Delilah (Judges 16:4–5; Judges 16:6–9; Judges 16:10–12; Judges 16:13–14; Judges 16:15–17; Judges 16:18–19; Judges 16:20–21)

A woman in the valley of Sorek

A woman in the valley of Sorek whom Samson loved, to whom the lords of the Philistines promised silver, who asked him three times where his strength lay, and who sent for the lords when he had told her all his heart.

Scripture names her only in Judges 16: “And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah” (Judges 16:4). The text says that Samson loved her, but never calls her his wife or names her people.

The lords of the Philistines came up to her and said, “Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver” (Judges 16:5). Three times she asked Samson what would bind him, and three times she cried, “The Philistines are upon thee, Samson” (Judges 16:9); each time he broke what bound him. Then she said, “How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me?” (Judges 16:15), and “she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death” (Judges 16:16).

“And he told her all his heart” (Judges 16:17). She sent and called for the lords, who “brought the money in their hand” (Judges 16:18); she made him sleep upon her knees, “called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head” (Judges 16:19). Her last words in the text are again “The Philistines are upon thee, Samson” (Judges 16:20). Then “the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes” (Judges 16:21). The text names her no more, and does not say what became of her.

Weaknesses

• Pressed him daily with her words
• Bound him while liers-in-wait abode in the inner chamber
• Called for the lords when he had told all his heart

Themes

• A secret sought
• Silver from the lords of the Philistines
• Love and the heart
• The seven locks
• Strength gone

Samson loves her; the lords offer silver (Judges 16:4–5)

Samson loves a woman in the valley of Sorek named Delilah, and the lords of the Philistines tell her to entice him and find where his strength lies, promising her eleven hundred pieces of silver each.

Seven green withes (Judges 16:6–9)

Delilah asks Samson where his strength lies; he names seven green withes; she binds him with them while men lie in wait, and he breaks them.

Seven green withes

“And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man” (Judges 16:6-7).

“Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known” (Judges 16:8-9).

New ropes (Judges 16:10–12)

She says he has mocked her and told her lies; he names new ropes; she binds him with them, and he breaks them off his arms like a thread.

The seven locks and the web (Judges 16:13–14)

She says again that he has mocked her; he names the weaving of his seven locks with the web; she fastens it with the pin, and he awakes and plucks away the pin and the web.

Pressed daily; he tells all his heart (Judges 16:15–17)

She asks how he can say he loves her when his heart is not with her, presses him daily until his soul is vexed unto death, and he tells her all his heart, that he has been a Nazirite unto God from his mother's womb.

Pressed daily; he tells all his heart

“And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth” (Judges 16:15).

“And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death” (Judges 16:16).

“And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man” (Judges 16:17).

The shaving of the seven locks (Judges 16:18–19)

Seeing that he has told her all his heart, she sends for the lords, who bring the money; she makes him sleep upon her knees, calls for a man, and shaves off his seven locks, and his strength goes from him.

The shaving of the seven locks

“And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand” (Judges 16:18).

“And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him” (Judges 16:19).

The Philistines are upon thee (Judges 16:20–21)

She says again that the Philistines are upon him; he awakes, thinking to shake himself free, not knowing the LORD has departed; the Philistines take him, put out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza.

The Philistines are upon thee

“And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he knew not that Jehovah was departed from him” (Judges 16:20).

“And 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” (Judges 16:21).

Samson (Judges 16:4; Judges 16:15–19)

The text says he loved her; she asked him wherein his great strength lay, and when he told her all his heart she called for a man and shaved off his seven locks.

The lords of the Philistines (Judges 16:5; Judges 16:8; Judges 16:18)

They came up to her promising silver, brought up the green withes, and came again with the money in their hand.

Major sections

• Judges 16:4–21

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