Then the Philistines came to the men of Judah and called for Samson. At that time,

Samson had gone to Etam. Three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock

Etam and told Samson that they had come to bind him and deliver him to the Philistines.

Samson agreed that they could bind him on one condition, that they would not attack him

when he was bound. The men of Judah agreed not to harm Samson when he was bound.

Samson was bound with new cords and taken to Lehi, where the Philistines were

waiting. But the Spirit of the Lord "came mightily on Samson and the cords became soft

and melted. In this way Samson was freed. He picked up the jawbone of an ass and slew

a thousand Philistines. So the story of Samson continues, but we cannot repeat all the

details. We pass to the last stage that is recorded in the book of Judges.

Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah, and as might be expected

the Philistines kept in close touch with her with the object of capturing Samson. They

offered her money if she would betray him.

The lords of the Philistines told Delilah to find out what the secret of his enormous

strength was. The full details are given in Judges 16:

Samson told Delilah that if he was bound with green withs (or fresh bowstrings), he

would be as weak as any other man. But when the Philistines brought the bowstrings and

Samson was bound with them, when Delilah called "The Philistines be upon thee",

Samson broke free and so his strength was not known.

Then Samson said that new ropes would make him weak, but they did not prevent him

from breaking free.

A third trial was made by weaving his seven locks of hair and securing it with a pin.

He was asleep, but at the usual call that the Philistines were upon him, Samson broke free

and walked away with the pin of the beam still in his hair.

Delilah kept worrying Samson and declared that he really did not love her, as each

time the secret was not revealed. Finally Samson, weary of her continual questioning,

told Delilah that he was a Nazarite and that it was a condition that no razor should come

upon his head. If his hair was cut and his head shaven, he would then be like any other

man. So Delilah made Samson go to sleep on her knees, so that a man could come and

shave him. Then once more she called the Philistines, and Samson not realizing what had

happened, awoke and shook himself as at other times, but his strength was gone. The

Lord had departed from him. He was as weak as any other man.

So the Philistines captured him, put out his eyes so that Samson became blind, put him

in prison, bound him with fetters of brass, and there he ground corn.

But his hair began to grow again.