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Delilah (Philistine Woman, Mistress of Samson)
Meaning
Delilah was a non-Israelite woman and from the context of the account in the book of Judges, she was most likely a Philistine woman. Delilah lived in the Valley of Sorek which was located northwest of Jerusalem. During certain times of Israel’s history this valley separated the land of the Philistines from the land of the Israelites. It was located in the southeast corner of the tribe of Dan’s territory and only a few miles from Samson’s home. And Gaza was a Philistine city.
Samson on the other hand was an Israelite, but additionally he was a judge of Israel. Judges were special people raised up by God to lead His people. It was not uncommon for God to raise up judges during times of great oppression. God would then use these judges to deliver His people from the hands of the enemy. And during the time of Samson the Philistines held southern Israel in vassalage. The Bible tells us Samson judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
Samson, who was obviously where he wasn’t suppose to be, doing what he wasn’t suppose to be doing succumbs to sin. He was in love with Delilah, who would in the end destroy him. Samson was a Nazarite. This was a person set aside for God. A person who took a vow to God to live a certain way in order to be used by God. God gave Samson super-human strength for the things God called him to do. However, when Samson fell in love with Delilah the rulers of the Philistines saw an opportunity. Enticed by monetary reward Delilah agreed to find the source of Samsons strength. And through persistence and Samson’s propensity for sin, she discovered the source of his strength. And as a result, he was captured by the Philistines. In one last event for Samson, he repented and God used him to destroy many of the Philistines thereby ending their dominance over southern Israel.
“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.” (Book of Judges 16:3-4)
“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.'” (Book of Judges 16:5-6)
“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.” (Book of Judges 16:5-6)