Judges 16:20She said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" He awoke out of his sleep, and said, "I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free." But he didn't know that Yahweh had departed from him.
The setting
Gaza, Palestine (modern-day Gaza Strip). ~1100 BC. Dawn breaks as Samson wakes up, completely unaware his supernatural strength is gone forever...
The emotion here: sorrowful urgency while recording Israel's greatest judge's downfall
The original word
sûr (סוּר) — departed, turned aside, removed completely
Why it matters
Samson's hair was cut with a razor, which was forbidden for Nazirites under penalty of losing God's blessing
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 16:20
Samson says 'I will go out AS AT OTHER TIMES' — he's done this exact scenario before and escaped
Common misconceptionPeople think Samson lost his strength because his hair was cut, but it was because he broke his Nazirite vow and grieved the Holy Spirit. The hair was just the symbol.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 16:20
Bible Genome reading
Judges 16:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 16:20 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include spiritual blindness, loss of power, divine departure. Notable phrases: I will go out as at other times; he knew not that the LORD had departed.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Judges 16:20 mean to you, today?
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