Judges 16:20 Meaning and Explanation
“And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Samson wakes expecting his old strength, not knowing that the LORD had departed from him.
What Does Judges 16:20 Mean?
Delilah sounds the alarm one last time. Samson wakes intending to shake himself free as before, but the text adds the saddest line of his story: he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
Samson's tragedy is not only lost strength but lost awareness, presuming on a power whose Source had quietly withdrawn. He thought the gift was his to command, forgetting that it was always the Lord's to give. This is the peril of every life that takes grace for granted, going through familiar motions while the presence that made them mighty has slipped away unnoticed. The verse calls us never to assume the Lord's nearness while neglecting Him, lest we too wake to find ourselves alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 16:20
What does Judges 16:20 mean?
Samson wakes expecting his old strength, not knowing that the LORD had departed from him.