The strength of women is mostly overlooked by most people. But, one woman can build a nation and one woman can silence a whole nation. When we consider silent warriors such as Jael and the woman who threw the milestone on Abimelek’s head, we should be reminded that the strength of the woman can subdue nations. One woman whose desire for riches caused her to betray the one who loved her is Delilah. In Jewish and Christian circles, Delilah connotes trickery, lies, deception, bribe, beguiling, lack of love and affection. Delilah was no ordinary woman, her lap could soothe the strongest warrior. She was a woman in her own class and she was determined to get what she wanted. Samson’s craving for strange women led him to the arms of Delilah. Before his relationship with Delilah, Samson also went to sleep with a prostitute in Gaza and ended up carrying the whole city gate to avoid the ambush laid for him (Judges 16:1-3). Not long after his Gaza escapades, Samson turned his attention to Sorek. Samson had conquered cities because of his love for women. His appetite for women in enemy territories meant every relationship had to be an encounter with the enemy.
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. (Judges 16:4, 19).
How would it be like being in a relationship with a man with many enemies? It would have been scary and it would take an amount of confidence for any woman to stand such a person. Samson was exceptionally strong before a thousand men but vulnerable before a single woman he loved. Delilah might have been exhilarating to attract the super champion. This is how their relationship started: “Some time later, [Samson] fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah” (Judges 16:4). The Bible did not miss words, Samson was in love. Was Delilah in love too? Was she as committed to Samson as he was to her? When Samson dated other women, the women’s lives were in danger but when he dated Delilah, Samson’s life was in danger. Instead of the city attacking Delilah like they did to Samson’s Philistine wife, “the rulers of the Philistines went to [Delilah] 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.” (Judges 16:5). Delilah would have been a classy woman, her patronizers were not local riffraffs but men who commanded power and authority. She accepted the challenge and looked for ways to betray Samson. “So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” (Judges 16:6). After three unsuccessful attempts to get the secret of Samson’s strength, Delilah resorted to emotional blackmail.
She was not going to let go of Samson’s price tag. Imagine sleeping with someone, who is looking for an opportunity to sell you over to your enemies. Your life is in danger and each day is a step closer to your grave. Samson was in love but Delilah was in business. She was determined to find Samson’s strength at all cost. She wouldn’t let go. No way! Samson was in love with his very own betrayer. “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 sick to death of it.” (Judges 16:15-16). Samson had enough emotional blackmail and nagging and told Delilah the secret of his strength (Judges 16:17). Samson sold himself out by telling Delilah the truth. His words were used against him by the malicious Delilah. She knew that this time, Samson was not lying. “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. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone 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. (Judges 16:18-20).
Samson’s great strength was subdued on the lap of a woman. The warrior was defeated by a woman with no history of battle. She cunningly sold the one who loved her for five thousand five hundred shekels of silver (1,100 each from the five lords). Delilah beguiled Samson until he sold himself out. He placed his head on Delilah’s lap and woke up in the arms of his enemy. Ultimately Samson was blinded and died together with his enemies. The preacher said in Ecclesiastes 7:26, “I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.” Avoiding the wrong partner cannot be overemphasized!
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