Judges 16

The narrative arc begins with Samson's supreme confidence in his own physical strength, transitions into his gradual moral and spiritual erosion through intimacy with the enemy, and concludes with his final, desperate reliance upon Yahweh.

• The danger of indulgence in fleshly lusts and the fatal consequences of disclosing one's heart to those who lurk for destruction (v4-17).

• The Philistines were a maritime people (Sea Peoples) who settled on the coastal plain of Canaan, becoming Israel's primary antagonists during the period of the Judges.
• Gaza was a major Philistine city-state, and its capture/destruction was a significant military objective.

• The 'harlot' (זוֹנָה) mentioned in verse 1 was socially marginalized, yet Samson's association with her highlighted his disregard for the holiness expected of a Judge.
• The 'green withs' (לֶחִים יְתָרִים) were fresh, moist cords or vines, illustrating that the Philistines initially underestimated the nature of Samson's supernatural strength.

• Judges 16 serves as the climax of the Samson cycle (chapters 13-16).
• The narrative structure parallels other cycles in Judges where rebellion is followed by oppression, cry for help, and deliverance, though here the deliverance is uniquely linked to the deliverer's own death.

• Samson is categorized among the faithful in Hebrews 11:32, though the text does not gloss over his repeated moral failures. Matthew Henry observes that Samson's character is a blend of glorious strength and grievous sin, leading some to question his piety, yet the Epistle to the Hebrews confirms his place in the list of those who operated by faith.
• The loss of his hair (his 'crown') functions as the removal of his outward mark of holiness, paralleling the removal of the Spirit (v20).

• The reference to Samson being a Nazarite 'from my mother's womb' (v17) points back to the instruction given to his parents in Judges 13:5, 7.

• Samson (שִׁמְשׁוֹן H8123) is related to the word for sun (שֶׁמֶשׁ), suggesting his life was intended to shine brightly for Israel, yet it was dimmed by his choices.
• The word 'mocked' (הֵתֵל H2048) in verses 10, 13, and 15 implies a sense of ridiculing or deceiving, underscoring the manipulative game Delilah played.
• The phrase 'the Lord was departed' (v20) uses the verb סוּר (H5493), which means to turn aside or depart, signifying the removal of the divine presence necessary for his superhuman abilities.

• Samson's strength is described as returning (v22) as his hair grew, signaling the Lord's grace in returning to him, not merely an automatic physical property of the hair itself.
• Samson does not act out of personal vengeance, but rather identifies his cause with the cause of God (v28), asking for vengeance for 'his two eyes', which represents the reproach brought upon him as God's representative.

• Interpretive debate persists regarding Samson's suicide: whether his final act should be classified as suicide or as a strategic military action (a 'sacrifice of self' in war). Historical and theological positions vary; some scholars note that he did not end his life to escape pain, but as an act of combat to kill the enemies of Israel, similar to a soldier's death in battle.