Samson and Delilah

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 When Samson fell for Delilah, a woman from the Valley of Sorek, it marked the beginning of his downfall and eventual demise. It didn't take long for the rich and powerful Philistine rulers to learn of the affair and immediately pay a visit to Delilah. You see, Samson was judge over Israel at the time and had been taking out great vengeance on the Philistines—but that's another story. Hoping to capture him, the Philistine leaders each offered Delilah a sum of money to collaborate with them in a scheme to uncover the secret of Samson's great strength.

Using her powers of seduction and deception, Delilah persistently wore down Samson with her repeated requests, until he finally divulged the crucial information. Having taken the Nazirite vow at birth, Samson had been set apart to God. As part of that vow, his hair was never to be cut. When Samson told Delilah that his strength would leave him if a razor were to be used on his head, she cunningly crafted her plan with the Philistine rulers.

While Samson slept on her lap, Delilah called in a co-conspirator to shave off the seven braids of his hair. Subdued and weak, Samson was captured.

Rather than killing him, the Philistines preferred to humiliated him by gouging out his eyes and subjecting him to hard labor in a Gaza prison. As he slaved at grinding grain, his hair began to grow, but the careless Philistines paid no attention. And in spite of his horrible failures and sins of great consequence, Samson's heart now turned to the Lord. He was humbled. He prayed to God—a first—and God answered.

During a pagan sacrificial ritual, the Philistines had gathered in Gaza to celebrate. As was their custom, they paraded their prized enemy prisoner into the temple to entertain the jeering crowds. Samson braced himself between the two central support pillars of the temple and pushed with all his might. Down came the temple, killing Samson and all of the people in it. Through his death, Samson destroyed more of his enemies in this one sacrificial act, than he had previously killed in all the battles of his life.

The Scriptures
Judges 16:1-31

Samson At Gaza
Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.  And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samaon is come hither.  And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.  And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

Samson And Delilah 
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.  And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give you every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.  And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and wherewith you might be bound to afflict you.  And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.  Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.  Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber.  And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson.  And he broke the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it touches the fire.  So his strength was not known.

New Ropes  
And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, you have mocked me and to me lies: now tell me, I pray you, wherewith you might be bound.  And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that were never occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.  Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson.  And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber.  And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

The Hair
And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto you have mocked me; and told me lies: tell me wherewith you might be bound.  And he said unto her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.  And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon you, Samson.  And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

The Secret 
And  she said unto him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me?  you have mocked me these three times, and have not told me wherein your great strength lies.  And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death.  That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There has not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.  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 has showed me all his heart.  The the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.  And she made him sleep upon her knees and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and went from him.

The Departure Of The Lord 
And she said, The Philistines be upon you, Samson.  And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other time before, and shake myself.  And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.  But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

Samson's Restoration
Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.  Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.  And when the people saw him, they praise their god: for they said, Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which killed many of us.  And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport.  And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.  And Samson said unto the lad who held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house stands, that I may lean upon them.  Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, who beheld while Samson made sport.  And Samson called unto the Lord and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.  And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines.  And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people who were therein.  So the dead which he killed at his death were more than they which he killed in his life.  Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father.  And he judged Israel twenty years.