Judges 16:2

‘ And it was told the Gazites, saying, “Samson has come here!” And they compassed him in and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all night, saying, “We will wait for morning light. Then we will kill him.” '

The leading men of Gaza learned that Samson was there. Possibly he had been spotted, or perhaps the prostitute had sent a message informing them of his presence, hoping for a reward. He may well have boasted about who he was, for he had lost his humility. Either way they decided that they would wait until morning, when approaching him might be less dangerous because then they could see what they were doing. They knew that there was only one way out of the walled city, through the huge city gates, and those would not be opened until the morning. And so they knew that they had him safe. They knew that they would be able to take him when they wanted and in a place where they themselves had set an ambush.

So in order to ensure success they gathered men in and around the gateway, trapping him in the city, ready to take him the next day when he came at the time of the opening of the gate. He could not after all kill the whole town. They ‘were quiet all night.' That is, they did not seek to disturb him and themselves took the opportunity of resting.

“The Gazites.” This may have been the official name of their council, or they may have been so proud of their city that that was how they liked to be known. Each large Philistine city was semi-independent and had pride in its own status. They did not think of themselves as ‘Philistines' and some, those for example in Beth-shan, were in fact Tjekker and not strictly Philistines, although of similar stock (they used different pottery).