The one who weakens
Throughout history, women have always served as covert intelligence gatherers to win wars and bring down powerful men. Today’s story is no exception. It’s the story of an agent who gathered the secret of a powerful man to bring him down and win a years-long war between two powerful tribes. Her reward was 5500 pieces of silver.
Like many of you, my idea of women spies comes from Russian espionage movies. The women are portrayed as professional, intelligent, foreign and mysterious, and stunningly beautiful, to achieve seduction. Agent Delilah, so-called, was a perfect fit for this role and so she was specifically selected. She met Samson in the valley of Sorek, which was strategically chosen as it was sat between the Philistine plains and the Judean hills. Sounds like a neutral ground to walk around, right? Samson might have thought the same, and apparently, he did more than just stroll. He had previously ventured deep into enemy territory, so far that he ended up getting himself a wife there.
Did Samson learn anything from his first marriage, that ended with his wife being burnt alive? We’ll find out soon enough. He might have chanced upon Delilah, but Delilah hadn’t. She was on a mission, and boy, was she successful. Samson stumbled into love with her, hard and without ado, she got to work. “Please tell me where your great strength lies and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you?” Straight as an arrow. I don’t know about you but if someone posed that question to me, I’d find it incredibly suspect, particularly given his military background. My answer would be, “why would you want to know this?” Anyway, Samson played a game instead. At first, he told her to bind him with 7 fresh bowstrings, the second time he told her that new ropes, which had never been used before, would weaken him. The third time he told her that weaving the seven locks on his head into a web and fastening them tight with a pin would weaken him. Three times Delilah asked, and three times she set an ambush ready for him when he woke up, and three times Samson walked into the same trap 😵💫.
Looking back, he had prior experience with this. At his wedding feast, Samson had given a riddle to 30 Philistine companions, yes, his enemies, where the prize for solving it was 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes. His wife, under their influence, pestered him for the answer until he gave it up. The story records that Samson knew about it 🙄. Fast forward to his current lover, Agent Delilah. She didn’t give up. How can you say, “I love you” when your heart is not with me?” I bet these words are familiar to some of you. “You have mocked me these three times and you have not told me where your great strength lies.” Delilah persisted. She pressed him hard daily with her words until his soul was vexed to death. He finally told her his heart.
Where men have been celebrated for the strength of their muscles, women have often been portrayed as possessing another kind of strength – the power of the tongue. We will all be the wiser if we don’t underestimate this power 🙂. A man who had fought thousands without being vexed was now vexed to death by words. Delilah got Samson captured, blinded, enslaved and later, he died. Then, she slipped from the scene as if she was never on there, leaving us with several unanswered questions like “where did she come from? Who was her family? Where did she go? On to her next victim? Who knows 🧐
Was she truly his downfall? Or was Samson his own undoing?
Following Esther’s story, I can’t help but compare the two. Both women use their influence on powerful men, but to different ends. One to save her partner and people, while the other to betray her partner for self-gain. I know which of these women speaks to me more. But both stories have their appeal to me. How about you?
What would you model after Delilah?
The tongue is mightier than a sword.
Ps: Women in espionage play more roles than seducing men 😁
The story of Delilah is in the book of Judges; for context start from chapter 12 to 16.
Make sure to also read the previous story about Esther and see how she’d fair at a game of chess. Enjoy 🤗