Judges 16:11 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Judges 16:9 Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

Judges 16:10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

Judges 16:11 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 16:12 Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

Judges 16:13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "bind", "fast", "ropes", "never", "occupied", "shall", and "weak". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "bind", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "And Delilah said unto Samson Behold thou..." into verse 12's "Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound...", so "said" and "bind" 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 "said" and "bind" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.