Judges 16:3 Meaning and Explanation
“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 an hill that is before Hebron.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →At midnight Samson tears the city gate loose, posts and all, and carries it on his shoulders toward Hebron.
What Does Judges 16:3 Mean?
Rather than wait for the dawn ambush, Samson rises at midnight, seizes the massive doors of Gaza's gate together with their posts and bar, and hauls the whole structure up a hill facing distant Hebron, many miles away.
A city gate was its defense and its pride; to carry it off was to expose Gaza as helpless before the strength God gave. The deliverance is real, yet it comes through a man acting alone, on his own terms, in a city he never should have entered. Here is grace working even through a flawed servant, a reminder that God's power is not finally limited by the failings of those He uses. Still, the strength bears no fruit of repentance, and that gap will widen.
Frequently Asked Questions About Judges 16:3
What does Judges 16:3 mean?
At midnight Samson tears the city gate loose, posts and all, and carries it on his shoulders toward Hebron.