Delilah is one of several women in the story of Samson, but she is the only one with a name. She was a Philistine woman and he was an Israelite who loved her at a time when the Israelites living by the border (the tribe of Dan) felt squeezed by the Philistines on one side and the mountain people from Judah on the other. Let’s meet Delilah.
Background (Judges 13:1-16:3)
1. It is important to realize that unlike other judges, Samson’s birth is a miraculous one. How does it compare to other miraculous births that you know about in Tanakh?
- Think of Isaac (Sarah), Esau and Jacob (Rebecca), Samuel (Hannah).
2. What role do women play in the life of Samson? Who are these women?
- Notice the different roles that the women have: A wife (and a substitute wife) and a harlot. How are these relationships perceived by his family and people? Why?
Part I: Text and Content (Judges 16:4-21)
1. We know how Samson feels about Delilah. What are her feelings?
- It is rare that a woman’s feelings towards a man are described. (I can think only of Michal, Saul’s daughter, who loved David. I Sam 18:20) Jacob loved Rachel, but what did she feel? (We will discuss the term vaye’ehav – ‘he loved’ in the video.)
2. What motivates Delilah to undo Samson’s power?
3. Why did Samson not leave Delilah after repeated attempts to deplete his power?
- Delilah does not even attempt to conceal her actions. She uses the information against him time and again, but Samson does not leave her. Why?
4. Compare the first 3 times that Delilah asks Samson to tell her what the secret of his power is, with the fourth time. Why does she succeed on her fourth attempt?
- Pay attention to the passage of time and to the quality of the arguments. What had she succeeded in doing in the fourth attempt?
5. Now pay attention to the method that she uses to deliver him to the Philistine. How does it differ?
- Why did she choose a different method? What is she doing now that she did not do before?
6. Verse 16:22 is full of anticipation. What is the significance of the re-growing of Samson’s hair?
- Is it only physical? What mental cycles had Samson gone through in this story?
7. What motivates Samson in the closing of the story (perhaps the part most remembered)?
8. As the story closes, what is Samson’s relationship with God and with his people?
- To fully answer this, think of all the chapters of the story. What role did God play in his life? What was his relationship with his immediate family? How did he get along with other Israelites?
Part II: The “Three and Four” Structure
The unit of 16:4-21 is very structured. It contains a frame at the opening and closing, and a middle that works in the so called “three and the fourth.” (Based on the first chapter of Amos) In this structure something occurs 3 times, forming an expected pattern, only to be broken in the fourth and crucial occurrence. Our focus is then shifted to the fourth time.
Now to our story:
The Frame:
Verses 4-5 are inversely related to verses 20-21. The outer sentences (4, 22) relate to time and to Samson’s inner world. The inner ones (5, 21) tell of the Philistine plot and its successful conclusion.
And what about the middle?
Now I want you to work. The text is divided along the 4 attempts. (Of course, if you would like to try it in Hebrew it would be great!)
1. How similar are they? Pay close attention to the small differences as well.
2. Please think of how this story might have been shared among people and how that is reflected in its rhythm.
3. Pay attention to the pattern of “three and the fourth.”
On a personal note: I usually keep a box of colored pencils on hand to mark the repeating phrases (and note the omissions!) If you are doing it on the computer, you can avail yourselves of the colors and high-light options. Of course, you can also set up the text better (not only in big paragraphs.)
Part III: Rabbinic Texts
The following piece of Midrash is concerned with the meaning of the name of Delilah. Interpreting the name to get a deeper sense of the character’s personality is known as Midrash Shem (exegesis of a name.) This is a literary device widely used in Tanakh since names in Hebrew have meanings. It is fairly lose – it does not need to be grammatically correct, and is often based on sound. For example: Jacob (Ya’akov) is named so after holding on to his brother’s heel (‘akev).
(שופטים טז, ד): וּשְׁמָהּ דְּלִילָה, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר אִלְּמָלֵא לֹא נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ דְּלִילָה הָיְתָה רְאוּיָה שֶׁתִּקָּרֵא כֵּן, דִּלְדְּלָה אֶת כֹּחוֹ, דִּלְדְּלָה אֶת מַעֲשָׂיו, דִּלְדְּלָה אֶת לִבּוֹ.
“And her name was Delilah” – Rabi says: If her name was not Delilah, she was deserving to be named so; for she weakened (dildelah) his strength, she weakened (dildelah) his deeds, weakened (dildelah) his heart.
1. How does Rabi (presumably R. Judah the Nasi who compiled the Mishna around 200 CE) see the character of Delilah?
His analysis is not based on grammar, as he freely added another letter to explain the name.
2. Note the format of his explanation: He repeats it 3 times… what do you think that he means by ‘his strength,’ ‘his deeds,’ ‘his heart’?
3. The second part of the Midrash deals with Delilah’s confidence of her success in the fourth occurrence. What are the 2 suggestions as to how she would have known that Samson told her the truth this time?
4. Going back to Joseph: How come Potifar came to trust him? Rashi suggests that the name of God was common-place in his mouth – all his actions were guided by awareness of God. What similar thing do you see here?
כְּתִיב (שופטים טז, יח): וַתֵּרֶא דְלִילָה כִּי הִגִּיד לָהּ אֶת כָּל לִבּוֹ וגו', מְנָא יָדְעָה, אָמַר רַבִּי חָנָן נִכָּרִין דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת. נַחְמָנִי אָמַר יָדְעָה בֵיהּ בְּאוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק דְּלָא מַפִּיק שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם לְבַטָּלָה, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר לָהּ (שופטים טז, יז): נְזִיר אֱלֹהִים אֲנִי, אָמְרָה הַשְׁתָּא וַדַּאי קֻשְׁטָא קָא אָמַר.
It is written (Jud 16:18) “Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart.” How did she know? R. Hanan said: honest words are recognizable (as such). Nahmani said: She knew that that righteous person would not utter the name of Heavens in vain. Since he told her “I am a Nazirite to God” she said ‘now he is surely telling the truth!’
1. “Seeing” is an interesting expression. How is the word understood here?
The word carries multiple meanings in English as well. What do we mean when we say “I see what you mean?”
2. According to Nahmani, what was the key word that gave Delilah the confidence to call back the lords of the Philistines despite the 3 previous failures?
3. Which of the 2 explanations seems more plausible to you? What is the strong point of each explanation?
What is a Nazirite?
Samson explains that he is a Nazirite from (pre)birth. The laws of the Nazirite are found in Numbers 6:1-21. Over time different categories of Nazirites seem to have developed. Samson became a prototype.
(ב) הֲרֵינִי נָזִיר מִן הַחַרְצַנִּים, וּמִן הַזַּגִּים, וּמִן הַתִּגְלַחַת, וּמִן הַטֻּמְאָה, הֲרֵי זֶה נָזִיר וְכָל דִּקְדּוּקֵי נְזִירוּת עָלָיו. הֲרֵינִי כְשִׁמְשׁוֹן, כְּבֶן מָנוֹחַ, כְּבַעַל דְּלִילָה, כְּמִי שֶׁעָקַר דַּלְתוֹת עַזָּה, כְּמִי שֶׁנִּקְּרוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת עֵינָיו, הֲרֵי זֶה נְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן. מַה בֵּין נְזִיר עוֹלָם לִנְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן. נְזִיר עוֹלָם, הִכְבִּיד שְׂעָרוֹ, מֵקֵל בְּתַעַר וּמֵבִיא שָׁלשׁ בְּהֵמוֹת. וְאִם נִטְמָא, מֵבִיא קָרְבַּן טֻמְאָה. נְזִיר שִׁמְשׁוֹן, הִכְבִּיד שְׂעָרוֹ, אֵינוֹ מֵקֵל. וְאִם נִטְמָא, אֵינוֹ מֵבִיא קָרְבַּן טֻמְאָה:
(2) "I am a Nazirite from the seeds," or "from the husks," or "from the haircut" or "from impurity", he is a Nazirite and all the particulars of nezirut are upon him. "I am like Samson," "like the son of Manoach," "like the husband of Delilah," "like the one who uprooted the gates of Gaza," "like the one whose eyes were pierced by the Philistines," he is a Samsonian Nazirite. What is the difference between an eternal Nazirite and a Samsonian Nazirite? An eternal Nazirite, if his hair weighs heavily on him, he may lighten it with a razor and offer up three animals. And if he becomes impure, he offers up a sacrifice for impurity. A Samsonian Nazirite, if his hair weighs heavily on him, he may not lighten it. And if he becomes impure, he does not offer up a sacrifice for impurity.
1. What in Samson’s story taught them that they can become impure? (Look at chapter 15)
2. How many titles can Samson be called by?
This is relevant since this is a legal text. If a person took a vow to be a Nazirite like “the son of Manoah” or any other title, is this still accepted as a vow to be a Samsonite Nazirite?
3. He was married several times, why, out of all the women in his life, is he known as Delilah’s husband?
Maybe this tells us something of how the rabbis saw the relationship. Or perhaps they are trying to deal with one of our questions above: Why did he not leave her after her repeated attempts to harm him? (Whether or not the relationship was officially marriage is irrelevant, if Samson understood it as marriage.)