The Meaning of Judges 16:16 Explained

Judges 16:16

KJV: And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

YLT: And it cometh to pass, because she distressed him with her words all the days, and doth urge him, and his soul is grieved to death,

Darby: And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.

ASV: And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when she pressed  him daily  with her words,  and urged  him, [so] that his soul  was vexed  unto death; 

What does Judges 16:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 16:15-31 - Dying With The Philistines
It may be that the razor has already severed your union with Christ. If we abide not in living union with Him, we are cast out as branches from the vine, and wither. This is bad enough, but it is still worse when we are not aware of it. See Hosea 7:9. Some of our greatest spiritual experiences may be like sunrise or sunset. "There is no speech nor language; their voice is not heard," but the effect, for good or ill, soon shows itself.
We may be blind and captive, yet for us also the hair that was cut may begin to grow again. The old faith and love, the old consecration and surrender, the old power with God and man may come again. Do not turn away from Him, penitent soul, for God is willing to take you back again into the secret of His power. "He hateth putting away," Malachi 2:16; Isaiah 50:1. Out of your sorrowful heart, send up Samson's prayer! But do not ask to be strengthened only this once. God will do it not for once, but for many times, if only you will trust Him absolutely, 2 Kings 13:19. And do not ask to die; believe that life shall again become bright, strong and victorious [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 16

1  Samson at Gaza escapes, and carries away the gates of the city
4  Delilah corrupted by the Philistines, entices Samson
6  Thrice she is deceived
15  At last she overcomes him
21  The Philistines take him, and put out his eyes
22  His strength renewing, he pulls down the house upon the Philistines and dies

What do the individual words in Judges 16:16 mean?

And it came to pass when she pestered him with her words every daily and pressed him and [so] that was vexed his soul to death
וַ֠יְהִי כִּֽי־ הֵצִ֨יקָה לּ֧וֹ בִדְבָרֶ֛יהָ כָּל־ הַיָּמִ֖ים וַתְּאַֽלֲצֵ֑הוּ וַתִּקְצַ֥ר נַפְשׁ֖וֹ לָמֽוּת

וַ֠יְהִי  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הֵצִ֨יקָה  she  pestered 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: צוּק  
Sense: (Hiphil) to constrain, press, bring into straits, straiten, oppress.
בִדְבָרֶ֛יהָ  with  her  words 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַיָּמִ֖ים  daily 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וַתְּאַֽלֲצֵ֑הוּ  and  pressed  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: אָלַץ  
Sense: (Piel) to urge.
וַתִּקְצַ֥ר  and  [so]  that  was  vexed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: קָצוּר 
Sense: to be short, be impatient, be vexed, be grieved.
נַפְשׁ֖וֹ  his  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לָמֽוּת  to  death 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.