Judges 16:1-3

Samson at Gaza Judges 16:1-3

Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her.
2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of a hill that is before Hebron.

1.

Where was Gaza? Judges 16:1

Gaza was in Philistine territory west of Israel. It was one of the most ancient towns of the world. Modern Gaza serves as the capital of the Gaza strip, that elongated piece of land which was controlled by Egypt along the seacoast of the modern state of Israel. The land was taken by the Israelis in the six-day war of June, 1967. Gaza is a rather modern community and is southernmost of the cities which made up the Philistine Pentapolis. The ancient city was situated on the Mediterranean seacoast.

2.

How did Samson escape? Judges 16:2

The men of Gaza thought that Samson would stay all night in the house of the harlot, but he escaped by arising in the middle of the night. The Philistine men of Gaza had taken too much for granted. They had supposed that Samson would spend the entire night in the house of the Philistine harlot. As a result, they did not take the precaution of setting a guard at the house during the middle of the night. It was their false conclusion that they would be able to fall upon Samson after daybreak. Because of the carelessness of the Philistines, Samson left Gaza unharmed.

3.

What kind of gate was this? Judges 16:3

According to Keil and Delitzsch, Samson took hold of the folding wings of the city gate, as well as the two posts and tore them out of the ground (p. 418). Most gates were entranceways through which carriages might enter but the fortified cities in ancient times had not only the large they also had smaller gates which might be opened to admit people on foot. It was evidently the two smaller doors of the city gate along with the two bars or posts which went with them which Samson carried away from the city.

4.

How far did Samson carry the doors? Judges 16:3 b

Samson carried the doors of the city gate to the top of a hill which was on the road from Gaza to Hebron. The Scripture does not say that he carried the doors all the way to Hebron. He simply took them up the road to the top of the hill which was on the direct route to Hebron. This is the meaning of this verse which says he carried the doors to the top of the hill before Hebron.