Judges Profiles

DELILAH

Judges 16:4-20

A person’s greatest accomplishment may well be helping others accomplish great things. Likewise, a person’s greatest failure may be preventing others from achieving greatness. Delilah played a minor role in Samson’s life, but her effect was devastating, for she influenced him to betray his special calling from God. Motivated by greed, Delilah used her persistence to wear down Samson. His infatuation with her made Samson a vulnerable target. For all his physical strength, he was no match for her nagging, and he paid a great price for giving in to her. Delilah is never mentioned again in the Bible. Her unfaithfulness to Samson brought ruin to him and to her people.

Are people helped by knowing you? Do they find that knowing you challenges them to be the best they can be? Even more important, does knowing you help their relationship with God? What do your demands for their time and attention tell them about your real care for them? Are you willing to be God’s instrument in the lives of others?

Strength and accomplishment	Persistent when faced with obstacles
Weaknesses and mistakes	Valued money more than relationships Betrayed the man who trusted her
Lesson from her life	We need to be careful to place our trust only in people who are trustworthy
Vital statistics	Where: Valley of Sorek Contemporary: Samson
Key verses	“And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart” (Judges 16:16, 17).

Her story is told in Judges 16.