Judges 16:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, "Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand."

NIV: Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands."

NASB: Now the governors of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to celebrate, for they said, 'Our god has handed Samson our enemy over to us.'

CSB: Now the Philistine leaders gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said: Our god has handed over our enemy Samson to us.

NLT: The Philistine rulers held a great festival, offering sacrifices and praising their god, Dagon. They said, 'Our god has given us victory over our enemy Samson!'

KJV: Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

NKJV: Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!”

The worship of pagan deities and false gods is rarely depicted so extensively in the Bible. The "lords of the Philistines" are probably the rulers of the five major Philistine cities (Joshua 13:3). They've assembled in Gaza to give praise and worship to Dagon and make a sacrifice to their god.

Historians report that Dagon was originally worshiped as a god of grain or harvest or possibly storms. Popular culture often associates Dagon with fish and the sea, as the Hebrew word dag means "fish," though the Philistines apparently treated him as a general deity. Among some Baal worshippers in Canaan, Dagon was said to be the father of Baal. Like the Israelites, the Philistines were relatively new to Palestine. Also like the Israelites, they apparently adopted some of the regional gods as their own. Dagon-worship is always associated with the Philistines in the Old Testament.

The scene which follows shows how noteworthy Samson's capture was to the Philistines. Israel had become compliant and easily managed over time (Judges 13:1; 15:11). Samson was an agent of chaos and disruption, bringing them various levels of destruction for twenty years (Judges 15:20). The Philistines believed Dagon had finally delivered Samson into their hands; this would mean Dagon had won a victory over the God of Israel. So, the Philistine nobles gathered for a party in honor of their idol.

Judges 16:23–31 begins with a great Philistine celebration in Gaza. This honors the false god, Dagon, for the capture of Samson. Samson, blind and humiliated, is put on display in the crowded temple for the entertainment of thousands of men and women, including the Philistine lords. He asks to lean against the pillars that support the building and prays to the Lord for one more burst of strength to avenge his eyes. With God's strength, he knocks the pillars down, killing thousands of Philistines and himself. He is buried near his hometown of Zorah.

After escaping an ambush in the Philistine city of Gaza, Samson rips the city gates out and walks away with them. When he falls deeply in love with Delilah, Philistine nobles pay her a fortune to seduce Samson into revealing the secret of his strength. She eventually succeeds, shaving his head while he sleeps. The Philistines gouge out Samson's eyes and put him in prison in Gaza. He is put on display at a celebration for the Philistine idol Dagon. God grants a last moment of supernatural power in response to Samson prayer. Samson collapses the support beams of the temple, crushing himself along with thousands of Philistine leaders.

Samson's story began in chapter 14 and will end here. His time as a judge lasted twenty years (Judges 15:20), but Scripture records only a few major incidents from his life. No specific times are assigned to these events. Samson humiliates Gaza by ripping out the city gates with his bare hands. He then falls for Delilah, who finds out the secret of his strength and betrays him. The Philistines blind Samson and enslave him in a prison near Gaza. They then parade him around during a noblemen's celebration in the temple of Dagon. With power from the Lord, granted as a last request, Samson collapses the temple's support pillars. This kills everyone inside, including himself. This begins the process of Israel's liberation (Judges 13:5), which later men such as Samuel will complete (1 Samuel 7:11–14).

The Book of Judges describes Israel's history from the death of Joshua to shortly before Israel's first king, Saul. Israel fails to complete God's command to purge the wicked Canaanites from the land (Deuteronomy 7:1–5; 9:4). This results in a centuries-long cycle where Israel falls into sin and is oppressed by local enemies. After each oppression, God sends a civil-military leader, labeled using a Hebrew word loosely translated into English as "judge." These appointed rescuers would free Israel from enemy control and govern for a certain time. After each judge's death, the cycle of sin and oppression begins again. This continues until the people of Israel choose a king, during the ministry of the prophet-and-judge Samuel (1 Samuel 1—7).