Judges 16:16 (GNV)

Passage

And because shee was importunate vpon him with her wordes continually, and vexed him, his soule was pained vnto the death.

Nearby Context

Judges 16:14 And she fastened it with a pinne, and saide vnto him, The Philistims be vpon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleepe, and went away with the pinne of the webbe and the woufe.

Judges 16:15 Againe shee sayde vnto him, Howe canst thou say, I loue thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked mee these three times, and hast not tolde me wherein thy great strength lieth.

Judges 16:16 And because shee was importunate vpon him with her wordes continually, and vexed him, his soule was pained vnto the death.

Judges 16:17 Therefore he tolde her all his heart, and said vnto her, There neuer came rasor vpon mine head: for I am a Nazarite vnto God from my mothers wombe: therefore if I bee shauen, my strength will goe from me, and I shalbe weake, and be like all other men.

Judges 16:18 And when Delilah sawe that he had tolde her all his heart, she sent, and called for the Princes of ye Philistims, saying, Come vp once againe: for he hath shewed mee all his heart. Then the Princes of the Philistims came vp vnto her, and brought the money in their handes.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shee", "importunate", "vpon", "wordes", "continually", "vexed", "soule", and "pained". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shee" and "importunate", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Againe shee sayde vnto him Howe canst..." into verse 17's "Therefore he tolde her all his heart...", so "shee" and "importunate" 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 "shee" and "importunate" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.