Atlas Biblica

    person

    Delilah

    דְּלִילָה

    Delilah was a Philistine woman who deceived Samson into revealing the secret of his strength, leading to his capture.

    verses
    6
    first named
    Judges 16:4
    last named
    Judges 16:20
    period
    before Israel's Monarchy
    role
    Woman

    Description

    Who was Delilah?

    In the words of STEPBible TIPNR:

    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.

    Relations

    Direct connections

    Every entity the graph places in a stated relation with this one, grouped by the kind of link. Each relation is authored once and its inverse derived, so both ends always agree. Rows marked “registry” come from the identity spine rather than from a verse, and a row marked “which bearer is the source’s decision” is one where the name could have meant more than one person. The last group is not a relation at all — it counts the events two entities stand in together.

    How the graph connects Delilah6 of 6 entities the graph connects to Delilah, in 3 groups: kinship 1, company 2, events 3. Kinship, company and ground are stated relations; events counts the acts two entities stand in together and is not a relation. Each mark is sized by how many verses name that entity and labelled with the link and the count, so the grouping and the size are both readable without colour. Distance from the centre carries nothing.SamsonSpouse of · 14 events · 38 versesKinshipLords Of Philistines and Delilah’s tying up of SamsonTook part in · 2 versesThey and Delilah’s tying up of SamsonTook part in · 2 versesCompanySubduing1 event · 17 versesSamson’s telling1 event · 2 versesSorek Valley1 event · 1 verseEventsDelilah

    Spouse of

    Took part in

    Stands in the same events as

    Places

    Where this happens

    The places the claims about this person reach, drawn where the gazetteer locates them. A point is where a row puts them and never where tradition does; no line joins two points, because the rows state where and not in what order.

    Where the story of Delilah happensThe one place the claims about Delilah reach, on a map of the world the text moves through, framed to them: Sorek_Valley. Each dot is a coordinate from the gazetteer, sized by how many rows put Delilah there. The coastline is a modern one, simplified; no border, road or settlement of any period is drawn, and no line joins two points, because the rows state where and not in what order.Sorek_Valley
    before Israel's MonarchyThe one place the claims about Delilah reach

    Read it

    Where to read it

    Every verse of the text carried here that names this entity — 6, across 1 book.

    1. Judges6 verses

      16:416:616:1016:1216:1316:18

    Onward

    Where this page goes

    Not the direct relations above — these are one hop further out, ranked so that a rare shared connection outweighs a common one. Descriptions by STEPBible TIPNR.

    via Lords Of Philistines and Delilah’s tying up of Samson and They and Delilah’s tying up of SamsonTying UpTying Up is a concept gathering 7 labelled instances in the text.via SamsonDagon DeliveringDagon Delivering is an event attested across 2 verses, connecting 2 pageable entities.via SamsonGet Woman As WifeGet Woman As Wife is an event attested across 3 verses, connecting 2 pageable entities.via SamsonJudah Men’s goingJudah Men’s going is an event attested across 2 verses, connecting 2 pageable entities.via SamsonManoahFather of Samson, from the tribe of Dan.via SamsonSamson’s going downSamson’s going down is an event attested across 3 verses, connecting 2 pageable entities.via SamsonSamson’s seeing of Young Philistine WomanSamson’s seeing of Young Philistine Woman is an event attested across 2 verses, connecting 2 pageable entities.via SamsonSamson’s tellingSamson’s telling is an event attested across 2 verses, connecting 2 pageable entities.

    Where they appear

    Chapter by chapter

    Atlas's reading of each chapter this person appears in, in canonical order. One line per chapter, and each leads to the whole of it.

    Sources

    What this rests on