Verse 4
SAMSON'S INFATUATION WITH DELILAH
"And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek; whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee."
"The valley of Sorek" (Judges 16:4). This place was quite near Samson's home. The Valley of Sorek was named after a favorite variety of grape and has the meaning of "Grape Valley." It begins about thirteen miles southwest of Jerusalem. "The Jaffa-Jerusalem railway now runs through this valley."[15]
"Delilah" (Judges 16:4). "This name means either `flirtatious' or `devotee,' the latter designation suggestion religious prostitution as her profession."[16] The fact that she was also apparently of high social status and actually honored by the lords of the Philistines by their employment of her in their efforts to take Samson also support the idea that she was a temple prostitute attached to the temple of Dagon.
"Eleven hundred pieces of silver" (Judges 16:5). According to Strahan, this was, "The equivalent of $150 English pounds, as of 1925."[17] On that date the English pound was valued at about $5.00, meaning that the price the lords of the Philistines agreed to pay Delilah was about $3,750.00, which was a major fortune in antiquity.
Delilah, of course, needed no further inducement. The money smothered all thoughts of love or friendship, and she went to work on Samson at once with the purpose of betraying him. One may only pity the foolish willingness of Samson in allowing himself to be deceived and betrayed by Delilah.
THE THREE FALSE "SECRETS"
There were three times that Samson pretended to confide in Delilah, without, in any sense, revealing the real secret of his strength.
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