Judges 16:11 (GNV)

Passage

Then he answered her, If they binde mee with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, then shall I be weake, and be as an other man.

Nearby Context

Judges 16:9 (And she had men lying in wayte with her in the chamber) Then she said vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson. And hee brake the cordes, as a threede of towe is broken, when it feeleth fire: so his strength was not knowen.

Judges 16:10 After Delilah saide vnto Samson, See, thou hast mocked mee and tolde mee lies. I pray thee nowe, tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound.

Judges 16:11 Then he answered her, If they binde mee with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, then shall I be weake, and be as an other man.

Judges 16:12 Delilah therefore tooke newe ropes, and bounde him therewith, and saide vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson: (and men lay in wayte in the chamber) and hee brake them from his armes, as a threede.

Judges 16:13 Afterward Delilah said to Samson, Hitherto thou hast beguiled mee, and tolde me lies: tell me how thou mightest be bounde. And he sayde vnto her, If thou plattedst seuen lockes of mine head with the threedes of the woufe.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "answered", "binde", "newe", "ropes", "neuer", "occupied", "shall", and "weake". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "answered" and "binde", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "After Delilah saide vnto Samson See thou..." into verse 12's "Delilah therefore tooke newe ropes and bounde...", so "answered" and "binde" belong inside that flow. In Judges context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "answered" and "binde" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.