Samson fell for Delilah, and as soon as the Philistine leaders found out, they offered her 1,100 shekels of silver, per leader, if she could entice Samson to find out the source of his strength. She agreed.
She quizzed him about his strength, but Samson had played this game before. Instead of revealing the truth, he made up answers.
He said if he were bound in fresh bowstrings, he wouldn’t be able to escape. So she brought in the Philistines to bind him while he slept. Then she called out, “Samson, wake up. The Philistines are upon you.” But the bowstrings were no match for him.
When she persisted, he told her it would take fresh rope to hold him tight. Again, they bound him, but when she woke him up, he broke through as if the rope were nothing.
Delilah complained to Samson that he was mocking her and lying to her, so he told her if his braids were bound in looms, he’d be helpless. Again, her plans were foiled.
You’d think that Samson would have figured out that Delilah was not to be trusted, but for whatever reason, he didn’t catch on. Maybe he just saw it as a game.
Delilah pestered him daily until he finally revealed the truth, that his strength was in his hair, and if it was cut, he would be as any man.
Sure enough, after Delilah lured him to sleep in her lap, the Philistines came in and shaved his head. And when he awoke, he was helpless.
The Philistines captured Samson, gouged out his eyes, and made him a prisoner to be mocked, and Delilah got paid to betray a man who trusted her.
Read about Delilah in Scripture: Judges 16:1-22
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