Delilah is known as the woman who betrayed Samson, playing a pivotal role in his downfall. Her story is recorded in Judges 16, where the Philistine lords approached her, saying, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies… and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver” (Judges 16:5). Her motivations were clearly rooted in greed.
Delilah repeatedly pressed Samson for the secret of his strength. After three false answers, she finally wore him down. Judges 16:16 says, “She pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death.” He then revealed that his strength was in his hair, a sign of his Nazirite vow.
Delilah lulled him to sleep and had his hair cut. Judges 16:19 says, “She began to torment him, and his strength left him.” Her betrayal led to Samson’s capture, blinding, and humiliation by the Philistines.
The Bible offers no redemption or repentance in her account. Delilah represents seduction, manipulation, and the dangers of ungodly alliances. Samson’s fall began with disobedience and ended with the consequences of trusting the wrong person.
Though she is not mentioned again after Judges 16, Delilah’s legacy is a sobering reminder of how unchecked desires and compromise can lead to spiritual ruin.
