Delilah
The woman from the valley of Sorek whom Samson loved, and whom the Philistine lords paid eleven hundred pieces of silver each to discover the secret of his strength. Three times she asked, three times he lied — bowstrings, new ropes, weaving his hair into the loom — and three times she called the ambush anyway. She pressed him daily until his soul was vexed to death, and he told her about the Nazirite vow and his unshorn hair. She lulled him to sleep on her knees, had his head shaved, and woke him with the words she had used before: the Philistines are upon you.
What we know — and how we know it
Scan by NYPL — Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Ancient writersJosephus retells the Samson episode and names the woman of the Valley of Sorek in his account. His version is, however, a literary paraphrase of the biblical narrative rather than independent evidence for her existence.
Where in scripture
JudgesIt came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Judges 16:4 — Loved by Samson
Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and what you might be bound to afflict you.”
Judges 16:6
Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now please tell me with which you might be bound.”
Judges 16:10
So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread.
Judges 16:12
Delilah said to Samson, “Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what you might be bound.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.”
Judges 16:13
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 has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.
Judges 16:18
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
In their own words — 6 recorded sayings
“So Delilah said to Samson, Make clear to me now what is the secret of your great strength, and how you may be put in bands and made feeble.” — Judges 16:6
“Now she had men waiting secretly in the inner room; and she said to him, The Philistines are on you, Samson. And the cords were broken by him as a twist of thread is broken when touched by a flame. So the secret of his strength did not come to light. Then Delilah said to Samson, See, you have been making sport of me with false words; now, say truly how may you be put in bands?” — Judges 16:9-10
“So Delilah took new thick cords, knotting them tightly round him, and said to him, The Philistines are on you, Samson. And men were waiting secretly in the inner room. And the cords were broken off his arms like threads. Then Delilah said to Samson, Up to now you have made sport of me with false words; now say truly, how may you be put in bands? And he said to her, If you get the seven twists of my hair worked into the cloth you are making and fixed with the pin, I will become feeble and will be like any other man.” — Judges 16:12-13
“So while he was sleeping she got the seven twists of his hair worked into her cloth and fixed with the pin, and said to him, The Philistines are on you, Samson. Then awaking from his sleep, he got up quickly, pulling up cloth and machine together. And she said to him, Why do you say you are my lover when your heart is not mine? Three times you have made sport of me, and have not made clear to me the secret of your great strength.” — Judges 16:14-15
“And when Delilah saw that he had let her see into his heart, she sent word to the chiefs of the Philistines saying, Come up this time, for he has let out all his heart to me. Then the chiefs of the Philistines came to her, with the money in their hands.” — Judges 16:18
“Then she said, The Philistines are on you, Samson. And awaking from his sleep, he said, I will go out as at other times, shaking myself free. But he was not conscious that the Lord had gone from him.” — Judges 16:20
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
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