Judges 16:5-15

5 The lords of the Pelishtim came up to her, and said to her, Entice him, and see in which his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will each give you of us eleven hundred [pieces] of silver.
6 Delilah said to Shimshon, Tell me, Please, in which your great strength lies, and with which you might be bound to afflict you.
7 Shimshon said to her, If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.
8 Then the lords of the Pelishtim brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9 Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. She said to him, The Pelishtim are on you, Shimshon. He broke the cords, as a string of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.
10 Delilah said to Shimshon, Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, Please, with which you might be bound.
11 He said to her, If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.
12 So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, The Pelishtim are on you, Shimshon. The liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. He broke them off his arms like a thread.
13 Delilah said to Shimshon, Hitherto you have mocked me, and told me lies: tell me with which you might be bound. He said to her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.
14 She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, The Pelishtim are on you, Shimshon. He awakened out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.
15 She said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? you have mocked me these three times, and have not told me in which your great strength lies.

Judges 16:5-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 16

In this chapter we have an account of Samson's too great familiarity with two harlots; by the one he was brought into great danger, and narrowly escaped, Jud 16:1-3, and by the other he was betrayed into the hands of the Philistines, having got the secret out of him wherein his great strength lay, Jud 16:4-20 who having him in their hands, put out his eyes, imprisoned him, and in their idol temple made sport of him, Jud 16:21-25, where praying for renewed strength from the Lord, he pulled down the temple, and destroyed multitudes with the loss of his own life, Jud 16:26-31.

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.