And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.
JUDGES 16:20KJVWhat does Judges 16:20 mean?
Judges 16:20 describes the moment when Samson, after being betrayed by Delilah, wakes up and assumes he still has his supernatural strength, but he does not realize that the LORD has left him. This verse marks the turning point where Samson's special power is gone because his relationship with God has been broken.
Delilah calls out to warn Samson that the Philistines are attacking, just as she has done before. Samson wakes up and thinks he can escape as usual, but he is unaware that God’s presence and strength have departed from him. The verse highlights Samson’s loss of awareness about his changed condition and sets up his capture by the Philistines.
The Hebrew behind Judges 16:20
- "wist" (יָדַע, yāda‘): This word means "to know" or "to perceive." The verse emphasizes that Samson did not know or realize that the LORD had left him, showing his complete unawareness of his spiritual state.
- "departed" (סוּר, sûr): This word means "to turn aside" or "to depart." It is used here to show that the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH) had withdrawn His presence and power from Samson, which is the key reason for Samson’s sudden weakness.
Why Judges 16:20 matters
- This verse clears up the common misunderstanding that Samson’s strength was simply in his hair; it shows that his power depended on God’s presence, not just a physical sign.
- Judges 16:20 highlights the danger of taking God’s presence for granted, as Samson did, and the consequences of repeated disobedience.
- The verse connects directly to the larger story of Samson’s downfall and the way his choices led to his vulnerability, setting up the events that follow in the chapter.