16:1 mean to you, today?
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