And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

JUDGES 16:11KJV
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Judges 16:11 (KJV)

What does Judges 16:11 mean?

Judges 16:11 records Samson telling Delilah that if he is tied up tightly with new ropes that have never been used, he will become weak and be like any other man. Samson is giving Delilah a supposed secret to his strength, though he is not telling her the true source.

In this scene, Samson is speaking to Delilah, who is trying to find out the secret of his strength at the request of the Philistines. Samson's answer is a deliberate deception; he suggests that "new ropes" (never before used for work) would make him powerless, but this is not true. The verse shows Samson playing along with Delilah's questioning, continuing a pattern of misleading her about the real reason for his strength.

The Hebrew behind Judges 16:11

  • "new" (חָדָשׁ, chadash): This word means "new" or "fresh," emphasizing that the ropes must not have been used before. The detail highlights that Samson is making the challenge seem more difficult or special, adding to the deception.
  • "ropes" (עֲבוֹת, avot): This word refers to thick cords or ropes. The use of strong, unused ropes would sound convincing as something that could restrain a strong man.
  • "occupied" (מְלָאכָה, melakhah / עָשָׂה, asah): These words relate to work or being used. Samson specifies that the ropes must never have been put to any task, which adds a sense of ritual or superstition to his claim.

Why Judges 16:11 matters

  • This verse shows Samson intentionally misleading Delilah, which is important for understanding his character and the ongoing tension in their relationship.
  • The detail about "new ropes" that have "never been occupied" adds a layer of drama and shows how Samson tries to make his false answers sound convincing.
  • This moment fits into the larger story where Samson repeatedly avoids revealing the true source of his strength, which is his Nazirite vow and uncut hair, not anything to do with ropes.

Where else these words appear

“ropes” Hebrew H5688 · used in 23 verses

  • Exodus 28:14 And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
  • Judges 15:13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.
  • Isaiah 5:18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

“new” Hebrew H2319 · used in 48 verses

  • Exodus 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
  • 1 Kings 11:29 And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
  • Isaiah 41:15 Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

“bind” Hebrew H631 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 39:20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
  • Judges 15:13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.
  • 2 Chronicles 33:11 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

“weak” Hebrew H2470 · used in 73 verses

  • Genesis 48:1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
  • 2 Kings 20:12 At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
  • Isaiah 39:1 At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.