Delilah דְּלִילָה
Philistine woman who betrayed Samson
Who is Delilah in the Bible?
Delilah was a Philistine woman from the Valley of Sorek who played a crucial role in the downfall of Samson, one of Israel's judges (Judges 16:4). After Samson fell in love with her, the Philistine rulers bribed Delilah with a substantial sum of money to discover the secret of his supernatural strength (Judges 16:5). Through persistent deception, she repeatedly asked Samson to reveal his source of power, and he initially misled her with false answers about bowstrings, ropes, and his hair (Judges 16:6-13). Eventually, Samson confessed that his strength came from his uncut hair, a sign of his Nazirite covenant with God, and Delilah betrayed him to the Philistines, who captured and blinded him (Judges 16:18-21). Her story demonstrates how personal weakness and divided loyalty can lead to catastrophic consequences, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of compromising one's faith and convictions.
Biography
Delilah, a Philistine woman from the Valley of Sorek, is known for her role in the downfall of Samson, one of Israel's judges. Samson fell in love with Delilah, and the Philistine rulers, seeing an opportunity to defeat their enemy, offered Delilah a substantial sum of money to discover the secret of Samson's strength (Jdg.16.4-5).
Delilah repeatedly asked Samson to reveal the source of his strength, but he deceived her three times. First, he told her that if he were bound with seven fresh bowstrings, he would become weak, but when she did so, he broke them easily (Jdg.16.6-9). Next, he claimed that new ropes would render him helpless, but he snapped them as well (Jdg.16.10-12). Finally, he said that weaving his hair into a loom would take away his strength, but this too proved false (Jdg.16.13-14).
Frustrated by Samson's deception, Delilah persistently pressed him for the truth, wearing him down with her words day after day. Eventually, Samson revealed that his strength came from his uncut hair, a sign of his Nazirite vow to God (Jdg.16.15-17). Delilah lulled Samson to sleep, called for a man to shave his head, and his strength left him (Jdg.16.18-19).
The Philistines captured the weakened Samson, gouged out his eyes, and forced him to work as a grinder in prison (Jdg.16.20-21). Delilah's betrayal ultimately led to Samson's humiliation and imprisonment, though he later regained his strength and brought down the Philistine temple, killing many Philistines and himself in the process (Jdg.16.22-30).
Delilah's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of temptation, deception, and the consequences of betraying one's vows to God. It also highlights the weakness of even the strongest man when he allows himself to be swayed by the wiles of a woman.
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In Scripture
1 biblical bookJudges 5 verses
- Judges 16:4
"Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah."
- Judges 16:6
"So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”"
- Judges 16:10
"Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me! Now please tell me how you can be tied up.”"
- Judges 16:12
"So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But while the men were hidden in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like they were threads."
- Judges 16:13
"Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me all along! Tell me how you can be tied up.” He told her, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the web of a loom and tighten it with a pin, I will become as weak as any other man.”"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | דְּלִילָה |
Delilah
h that is not expressly stated. She is not spoken of as Samson's wife, though many have understood the account in that way. The Philistines paid her a tremendously high price for her services. The account indicates that for beauty, personal charm, mental ability, self-command, nerve, she was quite a wonderful woman, a woman to be admired for some qualities which she exhibits, even while she is to be utterly disapproved. See SAMSON.
Willis J. Beecher
de-liv'-er (natsal, nathan; rhuomai, paradidomi): Occurs very frequently in the Old Testament and represents various Hebrew terms.
The English word is used in two senses,
(1) "to set free," etc.,
(2)