This story has always fasinated me and is one of my favorite couples.
What is your favorite couple?
Samson was of the tribe of Dan, from their southern coastal lands adjacent to the Philistine territory He is the first Nazirite specifically mentioned in
The Bible (Judges 13:3-5, Numbers 6:1-21), and the last of the judges mentioned in the
Book Of Judges, after having led, or judged, (all or part of) Israel for 20 years (Judges 16:31). Delilah was a Philistine woman who lived in the valley of Sorek (Judges 16:4-20), which is runs from near
Jerusalem to the Mediterranean Sea south of Joppa (today, Tel Aviv). Together, these two people from opposite sides of warring nations are the subject of one of the most famous stories in
Bible History -
"Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver."
"So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued."
"Samson answered her, "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that have not been dried, I'll become as weak as any other man."
"Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh thongs that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the thongs as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered."
"Then Delilah said to Samson, "You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied."
"He said, "If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I'll become as weak as any other man."
"So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.
"Delilah then said to Samson, "Until now, you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied."
"He replied, "If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I'll become as weak as any other man." So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin."
"Again she called to him, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric."
"Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death."
"So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."
"When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him."
"Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!"
"He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that The Lord had left him."
"Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved."
MAMA
