And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven green thongs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven green thongs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.
And Samson said to her, If seven new bow-cords which have never been made dry are knotted round me, I will become feeble and will be like any other man.
And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven green withs, that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.
Samson said to her, "If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man."
And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.
Seven green withs - That is, any kind of pliant, tough wood, twisted in the form of a cord or rope. Such are used in many countries formed out of osiers, hazel, etc. And in Ireland, very long and strong ropes are made of the fibres of bog-wood, or the larger roots of the fir, which is often dug up in the bogs or mosses of that country. But the Septuagint, by translating the Hebrew יתרים לחים yetharim lachim by νευραις ὑγραις, and the Vulgate by nerviceis funibus, understand these bonds to be cords made of the nerves of cattle, or perhaps rather out of raw hides, these also making an exceedingly strong cord. In some countries they take the skin of the horse, cut it lengthwise from the hide into thongs about two inches broad, and after having laid them in salt for some time, take them out for use. This practice is frequent in the country parts of Ireland; and both customs, the wooden cord, and that made of the raw or green hide, are among the most ancient perhaps in the world. Among the Irish peasantry this latter species of cord is called the tug and is chiefly used for agricultural purposes, particularly for drawing the plough and the harrow, instead of the iron chains used in other countries.
16:7 Samson said - Samson is guilty both of the sin of lying, and of great folly in encouraging her enquiries, which he should at first have checked: but as he had forsaken God, so God had now forsaken him, otherwise the frequent repetition and vehement urging of this question might easily have raised suspicion in him.