Judges 16:18

DELILAH DELIVERS SAMSON TO THE PHILISTINE LORDS

"And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she went and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he knew not that Jehovah had departed from him. And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven."

The heartless cruelty and deceit of the wicked Delilah, who thoroughly hated Samson, but pretended to love him, only for the sake of delivering him for a price to his bitterest enemies come sharply into focus in this paragraph.

She was a cold, unscrupulous, untrusting religious whore, who did not even trust the lords of her own people, but required of them to pay her the promised bounty "in hand," before she actually delivered Samson.

"And shaved off the seven locks of his head" (Judges 16:19). Grammatically, this seems to say that Delilah herself shaved off Samson's hair, but the calling of a man indicates that she did it by the instrumentality of that accomplice. Again, Samson was asleep, while the crucial deed was accomplished. It would be interesting to know just how that sleep was induced, whether by strong drink or drugs, or however.

"And she began to afflict him" (Judges 16:19). One cannot help wondering if Samson in this development really began to suspect the base treachery and hatred of Delilah. She did this only to be sure that Samson's strength was gone, and when she was sure, she again summoned the Philistines to be upon him.

"I will go out as at other times and shake myself free" (Judges 16:20). When Samson said this, he was not aware that Jehovah had departed from him, and he apparently thought, even at that late hour, that he would be able to escape. But the awful truth was quickly revealed to him. He was blinded, probably by having his eyes gouged out. His judgeship was ended. He was then the slave of the Philistines, assigned to the most humiliating menial labor, and the laughing-stock of his pagan enemies. No one who understands what happened can feel anything but pity for this weak and sinful Judge.

"They put out his eyes ... took him to Gaza ... bound him with brass fetters ... put him to work in the prison-house, grinding corn" (wheat) (Judges 16:21). We are not told the exact nature of the work assignment for Samson. There was in use at that time a mill usually powered by a donkey, as indicated in the marginal reading of Matthew 18:6 (ASV), and it is reasonable to suppose that, due to his great strength, Samson was utilized to turn the mill instead of an animal. In any event, that type of labor, when done by human beings, was allocated to the lowest class of slaves. Thus, the shame and humiliation of Israel's Superhuman Judge reached its terrible climax.

"Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven" (Judges 16:22). God had not forgotten either the sinful Judge or his Chosen People of Israel. The fact stated here is an indication that there was yet a final episode to be related in the remarkable story of Samson.