Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.”
Parallel translations
- WEB The lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.”
- 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!”
- 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.”
- 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!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Philistine lords gather to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon, crediting their god with delivering Samson into their hands. They celebrate a false god's supposed triumph.
Overview
The Philistines interpret Samson's capture as Dagon's victory over Yahweh, making this a contest of gods. Their misplaced worship sets up the climactic vindication of the true God. Scripture often shows the Lord overturning the boasts of idols, and Samson's coming act will expose Dagon as powerless.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Prov 24:17Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
- 1 Sam 5:2–5carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.
- Job 30:9–10And now they mock me in song; I have become a byword among them.
- Mic 4:5Though each of the peoples may walk in the name of his god, yet we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
- 1 Cor 8:4–5So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
- Rom 1:23–25and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
- 1 Chr 10:10They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of Dagon.
- Jer 2:11Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols.
- Ps 35:15–16But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.
- 1 Cor 10:20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 16:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.