Judges 16:10

In this verse, we read, *“Then Delilah said to Samson, ‘Behold, you have deceived me and told me lies; now please tell me how you may be bound.’”* (v.10) Delilah, who is believed to be associated with the Philistines around the eleventh century BC, confronts Samson after discovering that his previous answer about being bound was a ruse. This moment occurs during the period of the Judges, a time before Israel had kings (roughly from the 14th to the 11th century BC). Samson, who served as the twelfth judge of Israel in that time frame, had been granted supernatural strength by God (Judges 13). Delilah’s insistence on learning the secret of Samson’s strength indicates her potential alliance or agreement with the Philistine rulers who sought to weaken Israel’s champion.

When Delilah says, *“you have deceived me and told me lies,”* (v.10), it highlights the escalating tension within their relationship. Samson’s game of misleading her underscores not only the fragility of trust between them, but also foreshadows the destructive consequences of deception and manipulation—an often-repeated theme in the Old Testament. Even in the flawed circumstances, Samson continues to exhibit a measure of cunning; however, that cunning is turned to purely personal ends rather than serving Israel’s deliverance. His behavior, in some ways, mirrors the brokenness seen throughout the period when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25 NASB-95).

Despite Delilah’s words—*“now please tell me how you may be bound”* (v.10)—Samson still underestimates the danger. Delilah’s persistence to bind him, spurred on by the Philistine authorities, foreshadows his eventual downfall. The cyclical pattern of sin, entrapment, and divine rescue in the Book of Judges points to a future hope of a Savior who would ultimately break the bonds of sin for all people (Luke 4:18 NASB-95). This verse thus sets the stage for the final test of Samson’s resolve and the unfolding of God’s plan through both his strength and his eventual humility.

Samson’s deception of Delilah underscores a pattern of misplaced trust and the vulnerability that arises when someone called by God toys with temptation.