Delilah’s third failed ruse shows how Samson’s mighty strength endures for now, but also foreshadows the peril in trusting an enemy.
In this passage, we see Delilah intensifying her scheme to uncover the true source of Samson’s supernatural strength. The text says that “So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his hair and wove them into the web. And she fastened it with the pin and said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom and the web.” (v.14) Delilah, presumably from the Philistine territory in the valley of Sorek, places Samson in a precarious position by physically entangling his hair as another attempt to betray him. What follows is another failure by Delilah to surpass Samson’s seemingly boundless strength and discover his secret.
Samson, an Israelite judge in the historical timeline around the 12th century B.C., was set apart to God since before his birth (Judges 13:3-5). His long hair was emblematic of a Nazirite vow—a vow given by God that assured extraordinary power for delivering Israel from Philistine oppression. In this verse, Delilah tries to exploit Samson’s carefree trust in her. By weaving his locks into the loom, she hopes his strength will be neutralized whenever the Philistines arrive, but God’s chosen strength in Samson allows him to escape this threat once more.
Samson’s deliverance here also foreshadows both the resilience and vulnerability of those set apart for God’s purposes. Although Samson continues to thwart Delilah’s repeated efforts, his pattern of misplacing trust and flirting with spiritual compromise will soon take a toll (Matthew 6:13).
He once again slips free, but danger draws ever nearer.
Samson’s repeated escape underscores God’s mercy toward His chosen leader, even when Samson’s heart is divided.
Samson escapes Delilah’s loom-trap, demonstrating for a moment longer that God’s gifts remain steadfast even when tested in the most intimate of circumstances.
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Judges 16:14 meaning
In this passage, we see Delilah intensifying her scheme to uncover the true source of Samson’s supernatural strength. The text says that “So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his hair and wove them into the web. And she fastened it with the pin and said to him, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ But he awoke from his sleep and pulled out the pin of the loom and the web.” (v.14) Delilah, presumably from the Philistine territory in the valley of Sorek, places Samson in a precarious position by physically entangling his hair as another attempt to betray him. What follows is another failure by Delilah to surpass Samson’s seemingly boundless strength and discover his secret.
Samson, an Israelite judge in the historical timeline around the 12th century B.C., was set apart to God since before his birth (Judges 13:3-5). His long hair was emblematic of a Nazirite vow—a vow given by God that assured extraordinary power for delivering Israel from Philistine oppression. In this verse, Delilah tries to exploit Samson’s carefree trust in her. By weaving his locks into the loom, she hopes his strength will be neutralized whenever the Philistines arrive, but God’s chosen strength in Samson allows him to escape this threat once more.
Samson’s deliverance here also foreshadows both the resilience and vulnerability of those set apart for God’s purposes. Although Samson continues to thwart Delilah’s repeated efforts, his pattern of misplacing trust and flirting with spiritual compromise will soon take a toll (Matthew 6:13).
He once again slips free, but danger draws ever nearer.
Samson’s repeated escape underscores God’s mercy toward His chosen leader, even when Samson’s heart is divided.
Samson escapes Delilah’s loom-trap, demonstrating for a moment longer that God’s gifts remain steadfast even when tested in the most intimate of circumstances.