SAMSON MEETS DELILAH

During Samson's years as Judge, The Philistines were ruled by five rulers each from a different city. Each city was an important center for trade and commerce.  These rich and powerful leaders came to a woman named Delilah to discuss something important.  Now Delilah, a prostitute, found that Samson was infatuated with her after one night they had spent together and these men who were meeting with her wanted her help in discovering why Samson had so much inhuman power. The men offered her eleven hundred shekels of silver is she would discover Samson's secret, for they wanted to subdue Samson.  Delilah was cunning, and being very sure of her own power over men, she gladly agreed.


'But, Delilah's questioning of Samson became a game to him.  "Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued," she said, while tickling his arm. And Samson answered, "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 Samson with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him,  "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!"  And Samson snapped the thongs as easily as a piece of string when it comes close to a flame.  So his secret was not discovered.


Delilah pouted and said to him, "You have made a fool  of me; you lied to me.  Come now, tell me how you can be tied." And again, Samson lied in return, and said, "Secure me with new ropes."  And again, she tried to set the Philistines upon him.  But he easily defeated them.  She tried again and again to trick him into giving up his secret, but he did not give in.


But Delilah was a very determined woman, and she pondered over what might make Samson tell her truthfully what would make him weak.  She knew he was infatuated with her, even with her attempts to trap him.  So, she played a woman's game, and said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you," when you won't confide in me?' You have made a fool of me three times and haven't told me the secret of your great strength."  With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired of  it.


So, finally, he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used  on my head," he said, "because if I shaved, my strength would leave me, as I am a Nazarite, set apart by God, and if I were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other  man."


When Delilah saw he had told her every thing, she told the rulers of the Philistines to come back again, as he had told her everything.  When she said to Samson, "Samson, awake.  The Philistines are upon you," Samson could do nothing, and he was captured and taken to prison, and they gouged out his eyes so he could not ever see again.


More on Samson tomorrow!


Jo INMN 






They  put him to grinding grain