What does Judges 16:16:4 say?

And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

What does Judges 16:16:5 say?

And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

What does Judges 16:16:17 say?

That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

What does Judges 16:16:19 say?

And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

Judges 16:4-31 · Judges · Updated April 25, 2026

Samson & Delilah

Samson falls in love with Delilah, who is bribed by the Philistine lords to discover the secret of his strength. After several failed attempts, Samson reveals that his strength lies in his uncut hair. Delilah betrays him, leading to his capture, but Samson ultimately brings down the Philistine temple, killing himself and many Philistines.

Summary

Judges 16:4-31 recounts the story of Samson and Delilah, a key episode in the life of Samson, a judge of Israel known for his immense strength. Samson falls in love with Delilah, a woman in the valley of Sorek (16:4). The Philistine lords approach Delilah, offering her a substantial sum of silver to discover the source of Samson's strength so they can overpower him (16:5). Delilah agrees and begins to coax Samson into revealing his secret.

Delilah repeatedly asks Samson to disclose the secret of his strength. Initially, Samson deceives her with false explanations, such as binding him with fresh bowstrings or new ropes, which do not work (16:7-12). Eventually, after persistent nagging, Samson confides in Delilah that his strength lies in his uncut hair, as he is a Nazarite dedicated to God from birth (16:17). Delilah informs the Philistine lords, and while Samson sleeps, they shave off his hair, stripping him of his strength (16:19). The Philistines capture Samson, blind him, and imprison him in Gaza (16:21).

Samson is brought to a Philistine temple to entertain them during a celebration. As his hair begins to regrow, he prays to God for strength one last time (16:28). Positioned between two pillars, Samson pushes them apart, causing the temple to collapse, killing himself and thousands of Philistines (16:30). The passage concludes with Samson's family retrieving his body for burial, marking the end of his twenty years as a judge of Israel (16:31). The story of Samson and Delilah in Judges 16:4-31 illustrates the fragility of human strength when disconnected from divine purpose. Samson's downfall begins with his betrayal by Delilah, a woman he loves, and culminates in his capture and humiliation by the Philistines. This sequence of events shows a critical turning point where Samson's physical prowess, symbolized by his uncut hair, is stripped away, revealing his vulnerability without God's favor. The narrative conveys that Samson's strength was not merely in his hair but in his adherence to his Nazarite vow, which was a visible manifestation of his commitment to God. The collapse of the Philistine temple, triggered by Samson's final act of strength, reflects the restoration of his divine connection, emphasizing that true power lies in faithfulness to God.

Chiastic structure

ⓘ

Judges 16:19-20

“And his strength went from him. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”

Judges 16:28

“O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once.”

Judges 16:30

“So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”

A and A' mirror each other through the theme of Samson's strength being compromised and then restored, leading to his final act of deliverance.

Interpretation and theological stakes

The Reformed Protestant tradition interprets this passage as highlighting the conditional nature of Samson's strength, which was a divine gift directly tied to his Nazarite vow. This interpretation is based on verses like 16:17, where Samson reveals that his uncut hair is a sign of his dedication to God. When Delilah shaves his hair in verse 19, it signifies the breaking of this vow and the subsequent loss of God's empowering presence. Samson's final prayer in verse 28 shows his reliance on God's strength rather than his own, reinforcing the idea that his true power was a gift from God, contingent upon his obedience and separation as a Nazarite.

In contrast, the Rabbinic Jewish tradition emphasizes Samson's strength as symbolic of his covenant with God, which is broken through his own disclosure of the secret to Delilah. This reading sees the act of revealing his secret in verse 17 as a breach of trust, not only with Delilah but more importantly with God. The hair is a symbol of the covenant, and its removal by the Philistines after Samson’s own admission highlights his failure to protect this sacred bond. The focus here is on the relational aspect of the covenant, where Samson's downfall is seen as a consequence of his failure to uphold his end of the covenant with God, as opposed to a mere physical act.

Considering both interpretations, the passage reveals insight into the nature of divine-human relationships. While the Reformed perspective highlights the conditional aspect of divine gifts, contingent on obedience, the Rabbinic view stresses the relational breach between Samson and God. Together, these interpretations suggest that the narrative is not only about physical strength but about the integrity and faithfulness required to maintain a covenant with God. This dual focus on obedience and relational fidelity indicates that true strength is found in maintaining one's commitments to God, both in action and in spirit. The passage opens with Samson's strength leaving him after Delilah shaves his head while he sleeps, and he is unaware that the LORD has departed from him (Judges 16:19-20). It closes with Samson's final act of strength, pulling down the temple and killing more Philistines in his death than he did in his life (Judges 16:30). Between these two moments lies a crucial event: Samson's prayer to the LORD for renewed strength (Judges 16:28). This prayer marks a shift from self-reliance to dependence on God, serving as the theological center of the narrative. Samson's plea for strength reflects his acknowledgment of God's power as the true source of his might, contrasting his earlier vulnerability when he was separated from God.

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