The Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.
The seven fresh cords (Judges 16:7) were probably common catgut cords that the Philistines used for bowstrings and the strings of their harps. If so, they were unclean for Samson since they were dead animal parts. Perhaps Samson specified seven of these since the Israelites regarded seven as a complete number. New ropes (Judges 16:11) had not held him previously (cf. Judges 15:13-14), but perhaps the lords of the Philistines were unaware of this.