Judges 16:19She made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
The setting
Gaza, Palestine. ~1100 BC. Samson sleeps with his head on Delilah's lap while a barber cuts his seven braids. His supernatural strength flows away with each cut...
The emotion here: narrator recording with sorrow at a great man's fall
The original word
maḥălāqôt (מחלקות) — braids, locks, the seven sections of hair that symbolized his consecration
Why it matters
Samson's hair wasn't magical - it represented his Nazirite vow; when cut, God withdrew the Spirit's power
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 16:19
The text says she 'began to afflict him' - she tested his weakness immediately while he was still groggy
Common misconceptionPeople think Samson lost his strength because his hair was cut, but he lost it because he broke his vow to God - the hair was just the symbol.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 16:19
Bible Genome reading
Judges 16:19 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 16:19 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include betrayal, loss of power, spiritual defeat. Notable phrases: made him sleep on her knees; shaved off the seven locks; began to afflict.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Judges 16:19 mean to you, today?
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