Judges 16:4-14
Delilah Asks for the Secret
4Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”
6So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
7Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become as weak as any other man.”
8So the lords of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him up with them.
9While the men were hidden in her room, she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he snapped the bowstrings like a strand of yarn seared by a flame. So the source of his strength remained unknown.
10Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have mocked me and lied to me! Now please tell me how you can be tied up.”
11He replied, “If they tie me up with new ropes that have never been used, I will become as weak as any other man.”
12So 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.
13Then 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.”
14So while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the web. Then she tightened it with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin with the loom and the web.
Berean Standard Bible
Samson loves Delilah in the Valley of Sorek, and the Philistine rulers offer her money to discover the source of his strength.
Delilah asks three times, and Samson answers with lies about fresh bowstrings, new ropes, and weaving his hair. Each answer becomes an opportunity for the Philistines, yet Samson keeps returning to the same danger.
Some time later, Samson fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Delilah's persistence works because Samson keeps returning to the conversation after each answer is tested. He knows the Philistines are waiting, yet he treats the danger as a game until he tells her the truth. His hair is a sign of the consecration given at his birth, but the chapter presents the LORD's departure as the deeper loss than the cutting itself.
The passage shows persistence used as pressure, but it also shows Samson refusing to take the warning seriously. He is not merely tricked by one clever question; he repeatedly chooses proximity to what seeks his ruin.
So while he slept, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the web. Then she tightened it with a pin and called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin with the loom and the web.
Talk about a boundary that is crossed more than once. Ask what your household calls a warning when the same danger keeps returning with a different explanation.
Questions
1 What is happening in this reading?
AnswerSamson loves Delilah in the Valley of Sorek, and the Philistine rulers offer her money to discover the source of his strength. Delilah asks three times, and Samson answers with lies about fresh bowstrings, new ropes, and weaving his hair.
2 Where do we see responsibility or failure?
AnswerThe passage shows persistence used as pressure, but it also shows Samson refusing to take the warning seriously. He is not merely tricked by one clever question; he repeatedly chooses proximity to what seeks his ruin.
3 What does this passage make clear?
AnswerDelilah's persistence works because Samson keeps returning to the conversation after each answer is tested. He knows the Philistines are waiting, yet he treats the danger as a game until he tells her the truth. His hair is a sign of the consecration given at his birth, but the chapter presents the LORD's departure as the deeper loss than the cutting itself.
4 What should our household remember?
AnswerTalk about a boundary that is crossed more than once. Ask what your household calls a warning when the same danger keeps returning with a different explanation.
What This Means for Us
Samson sees the danger returning through repeated questions and still remains near it. Talk about a boundary that has been crossed more than once, and decide what a serious response looks like before trust is destroyed.
Repeatedly approaching the same danger is not courage simply because the person survives for a while. Wise boundaries may require distance, outside help, and an honest admission that trust has been damaged.
Prayer
Lord, help us talk about a boundary that is crossed more than once. Give us courage to obey before fear has disappeared. Amen.