Judices 16:1

Nova Vulgata

Abiit Samson in Gazam et vidit ibi meretricem mulie rem ingressusque est ad eam.

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
Cecidit quoque sors filiorum Joseph ab Jordane contra Jericho et aquas ejus ab oriente : solitudo qu� ascendit de Jericho ad montem Bethel :

Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405)
Abiit quoque in Gazam, et vidit ibi mulierem meretricem, ingressusque est ad eam.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Gaza: Gaza, a city of great antiquity, was situated between Raphia and Askelon, twenty-two miles north of the former, and sixteen south of of the latter, according to the Antonine Itinerary; three miles from the sea, according to Arrian, and thirty-four from Ashdod or Azotus, according to Diodorus Siculus. It was a place of great strength and importance; and successively belonged to the Philistines, Hebrews, Chaldeans, and Persians; which latter defended it for two months against Alexander the great, who finally took and destroyed it. It was afterwards rebuilt, and alternately possessed by the Egyptians, Syrians, and Jews. The present town, which the Arabs call Razza, is situated on an eminence, and is rendered picturesque by the number of fine minarets which rise majestically above the buildings, with beautiful date trees interspersed. It contains upwards of 2,000 inhabitants. Genesis 10:19, Joshua 15:47

an harlot: Heb. a woman an harlot

and went: Genesis 38:16-18, Ezra 9:1, Ezra 9:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:6 - saw Genesis 38:2 - saw Joshua 10:41 - Gaza Judges 1:18 - Gaza 1 Samuel 6:17 - Gaza 1 Kings 4:24 - Azzah Proverbs 7:8 - General 1 Corinthians 6:16 - an harlot

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then went Samson to Gaza,.... One of the five principalities of the Philistines, which was ten miles from Ashkelon, as Sandys q says; who also describes r it as standing upon an hill environed with valleys, and these again well nigh enclosed with hills, most of them planted with all sorts of delicate fruits; and, according to Bunting s, forty two miles from Ramathlehi, the place where we last hear of him, :- :- what he went hither for is not easy to say; it showed great boldness and courage, after he had made such a slaughter of the Philistines, to venture himself in one of their strongest cities, where he must expect to be exposed to danger; though it is highly probable this was a long time after his last encounter with them:

and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her; the Targum renders it an innkeeper, one that kept a victualling house; so Kimchi, Ben Gersom, and Ben Melech interpret it; into whose house he went for entertainment and lodging, and very probably in the dusk of the evening; and the woman that kept this house might herself be an harlot, or, however, Samson saw one in her house, with whom he was captivated, and went in unto her, or had criminal conversation with her; it seems as if he did not turn in thither with any such wicked design, but on sight of the person was ensnared to commit lewdness with her; and, as Lyra says, there were many hostesses in some places, and so here, who too easily prostituted themselves to their guests.

q Travels, l. 3. p. 118. r Travels, l. 3. p. 116. s Ut supra. (Travels, l. 3. p. 118.)

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Gaza - About 8 hours from Eleutheropolis, and one of the chief strong-holds of the Philistines.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XVI

Samson comes to Gaza; they lay wait for him; he rises by night,

and carries away the city gates, 1-3.

Falls in love with Delilah, 4.

The lords of the Philistines promise her money if she will

obtain from Samson the secret in which his strength lay, 5.

By various artifices she at last obtains this; and

communicates it to the Philistines, who seize and bind him, put

out his eyes, and cause him to grind in the prison-house, 6-21.

At a public festival to Dagon he is brought out to make sport;

when, being weary, he requests to be placed between the two

pillars which supported the roof of the house, on which three

thousand men and women were stationed to see him make sport,

22-27.

He prays to God to strengthen him, and pulls down the pillars;

by which (the house falling) both himself, the lords of the

Philistines, and a vast multitude of the people, are slain,

28-30.

His relatives come and take away his body, and bury it, 31.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVI

Verse Judges 16:1. Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there a harlot — The Chaldee, as in the former case, renders the clause thus: Samson saw there a woman, an inn-keeper. Perhaps the word זונה zonah is to be taken here in its double sense; one who keeps a house for the entertainment of travellers, and who also prostitutes her person.

Gaza was situated near the Mediterranean Sea, and was one of the most southern cities of Palestine. It has been supposed by some to have derived its name from the treasures deposited there by Cambyses, king of the Persians; because they say Gaza, in Persian, signifies treasure; so Pomponius Mela and others. But it is more likely to be a Hebrew word, and that this city derived its name, עזה azzah, from עזז azaz, to be strong, it being a strong or well fortified place.

The Hebrew ע ain in this word is, by the Septuagint, the Arabic, and the Vulgate, rendered G; hence instead of azzah, with a strong guttural breathing, we have Gaza, a name by which this town could not be recognized by an ancient Hebrew.