Samson and Delilah
The strongest man in Israel, and the woman who found his weakness
This story includes violence, betrayal, a man being blinded, and Samson choosing a death that kills him and many other people. If you are thinking about ending your life, call or text 988 in the U.S., or find a free helpline at findahelpline.com.
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Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Samson: A judge of Israel, the son of Manoah. God gave him great strength. He had never cut his hair.
- Delilah: A woman who lived in the Valley of Sorek. Samson loved her. The Bible does not say what people she came from.
- The LORD: God. LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
- The rulers of the Philistines: The leaders of the Philistines, a people who ruled over Israel at this time.
- A servant: The one who held blind Samson's hand and led him.
Setting
- First, Delilah's home in the Valley of Sorek. Then a prison in Gaza, a Philistine city near the sea. Last, the crowded temple of Dagon, the Philistines' god.
When
- More than 3,000 years ago, in the time of the judges. Israel did not have a king yet.
Before the Story
A promised son. The Philistines had ruled Israel for 40 years (13:1). An angel told a woman with no children that she would have a son. The boy would be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth: "no razor shall come over his head" (13:5). The rule about the razor is part of God's law for Nazirites (Numbers 6:5).
Strength from God. When a lion attacked young Samson, "the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him" (14:6). His strength was God's gift.
A hard and violent life. Samson did what he wanted, when he wanted. He fought and killed many Philistines, often out of anger and revenge (14:19, 15:7-8, 15:15). One night in Gaza, his enemies waited to kill him at the city gate. He pulled up the gate, doors and posts and all, and carried it to the top of a mountain (16:1-3). Still, he judged Israel for 20 years (15:20).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Samson's strength did not live in his hair. It came from the LORD (14:6, 16:20).
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A woman named Delilah | 16:4-5 | Philistine rulers offer Delilah money to find Samson's secret |
| 2. Seven bowstrings | 16:6-9 | Samson lies. He breaks free |
| 3. Ropes and a loom | 16:10-14 | Samson lies twice more. He breaks free again |
| 4. All that was in his heart | 16:15-17 | Samson tells Delilah the truth |
| 5. The LORD had left him | 16:18-20 | Samson's hair is cut. His strength is gone |
| 6. In the prison at Gaza | 16:21-22 | Samson is blinded and put to work. His hair grows |
| 7. A feast for Dagon | 16:23-27 | The Philistines celebrate and call for Samson |
| 8. "Remember me" | 16:28-30 | Samson prays. The temple falls |
| 9. Carried home | 16:31 | Samson's family buries him |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 9A Woman Named Delilah
The rulers of the Philistines went to see a woman in the Valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah. Samson had fallen in love with her.
The Bible says Samson loved Delilah. It never says whether Delilah loved Samson. It does not say where she came from, either.
The Philistines had five main cities. Each city had its own ruler (Joshua 13:3). These rulers were Samson's enemies.
The rulers told Delilah, "Entice him and find out the source of his great strength" (16:5). Entice means to tempt or coax. They wanted to know how to tie Samson up and make him weak.
They made her an offer. Each ruler would pay her 1,100 shekels of silver. A shekel was a weight. That weight of silver was about 28 pounds from each ruler. It was a huge amount of money.
Scene 2 of 9Seven Bowstrings
Delilah asked Samson plainly. "Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued" (16:6). Subdued means beaten and kept under control.
Samson did not tell her the truth. He said she should tie him up with seven fresh bowstrings that had never been dried. Bowstrings are the cords on a hunting bow. Samson said the bowstrings would make him as weak as any other man.
The rulers brought Delilah seven fresh bowstrings. She tied Samson up with them. Men were hiding in her room, waiting.
Then Delilah called out, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" (16:9).
Samson snapped the bowstrings. They broke like yarn held near a flame. This is a comparison. It means they broke easily.
His secret stayed hidden.
Scene 3 of 9Ropes and a Loom
Delilah said Samson had mocked her and lied to her. She asked him again.
This time, Samson said new ropes would make him weak. They had to be ropes that had never been used.
Delilah tied him up with new ropes. Again, men hid in the room. Again, she called, "Samson, the Philistines are here!" Samson snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads.
Earlier, the men of Judah had tied Samson with two new ropes. He broke those too (15:13-14).
Delilah asked a third time. This time, Samson talked about his hair. His hair was in seven long braids. A loom is a wooden frame for weaving cloth. Samson told Delilah to weave his braids into the cloth on a loom and pin it tight.
While Samson slept, Delilah wove his braids into the cloth. She pinned the cloth tight. Then she called out again. Samson woke up and pulled the whole thing loose, pin and loom and all.
Scene 4 of 9All That Was in His Heart
Delilah said to Samson, "How can you say, 'I love you,'... when your heart is not with me?" (16:15). Delilah meant that Samson was not being honest with her. She said this was the third time he had fooled her.
Day after day, Delilah pressed him. She begged and pleaded. Samson grew so tired of it that he was "sick to death" (16:16). This is an exaggeration. It means he was worn out and miserable.
Twice before, men had been hiding in the room, waiting to grab Samson.
Then "Samson told her all that was in his heart" (16:17). That means he told Delilah his secret.
He said, "My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me" (16:17).
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 5 of 9The LORD Had Left Him
Delilah could tell that Samson had told her everything. She sent a message to the Philistine rulers. "Come up once more," she said.
The rulers came. They brought the money in their hands.
Delilah lulled Samson to sleep on her lap. That means she got him to fall asleep. Then she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair.
Samson's strength left him.
Delilah called out one last time. "Samson, the Philistines are here!"
Samson woke up. He thought he would get away, as he had before. He would shake himself free.
"But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him" (16:20).
This is the saddest line in the story. Samson's strength was never in his hair. It came from the LORD. His uncut hair was the sign of his promise to God (13:5).
Scene 6 of 9In the Prison at Gaza
The Philistines grabbed Samson. They gouged out his eyes. That means they blinded him on purpose.
They took him down to Gaza, one of their cities. They locked bronze chains on him. In the prison, they forced him to grind grain. This was heavy, slow work.
Samson had lost his strength, his eyes, and his freedom.
Then the Bible adds one quiet sentence. "However, the hair of his head began to grow back after it had been shaved" (16:22).
The Bible does not explain it. One likely meaning: God had not finished with Samson.
Scene 7 of 9A Feast for Dagon
The Philistine rulers gathered for a big celebration. They offered a great sacrifice to their god, Dagon.
They said, "Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands" (16:23).
The people saw Samson and praised their god too. They said Samson had ruined their land and killed many of their people.
The people were happy and celebrating. They called for Samson to be brought out to entertain them. The Bible doesn't say what they made him do. They stood him between the pillars of the temple.
A servant held Samson's hand. Samson asked the servant to let him feel the pillars that held up the temple. He said he wanted to lean on them.
The temple was packed with men and women. All the Philistine rulers were there. About 3,000 more people watched from the roof.
Scene 8 of 9"Remember Me"
Then Samson called out to the LORD. The Bible tells of Samson praying only one other time. That time, he was so thirsty he was afraid he would die (15:18).
He prayed, "O Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, O God, just once more, so that with one vengeful blow I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes" (16:28).
Vengeful means wanting to pay someone back for hurting you. Samson was praying out of pain and anger. He wanted revenge for his eyes.
Samson reached for the two middle pillars. He put his right hand on one. He put his left hand on the other.
He said, "Let me die with the Philistines" (16:30).
He pushed with all his might.
The temple fell.
It fell on the rulers and on all the people inside. Samson died too. The Bible says Samson killed more people in his death than in his whole life.
The Bible tells what Samson did. It does not tell anyone to copy it. If you ever think about ending your life, please tell someone today. In the U.S., call or text 988 any time. More help is in the alert below.
Scene 9 of 9Carried Home
Samson's brothers and his father's family came down to Gaza. They carried his body home.
They buried him in the tomb of his father, Manoah. It was between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol.
That was the same area where the Spirit of the LORD first began to move young Samson (13:25). Samson was buried where God's work in him began.
Samson had judged Israel for 20 years.
Before Samson was born, the angel said he would "begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines" (13:5). Deliverance means rescue. Samson began it. He did not finish it. Israel would need another rescuer.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "No razor shall come over his head" (13:5) | Samson was a Nazirite, set apart to God for his whole life. His long, uncut hair was the sign. |
| "The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him" (14:6) | Samson's strength was a gift from God. It did not come from his muscles or his hair. |
| "Samson told her all that was in his heart" (16:17) | Here "heart" means his deepest secret. He gave away the one thing he had kept. |
| "He did not know that the LORD had departed from him" (16:20) | Samson had been careless with God's gift for years. He thought his strength would always be there. It was God's, not his. |
| "The hair of his head began to grow back" (16:22) | A small sign of hope in the prison. Samson's story was not over yet. |
| "Please remember me" (16:28) | In the Bible, when God remembers someone, God acts to help. "But God remembered Noah" (Genesis 8:1). |
| "Let me die with the Philistines" (16:30) | The Bible tells us what Samson said and did. It does not tell anyone to copy it. See the alert below. |
Back Then
Judges were rescuers. A judge was a leader God raised up to save Israel from its enemies (Judges 2:16). They were more like rescuers and leaders than courtroom judges.
A Nazirite made a vow to God. A vow is a serious promise. Nazirites drank no wine, did not cut their hair, and stayed away from dead bodies (Numbers 6:1-8). Most vows lasted for a time. Samson's was for his whole life (13:7). (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
The Philistines lived along the coast. Their five main cities were Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron (Joshua 13:3). (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Dagon was the national god of the Philistines. He also had a temple in Ashdod (1 Samuel 5:2). (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
The silver was a fortune. A shekel was a weight used for silver and other metals (Easton's Bible Dictionary). Each ruler offered 1,100 shekels. The BSB's note says that is about 28 pounds (about 12.5 kilograms) of silver from each one.
Grinding grain was daily work. Grain was crushed between two round millstones. It was usually done every day by the women of the house (Easton's Bible Dictionary). The Philistines forced Samson, their famous enemy, to do it in prison (16:21).
Sorek means "choice vine." It was a valley in the hills west of Judah (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
Literal Reader Alert
Is Samson's death an example to follow? No. Christians have struggled with this passage for a long time. Samson asked God for strength so he could pay back his enemies. Then he died, and thousands of people died with him. The Bible tells us what happened. It does not tell anyone to do the same. Samson's prayer was for revenge. Jesus teaches, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). Paul wrote, "Do not avenge yourselves" (Romans 12:19). No one should read this story as permission to hurt other people. No one should read it as permission to end their own life. When a part of the Bible frightens us, Christians look to Jesus, the clearest picture of who God is. Jesus did not kill his enemies when he died. He prayed for them: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult. If you ever think about hurting yourself or someone else, please tell someone today. In the United States, you can call or text 988 any time, day or night. If you or someone else is in danger right now, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the United States, findahelpline.com lists free helplines. You do not have to carry this alone.
Did God answer a prayer for revenge? The Bible says Samson prayed, and then he pushed the pillars down. It does not say God approved of revenge. It does not explain what God was doing inside Samson. It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries.
Was Delilah a Philistine? Was she a prostitute? The Bible does not say either one. It does not name her people, her family, or her work. The woman Samson visited in Gaza, in 16:1, is a different woman. Delilah took money to betray Samson, and that was wrong. But some people have used her story to teach that women are dangerous, or that women's love is a trap. The story does not say that. Samson made his own choices too.
Was Samson's hair magic? No. When the LORD left him, his strength left too (16:20). The hair was the sign of Samson's promise to God. The strength came from God.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Samson | In love | He loved Delilah (16:4) |
| Delilah | Mocked | She said Samson had lied to her again and again (16:10, 16:15) |
| Samson | Worn out | Delilah pressed him day after day (16:16) |
| Samson | Too sure of himself | He thought he would escape as before (16:20) |
| The Philistines | Glad and proud | They thought their god had beaten Samson (16:23-25) |
| Samson | Angry and hurt | He wanted payback for his two eyes (16:28) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which part of Samson's story feels closest to yours? Tap one.
I wasted a gift
Samson was careless with God's gift for years. When he called out, "remember me," God heard him. God does not stop loving you when you mess up.
Someone betrayed me
Being betrayed hurts deeply. Jesus was betrayed too, by a friend, for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). He knows how it feels.
I want payback
Anger is real. You can tell God exactly how you feel. But Jesus shows another way: he prayed for the people who hurt him. If you feel like hurting someone, please tell a trusted adult today.
Alone in the dark
Samson was blind, chained, and far from home. Even there, his hair began to grow. God had not forgotten him, and God has not forgotten you.
It's really bad right now
Please tell a trusted adult today. In the U.S., call or text 988 any time. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines. You can also pray, "God, help me." God hears that. Reaching out to people is one way God helps.
You Might Have Heard
"Be strong like Samson, and don't let a Delilah trick you."
What's true: Samson was careless with God's gift, and it cost him a great deal. Promises to God matter.
What the story is mainly about: God keeps working through a judge who kept failing. Samson is not a hero to copy. His strength was God's gift, and God did not give up on him. Delilah is not a picture of all women. She is one person who betrayed Samson for money.
Where Jesus is: The letter to the Hebrews names Samson among people of faith (Hebrews 11:32). It says they "gained strength from weakness" (Hebrews 11:34). That is grace. Samson died taking his enemies with him. Jesus died praying for his enemies, to save them. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Good News
Samson's last prayer began, "please remember me" (16:28). Long after, a man was dying on a cross next to Jesus. He prayed almost the same thing: "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!" (Luke 23:42).
Jesus answered with a promise. "Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43).
The man on the cross did not choose his death. Jesus's promise was a gift, given to him right where he was. God's promises are for you right where you are, too, in your life today.
Samson wasted God's gifts. He was blind, chained, and full of anger. God still listened to him. Hebrews still names him among people of faith. Faith is God's gift too, given by the Holy Spirit, and it does not depend on how strong we are.
In Baptism, God makes you a promise that does not leave with your hair or your strength. Jesus said, "surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). God remembers people who have wasted his gifts, and in Jesus he comes to find them.
From the Wider Church
Augustine, a church leader who lived about 1,600 years ago, wrote about Samson in The City of God (Book 1, chapters 20 and 21). He taught that the commandment "You shall not murder" also forbids taking your own life. He noted that the Bible never gives anyone permission to do it. He treated Samson as a rare case from long ago, not a pattern for anyone. No one should take Samson's death as a message for their own life. If thoughts like that come, please tell someone right away.
Big Idea
God keeps working through a flawed judge, and God hears Samson when he calls out, blind and a prisoner.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism (1529), Martin Luther explained the commandment "You shall not murder." Luther said we should fear and love God, so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor. Instead, we should help and support our neighbor in every need. Luther also wrote the Large Catechism (1529). There he wrote that the power to punish wrongdoers belongs to God and to rulers. It does not belong to each of us. When someone hurts us, God "like a kind father steps in ahead of us" and wants the quarrel settled. We learn to calm our anger. Samson's story shows how revenge keeps growing. Jesus stops it by forgiving his enemies (Luke 23:34).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
O Lord GOD, please remember me.
How did that feel?