By Mary Vee
Judges 16
Delilah's Journal
Last night I learned the secret of Samson's strength.
How do I know?
Well, when he told me tying fresh bowstrings or a new rope around his body, or weaving his seven locks into a loom would make him weak he didn't look straight at me. But last night, he look straight at my eyes and said, "If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me."
When Samson left I called a messenger. "Go to the Philistine lords and say, 'Please, come to my house once more. Samson has told me the truth about his super strength.'"
Not long after the messenger left, a group of Philistine lords knocked on my door. "You better be telling the truth, Delilah. We don't like this game."
I opened the door and waved them in. "Yes. I understand your concern. I am convinced Samson told me the truth this time."
The leader rolled his eyes. "Yes? Well, what did he say?"
I closed the door and glanced toward the window to make sure no one could hear. "If his hair is shaven he will lose his strength."
The Philistine lords rubbed their hands together and wiggled their eyebrows. "Good. Tonight we capture Samson!"
Sure enough the Philistine lords returned to my house before Samson arrived for dinner. They hid in the back room as they had the other times. While waiting for Samson I cooked a special meal and had his wine poured.
Samson arrived at the same time as the other evenings. He stood at the door and closed his eyes. "Delilah, the meal smells extra wonderful tonight. Good thing, I'm extra hungry."
I moved aside to let him in. "I'm glad you're here, Samson. I made your favorite supper." I set the food on the table and sat near him. He asked for more food. I gave him all that he wanted.
When he finished he patted his stomach. "I'm full. You served your best wine tonight, Delilah. Are we celebrating?"
I shook my head. "No. I wanted you to feel special. Here lean this way and rest."
He rested his head with his face down. Soon he snored. I waved the Philistine's out of their hiding place. "One of you must shave his seven locks while I make sure Samson stays asleep."
One of the lords pulled out a razor. He worked slowly and gently to shav each of Samson's seven locks of hair to keep from waking him. When Samson's head was shaved, the lords stepped back into the shadows.
Once they were hidden I shook Samson. He didn't wake. I shook him harder until his eyes blinked. "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!"
He opened his eyes and rubbed them. "Don't worry, Delilah. I'll go out, like I did the other times and shake myself free." He laughed. But as he sat up, his arms and legs wobbled. His back ached from leaning over in his sleep. A cool breeze snapped at his head, his bald head.
Samson raised his hand to his head and touched. His eyes grew as wide as apples. "What happened to my hair?"
Before he could take a breath the Philistine lords rushed forward and tied him so he couldn't move. "Now you will be our slave, Samson! You'll pay for all you've done to the Philistines."
One of the lords tossed a bag of money on the table. "Thank you, Delilah. Well done. Enjoy you money."
Samson didn't look at me. He couldn't fight. He really was as weak as any man.
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1. What did Delilah do wrong?
2. Why did the Philistine lords want to capture Samson (look at the earlier stories for a clue)
3. What did Samson do wrong? (hint, look at the last story)
4. Where was Samson's strength?
5. What did you learn from this story?
Photo courtesy of Blue Letter Bible Images
By Mary Vee
Judges 16
Reader: If you missed Delilah's stories from the last week you can click here.
Samson Journal
Delilah was a great cook. I'd visited her home the last several evenings, ate dinner, drank wine, and talked.
Those nights were unusual, though.
She made great dinners with the best wines, of course, and we laughed as we talked, but she kept bringing the conversation back to one question: where did I get my strength.
I don't know. Maybe she thought my strength could be shared with someone else, maybe she--I couldn't tell.
So I made up an answer the first two times she asked and didn't think much when she tied me with the fresh bowstrings or the new ropes. They snapped after I barely moved. I thought it was funny. She didn't
Delilah pouted after dinner again the next night. She cried as though I'd hurt her feelings when she asked what could bind my strength, like she didn't think I'd tell her the truth. Of course I wouldn't tell her the right answer. It was a secret.
Another crazy answer to her question popped into my head that time. So I answered: "If you weave the seven lock of my head into the web of a loom I will be as weak as any man." She stopped crying and we had a nice evening.
After dinner the next night, I fell asleep full of food and wine. About the time my dream made me laugh, she woke me shouting, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" I jolted upright and searched for the Philistines. None were near.
Another joke played on me. Hah hah. I felt something hanging from my hair. I reached back and found a piece of her loom.
"Delilah. Delilah. You honestly thought this loom would take my strength?" I laughed. She didn't think it was funny. She cried harder than all the other times.
She tucked her face into her apron and sobbed. "How can you say 'I love you' when you heart is not with me? You have mocked me three times refusing to tell me where your strength comes from."
Well, she begged and pleaded and cried and sobbed for days.
My heart ached each time I went to her house.
I decided the only way to make her stop sobbing would be to tell her the truth. "All right, Delilah. Stop crying. Here's the answer." She looked at my eyes and wouldn't move. I had to tell her the truth this time. "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazarite to God while I was still in my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me." I sighed. "I will become weak like any other man."
A smile popped on her face. She giggled and blinked her eyes. At last, she stopped crying.. She brushed her fingers through my long hair and said, "Thank you."
We laughed and talked like we use to for the rest of the evening until I fell asleep. Maybe I should have told her the secret days ago.
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What do you think?
Let's think about this.
*Who gave Samson his strength?
*Why Samson keep the source of his strength a secret?
*Why did Delilah want to know the source of Samson's strength? (hint, look at the last three stories)
*Why did Samson tell Delilah his secret?
*What do you think will happen in the next story?
**What can we learn from this story? (if you need help, ask you parents, Pastor, or email me)
By Mary Vee
Judges 16
From Delilah's Journal
Samson tricked me last night. He said seven bowstrings could make him as weak as any other man. It didn't work.
When I showed him how he hurt my feelings he told me what would really bind him. He said, "If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I will be as weak as any man."
A messenger stopped by at noon to deliver the new ropes. "The Philistine lord wanted me to remind you to tie these ropes securely. He also wanted to remind you of the eleven hundred pieces of silver you would earn."
I grabbed the ropes from his hands. "I know. I know. I don't need you to nag me."
He growled. "Yeah, well, make sure you do the job right this time."
I closed the door before he could say another word. How dare he speak to me like that? He was only a messenger. I grumbled a few more words then went to the kitchen to prepare another of Samson's favorite meals.
Before Samson arrived, the Philistine lords knocked on my door. "Let us in. We'll hide in the same place as we did last night."
"All right. All right. Don't get pushy."I opened the door and let them slip through to the back room.
Shortly after I finished making supper, Samson came to my house. He stopped for a moment, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. "Yum, I smell the most delicious meal cooking. I'm so hungry I could eat a whole lion."
"Samson. I made this dish just for you." I held the door open for him. "Come in. Your food is ready."
He finished the first plate I served him then ate three extra helpings. He sat back and patted his stomach. "Excellent. I couldn't eat another bite!" He yawned. "Your--good cooking--makes me sleepy."
I pushed his head back on the chair. "There now. Feel free to take a rest."
He closed his eyes and snored before he could say another word. A few moments later, I dropped a dish to test him. He slept soundly.
I pulled the new ropes out from the hiding place and tied them securely around his arms and legs. Next, I pulled on the knots to test their strength. Yup, tight as a drum skin.
I stepped back like I did the last time and shouted, "The Philistines are attacking you, Samson!"
He leaped to his feet and broke the new ropes as if they were thin threads. Great. Now what?
Anger boiled in my blood. He tricked me again. How many times would the Philistine lords let me try to bind Samson? How many times could I talk Samson into sleeping after dinner?
I pushed my hands on my hips and squinted. "All you've done is mocked me and told lies. Come on, Samson, tell me the truth. What could bind you?
He smiled at me like I was a little girl having a temper tantrum which only made me angrier.
He set his hands on my shoulders and sighed. "All right, Delilah. If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom I will become as weak as any man."
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Well, did it work? Come back to read what happened next.
1. What did Delilah want to do?
2. Why was she bothered in the beginning of today's story?
3. How did Delilah bind Samson in this story?
4. What happened?
5. What new way did Samson tell Delilah to try?
6. In part one of this story, Samson said, "If they bind me with.." who was he talking about?
7. In part two of this story, Samson said, "If they bind me with..." who was he talking about this time?
8. In part three (today's story), what did Samson say different? Why?
Photo courtesy of Christianimageresource.com
By Mary Vee
Judges 16
From Delilah's Journal
Samson went out into my village for the day.
While he did his errands I sneaked to the house of one of the Philistine lords and told him what Samson said. "If we bind him with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then he'll become weak like any other man."
The man nodded. "You'll have the bowstrings before noon. Once you've tied him up shout a signal for us to come. We'll hide in your house before he arrives." Then he shut the door.
At noon, a messenger brought the fresh strings. I hid them in the kitchen. Samson arrived at my house at dinner time. I cooked one of his favorite meals. He ate three extra portions then yawned.
I smoothed his hair to make it flow down the outside of his chair. "Close your eyes and rest, Samson."
He yawned and closed his eyes. Moments later he snored. I made a sound with a dish to test if he slept deeply. He didn't move.
I pulled the seven fresh bowstrings out from the hiding place and used them to tie him to the chair. When I finished, I tested the strength of my knots. Perfect!
I stepped back from him and shouted, "The Philistines are attacking you, Samson!"
He bolted to a standing position snapping the bowstrings like yarn when it touched fire. The strings fell to the floor.
Samson looked at the floor and laughed. He held his stomach and laughed some more. "My dear, Delilah. You tied me with these little pieces of yarn?" He sat down and laughed again. "Aww, don't cry."
I didn't know what to do. What would the Philistine lords do to me? Tears flowed down my cheeks. I couldn't stop sobbing. "You've mocked me, Samson. How could you lie to me?" I wiped my face with my sleeve but couldn't stop sobbing. "Please, dear Samson, tell me, what could bind you?"
He laughed once more then cleared his throat. "All right, my dear. I'll tell you. If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I will become as weak as any other man."
He yawned. "Enough of these games."
When Samson left. the Philistine lords crept out of the house. "Well bring you new ropes at noon tomorrow. Let's hope they work, for your sake."
I closed the door behind them.
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Come back to read what happens next.
1. Who is Delilah?
2. Who wanted to hurt Samson?
3. What did the Philistine lords bring to Delilah? Why?
4. Where did the Philistine lords hide? Why?
5. What happened when Delilah shouted, "The Philistines are attacking you, Samson!"
6. What question did Delilah ask when Samson laughed? Why?
7. Why did the Philistines want to hurt Samson?
By Mary Vee
Judges 16
From Delilah's Journal
Not long ago a strong Hebrew man named Samson came to my village. He visited often.
Everyone knew about Samson. He had the strength to lift a city gate from its hinge and carry it away. Most of the men stayed away from Samson, because of his strength yet none of them knew where Samson's strength came from.
One day Samson asked me to marry him. When other Philistines in my village heard the news they held a meeting and told me to come.
The men pounded their fists on a table and shook their heads. One said, "We can't let Samson marry her. That Hebrew will live right here in our village. No telling what he'll do to us."
Another stood. "We've all heard him say his God made him judge over Israel to conquer us. We Philistines aren't safe. I say let's capture him before he can capture us."
The rest of the men shouted, "Yeah. Tie him up and make him do our work!"
The leader turned to me. "Delilah, you must help us."
I laughed. "What do you expect me to do? I'm not stronger than any of you."
He shook his head. "No. But you can learn where he gets his strength. Once we know the source of his strength, we can take it away."
The other men laughed and raised their hands. "Can you imagine? Samson as weak as a little puppy? We'll tie him up and force him to do all our work!" They cheered together.
The leader turned to me again. "You must help us, Delilah. If you'll find the source of Samson's strength we'll each pay you eleven hundred pieces of silver."
They stared at me, waiting for my answer. I didn't know how I would get Samson to tell me the source of his strength, but for eleven hundred pieces of silver I was willing to try. "All right. I'll ask him. I won't promise you an answer--but I'll ask."
The men cheered. "Delilah. Delilah the one who will conquer Samson."
After supper I gave Samson a drink and pulled a stool close to him to rest his feet. He smiled and laid his head back to rest.
Now was my chance to ask. "Um, Samson. I have a question."
He took a sip of his drink. "Yes?"
"Samson, you're stronger than any other man I know. Please. Will you tell me where your great strength lies? What could possibly bind you to overpower your strength?"
He stroke his beard and thought for a moment. "Well, dear Delilah, if someone bound me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I would become weak like any other man." He took another sip of his drink. "But have no fear, I won't loose my strength."
The next day I reported Samson's answer to the leaders.
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Come back next week, Wednesday to read more of this story.
1. Was Delilah a Philistine or a Hebrew?
2. Why were the men of this Philistine village afraid of Samson?
3. What did they do when they heard Samson wanted to marry Delilah?
4. What was their plan?
5. How much did they offer to pay Delilah?
6. Did she agree?
7. Who gave Samson his strength?
8. Why--what was Samson's job?
9. What did you learn from this story?
