Delilah

the woman from the Wadi Sorek

Who was Delilah?

She lived in the Wadi Sorek. Samson fell in love with her. Judges 16:4
The Philistine leaders offered her silver to discover the secret of Samson’s strength. Judges 16:5
She asked Samson many times. When he told her the secret, she called the Philistines. Judges 16:6, 15-18

What the Bible says

Judges 16:4

After this he loved a woman, who dwelt in the valley of Sorec, and she was called Dalila.

Judges 16:5

And the princes of the Philistines came to her, and said: Deceive him, and learn of him wherein his great strength lieth, and how we may be able to overcome him, to bind and afflict him: which if thou shalt do, we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

Judges 16:6, 15-18

⁶And Dalila said to Samson: Tell me, I beseech thee, wherein thy greatest strength lieth, and what it is wherewith if thou wert bound thou couldst not break loose. ¹⁵And Dalila said to him: How dost thou say thou lovest me, when thy mind is not with me? Thou hast told me lies these three times, and wouldst not tell me wherein thy great strength lieth. ¹⁶And when she pressed him much, and continually hung upon him for many days, giving him no time to rest, his soul fainted away, and was wearied even until death. ¹⁷Then opening the truth of the thing, he said to her: The razor hath never come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite, that is to say, consecrated to God from my mother’s womb: if my head be shaven, my strength shall depart from me, and I shall become weak, and shall be like other men. ¹⁸Then seeing that be had discovered to her all his mind, she sent to the princes of the Philistines, saying: Come up this once more, for now he hath opened his heart to me. And they went up taking with them the money which they had promised.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Delilah

Before Jesus. Samson fell in love with Delilah, a woman from the Wadi Sorek. Judges 16:4
Before Jesus. At that time, the Philistines ruled over Israel. Samson judged Israel for twenty years. Judges 13:1; Judges 15:20
Before Jesus. The Philistine leaders asked her to trick Samson and find out where his strength came from. Judges 16:5
Before Jesus. In return, each of them would give her eleven hundred pieces of silver. Judges 16:5
With Jesus. Delilah asked Samson the secret of his strength. Three times he gave her a false answer. Judges 16:6-14
With Jesus. Each time she tied him up and told him the Philistines were coming, and Samson broke free. Judges 16:8-9, 12, 14
With Jesus. Delilah complained that Samson did not love her, because he would not tell her his secret. She pressed him day after day. Judges 16:15-16
Afterward. Samson told her he had never cut his hair. Delilah called the Philistine leaders, and they came with the money. Judges 16:17-18
Afterward. His long hair was the sign that Samson had been consecrated to God from his mother’s womb. Judges 13:5; Judges 16:17
Afterward. While Samson slept, Delilah had his hair cut. Judges 16:19
Afterward. Delilah warned him that the Philistines were coming. Samson woke up, but he did not know that the Lord had left him. The Philistines took him prisoner. Judges 16:20-21

Words of Delilah

“Tell me, I beseech thee, wherein thy greatest strength lieth, and what it is wherewith if thou wert bound thou couldst not break loose.” Judges 16:6

The first time she asked Samson for his secret.

“The Philistines are upon thee, Samson.” Judges 16:9

Each time she tied him up, with the Philistines hiding in the house.

“How dost thou say thou lovest me, when thy mind is not with me? Thou hast told me lies these three times, and wouldst not tell me wherein thy great strength lieth.” Judges 16:15

After Samson’s three false answers.

What they were like

Persistent: she asked Samson again and again, day after day. Judges 16:15-16

Not to be confused with

Delilah was not Samson’s wife. Earlier, Samson had married a Philistine woman from Timnah, who was later given to another man. Judges 14:1-2, 20; Judges 16:4

What people ask

Was Delilah a Philistine?

The Bible doesn’t say. It only says she lived in the Wadi Sorek. Judges 16:4

Why did she hand Samson over?

The Bible says the Philistine leaders offered her silver. It doesn’t say what she was thinking. Judges 16:5

Did Delilah love Samson?

The Bible says Samson loved her. It doesn’t say that about her. Judges 16:4, 15

What happened to Delilah afterward?

The Bible doesn’t say. After Samson is taken away, she is never named again. Judges 16:19-21

What was a nazirite?

A person consecrated to God. He drank no wine and did not cut his hair while his vow lasted. Numbers 6:2-5

What did Samson do at the end?

He asked the Lord for strength one last time. He pulled down the pillars of the Philistines’ temple and died with them. The Bible does not mention Delilah again. Judges 16:28-30

Her betrayal She took silver from the Philistine leaders in exchange for handing Samson over. Judges 16:5, 18 Little known Each Philistine leader offered her eleven hundred pieces of silver.…

The rest of this page (daily life, failings, little-known facts, for you…) is part of the subscription.

See the map

Who Delilah is connected to

Samson · betrayed him

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

See Delilah on the map