Samson and Delilah

The Philistines had tried many times to capture Samson the Israelite, but he was so strong that he had killed hundreds of them in battle and they were afraid of him. When the Philistine leaders heard that Samson had fallen in love with a Philistine woman called Delilah, they went to see her. 'We will give you eleven hundred silver coins if you can find out the secret of Samson's great strength,' they said.

So Delilah asked Samson, 'Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you could be captured and held.'

'If they tied me up with seven new bowstrings, I should be as weak as anyone else.' Delilah tied Samson with seven new bowstrings, then signalled to a gang of Philistines who were hiding in the next room. 'The Philistines are here!' she called out. But Samson just snapped the bowstrings and laughed. The Philistines stayed hidden.

'You're teasing me,' said Delilah. 'Tell me the real secret of your strength.' 'I can only be held down with new rope,' said Samson, 'then I should be as weak as anyone else.' Delilah fetched a brand new rope and tightly bound Samson's arms and legs. 'The Philistines are here!' called out Delilah. Samson stood up and snapped the rope as if it were cotton and the Philistines stayed in hiding.

'It's getting late, Samson, and you are still teasing me. Please tell me the truth of your great strength.' 'You must weave seven locks of my hair in a loom and peg it down,' replied Samson sleepily. Delilah weaved his hair tightly and pegged it firmly, and when he was asleep and the Philistines were ready once more, Delilah woke him shouting, 'The Philistines are here!' As Samson woke he sat up and the peg was simply pulled out. Quietly, but quickly, the Philistines crept away.

From then on, day after day, Delilah tried to find out the secret of Samson's strength. 'You can't really love me, she said, 'or you would tell me the truth.' At last Samson grew tired of hearing her and finally blurted out the truth: 'The secret of my strength is in my long hair. I have never had it cut. If my head was shaved I should be as weak as anyone else.'

That night the Philistines were again in hiding in the next room. As Samson slept a barber came and cut his long hair short to the scalp. 'The Philistines are here!' called Delilah, and Samson awoke. As the Philistines rushed in Samson prepared to fight, but he was as weak as anyone else and he was outnumbered. He was tied and bound and they gouged out his eyes. Hurt and bleeding Samson was dragged off to the Philistine prison leaving Delilah happily counting her eleven hundred silver coins.

Many months later a great feast was held in the temple of the Philistines. There was singing and eating and drinking and dancing and, as a special entertainment, Samson was to be brought in to amuse the people. As the Philistines' great enemy staggered in, bound in chains and unable to see, none of the laughing, jeering crowd noticed that his hair had been growing while he was in prison. All the lords and their ladies were there and people pushed and crowded to get a good view. There were hundreds of people on the temple roof.

As Samson stumbled along towards the temple, he prayed to God, 'Lord, remember me. Give me strength for one last time.' Samson was led to the centre of the temple where he put his left and his right arms round the two stone pillars which supported the whole building. With a roar of anger he tightened his muscles and shouted, 'Let me die with the Philistines!' Then he summoned up all his strength and leaned forward pulling the two stone pillars with him. The whole temple collapsed and the Philistines, lords and peasants alike, were killed by the falling stones. It is said that, as he died, Samson killed more Philistines than he had killed during his life.

The fact that Samson's strength, which came from God, enabled him to defeat the enemies of Israel was considered right and proper by the Israelites. They maintained their faith in one true God while their enemies, in this case the Philistines, worshipped false idols. There is a great variety of feeling expressed in the Psalms, the collection of hymns used in the Temple in Jerusalem. Psalm 9 is attributed to King David and matches the feeling of the story of Samson although it was written long after his time.

I thank you, Lord with all my heart;
I will tell all the marvellous things You've done.
I am happy and joyful in You,
I will sing praise to Your name, Highest God.
All my enemies run away,
they fall and die before You,
for You are the good Judge on Your throne,
You are on my side and support what I believe in.
You have spoken to the people and destroyed the wicked, You have wiped out their names for ever .
Our enemies are finished, their cities are in ruins
and no-one will ever remember them.
But the Lord is King for ever.
(from Psalm 9: 1- 7)