Where is Delilah in the Bible?
Lived before Israel had a king
Delilah, a Philistine woman from the Valley of Sorek, is known for her role in the downfall of Samson, one of Israel's judges. Delilah appears in 6 verses of the Bible.
What happened at Delilah?
Delilah, a Philistine woman from the Valley of Sorek, is known for her role in the downfall of Samson, one of Israel's judges. Samson fell in love with Delilah, and the Philistine rulers, seeing an opportunity to defeat their enemy, offered Delilah a substantial sum of money to discover the secret of Samson's strength (Jdg.16.4-5). Delilah repeatedly asked Samson to reveal the source of his strength, but he deceived her three times. First, he told her that if he were bound with seven fresh bowstrings, he would become weak, but when she did so, he broke them easily (Jdg.16.6-9). Next, he claimed that new ropes would render him helpless, but he snapped them as well (Jdg.16.10-12). Finally, he said that weaving his hair into a loom would take away his strength, but this too proved false (Jdg.16.13-14). Frustrated by Samson's deception, Delilah persistently pressed him for the truth, wearing him down with her words day after day. Eventually, Samson revealed that his strength came from his uncut hair, a sign of his Nazirite vow to God (Jdg.16.15-17). Delilah lulled Samson to sleep, called for a man to shave his head, and his strength left him (Jdg.16.18-19). The Philistines captured the weakened Samson, gouged out his eyes, and forced him to work as a grinder in prison (Jdg.16.20-21). Delilah's betrayal ultimately led to Samson's humiliation and imprisonment, though he later regained his strength and brought down the Philistine temple, killing many Philistines and himself in the process (Jdg.16.22-30). Delilah's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of temptation, deception, and the consequences of betraying one's vows to God. It also highlights the weakness of even the strongest man when he allows himself to be swayed by the wiles of a woman.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Delilah appear in the Bible?
Delilah is referenced in 6 verses. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- Judges 16:4
- Judges 16:6
- Judges 16:10
- Judges 16:12
- Judges 16:13
- Judges 16:18
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Delilah.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Delilah?
Delilah appears in 6 verses, all of them in Judges.
Which books of the Bible mention Delilah?
Just one: Judges.
Where can I read every verse about Delilah?
This page lists 6 of them. Protos carries all 6, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
