My penultimate lady of focus for my 2023 series called, "Women Of The Bible" is the formidable Delilah. This woman is someone we meet in Judges 16 and I pray my poetry and study on her can give us much food for thought today. God bless you, Lucy x
Women Of The Bible- Delilah
Judges 16:1-21
“Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. When the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.” And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.” And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them. Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. Then Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with.” So he said to her, “If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread.
Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.”
And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom”—
So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom.
Then she said to 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 where your great strength lies.” And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.”
Women of the Bible give cause for conversation.Women Of The Bible- Delilah
Judges 16:1-21
“Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. When the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.” And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you.” And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them. Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. Then Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with.” So he said to her, “If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread.
Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.”
And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom”—
So she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom.
Then she said to 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 where your great strength lies.” And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”
When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.”
Let’s focus on Delilah who has quite the reputation!
We read of her in Judges in a devastating story,
Her tale with mighty Samson leads to details rather gory.
Though Samson thought he’d toy with her and tricked her more than twice,
Delilah was determined to reveal his only vice.
Her strength was in her beauty which she used to her advantage,
Weakened by his passion, he was at a disadvantage.
Samson had been set apart, from birth a Nazirite
But arrogance is never pleasing in our Maker’s sight.
This man was far from perfect and he paid a costly price.
He shows that when it comes to pride, we really should think twice.
Returning to Delilah, she can teach some lessons too.
Looking at her life, there are some things we must think through.
She used manipulation for earthly goods and gain,
Caring not for others but for riches she’d obtain.
Though Samson loved Delilah, she only loved herself.
This woman stopped at nothing to achieve her worldly wealth.
Her callous acts reflective of those godless, evil times.
She used her gifts for selfish gain and not for things divine.
Oh may Delilah prompt our heart to check our own ambition,
Giving every gift to God must be our greatest mission!
Let vanity and selfishness play no part in our story.
Purify our motives Lord and bring Your name the glory!
Proverbs 11:22
“Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.”
Proverbs 31:30
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Philippians 2:3-4 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Points For Reflection And Insight
The story of Delilah and Samson certainly isn’t one that leaves me feeling uplifted but it definitely highlights many lessons and spiritual truths that we can learn from. Judges 16, where Delilah appears, begins with the Nazirite, Samson visiting a prostitute in Gaza. Samson is clearly in sin here and gives us a powerful insight into how fallen and depraved those times were. The book of Judges even goes on to mention in chapter 17, verse 6,
“In those days there was no king of Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
In our current times where the statement, “live your own truth” is banded about constantly, we certainly know the pitfalls of this kind of lawless thinking! It also shows us there is nothing new under the sun and this so-called “modern ideology” isn’t so modern at all!
Going back to the text, we can see that Samson had been called to be used by God and to be set apart as a Nazirite, from birth. He was to play a key role in God’s plan to free His people from their Philistine rulers. It’s worth noting that the status of a Nazirite is different to that of a Nazarene. The Bible tells us that Jesus was sometimes referred to as “Jesus the Nazarene” and this was because He lived in the city of Nazareth. A Nazirite however, is a different thing and we can read about the statutes surrounding the life of the Nazirite in Numbers chapter 6.
Put simply, a man or woman who had taken the vow of a Nazirite had to abstain from wine and all other grape products such as vinegar or grapes. They were to refrain from cutting the hair on their head and also avoid becoming ritually impure by coming into contact with a corpse, a grave or even family members of someone who had died. The Nazirite is described as being “holy unto God” and so to find Samson in such an “unholy” condition in Judges 16 is disheartening to say the least.
We can read in chapter 14 that Samson had already broken the first two stipulations of his Nazirite vow, so it comes as no great surprise that his tempestuous nature and physical desires led him to breaking the third stipulation with Delilah.
I remember hearing my Pastor teaching on this portion of Scripture and something that stuck with me was the fact that Samson’s great power and strength didn’t actually lie in his hair. The hair on his head didn’t possess magical properties that gave him his strength, it was the covenant he had with God that was the true source of his power.
When Delilah cut Samson’s hair, this was an outer symbol of Samson’s inward departure from his Nazirite vow and showed the breaking of his covenant with God. It’s wasn’t the actual act of cutting his hair that removed his strength, it was the condition of his heart. It was God Himself who was Samson’s strength but his arrogance and self-reliance led him down the road of hypocrisy and pride which in turn, led to him forsaking his special covenant with the Lord. Samson’s behaviour with Delilah was very much a byproduct of a heart that had grown arrogant and wandered away from God.
Reading in the earlier chapters about Samson’s ability to wield great strength while succumbing to the deceitfulness of sin, shows us clearly how gracious, patient and merciful God is. God still permitted Samson to use his power for a time, even though there were certain areas of his life where he was clearly getting things wrong. This highlights the encouraging truth that God can use flawed people to achieve His purposes. Jesus is able to use imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will, not because of their sin but in spite of it.
This certainly shouldn’t give us the message that we can carry on, knowingly living a sinful lifestyle and just rely on God’s grace to cover us. As the Apostle Paul said on this matter, “God forbid!” The remainder of Samson’s story should be a clear and stark reminder of why this foolish way of thinking is extremely unwise and will only lead to devastation and heartache.
We can’t categories our lives and think we can get away with “righteous living” on the outside while harbouring secret sins in the dark. God is interested in every area of our lives and He must reign over our hearts entirely. Living in obedience to God’s ways should always be our soul’s desire and main focus in life, for our sake and for the power of our witness to those around us.
As we read with Samson though, he forsakes his covenant with God and pays a high price indeed. We read later in Judges 16 that Samson calls out to the Lord in repentance and acknowledges once more, the true source of his strength. Verse 28 reads,
“Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!””
Just as it wasn’t the actual act of cutting his hair that removed his strength, likewise it wasn’t the return of Samson’s hair that allowed his strength to be restored to him. The uncut hair was merely symbolic of his covenant as a Nazirite. It was intended to be an outer message to the world of the inward condition of a heart submitted to God.
It was the changed condition of Samson’s heart and his repentant prayer that led to his power being restored. Samson had been humbled through his arrogance but here we have a powerful example of how a prayer of true repentance is always heard by God. When Samson acknowledged the error of his sinful ways and turned back to his Creator, God then restored him and allowed his life to be used once more for His service. This shows us clearly that God’s purposes were far bigger than Samson himself and it was in spite of Samson’s failures that God used him, not because of them.
I mention all of this because I think it’s helpful to consider the context surrounding Delilah. The times she lived in were unruly and woefully lacking in good moral standing. I think this is easily relatable to for us, living in this day and age. Although Delilah wasn’t claiming to be a woman of God, we can still learn from her as we want to be very careful not to fall into ways that are deemed “culturally appropriate” if they are contrary to God’s Word. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that “bad company corrupts good character” and we can see the truth of this very evidently in the society written about in Judges, as well as our own society today.
Let’s take a look at some of the main characteristics and attributes we see in Delilah through looking at the text. Although Scripture never specifically mentions her physical beauty, it would be reasonable to conclude that she must have been an attractive woman, at least certainly in the eyes of the besotted Samson.
In a way, Delilah paints the opposite picture to Esther who I took a look at back in September. Esther used her beauty and the gifts God had put at her disposal for His purposes. She was willing to be selfless and put the greater good ahead of her own personal comfort. Delilah on the other hand, does the polar opposite! We learn several things about Delilah from the text and the most evident thing to me is that the “outer woman” is far more appealing than the “inner woman!”
Delilah’s actions reveal a cunning character and a ruthless heart, prone to manipulating others to get her own way. She had a strong sense of pride and resented being made to look foolish in front of the Philistines. Despite Samson getting the better of her three times over, she was clever enough however to see that despite his strength, Samson was able to be bound. She had bound him with her attention and physical affection after all, so sought to bind him further still.
I would like to think it’s safe to say that very few of us would be willing to be as manipulative and as heartless as Delilah was in order to get our own way. If we’re completely honest with ourselves however, having a desire to try and control certain situations or people, probably isn’t entirely out of the question. Manipulation and self-seeking can sneak into our lives in a far more subtle way, if we’re not careful. Looking at the story of Delilah, let’s take a moment to reflect on some questions.
Do I try to manipulate people or circumstances for my own selfish gain?
Am I prepared to make decisions to the detriment of others if it means I get what I want?
What kind of tactics am I prone to using to get my way?
Do I put my own desires above the needs of other people?
Have I become comfortable with ways that are displeasing to God just because they are embraced and endorsed by today’s standards in society?
Do I put a greater emphasis on outer beauty and neglect the work it takes to cultivate the inner beauty of a godly character?
These are hard questions but it’s important to be completely honest with ourselves and open to whatever our patient and loving God may wish to show us. He only wants the best for us and we can be confident that our Saviour is a gentle and gracious Teacher in spiritual matters such as these.
One final thing I’d like to mention about the story of Delilah and Samson is that it shows us how easy it is to fall into unhealthy relationships when we step outside of the will of God. If we’re not careful, we can become embroiled in a friendship or relationship that is contrary to God’s plan for us. Delilah and Samson show us clearly that this will lead us down the path of destruction and heartache. Only Jesus can satisfy the deepest longings of our heart so let us pursue our fellowship and relationship with Him above all else.
I pray that this look at Delilah can prompt us to keep a check on our actions and motivations in every area of our lives. May we do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Instead, may we commit everything that has been committed to us, back to God for Kingdom use and the glory of His Holy name!
