Judges 16:4 kjv
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Judges 16:4 nkjv
Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Judges 16:4 niv
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.
Judges 16:4 esv
After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Judges 16:4 nlt
Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek.
Judges 16 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Judg 14:1-3 | Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman there... when he came back, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife." | Samson's earlier attraction to a Philistine woman |
| Judg 16:1-3 | Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute and went into her... | Continuation of Samson's moral decline and unholy alliances |
| Num 6:2-5 | Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, 'When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazarite... he shall abstain from wine and strong drink... no razor shall touch his head.' | Samson's Nazarite vow requirements, which he disregards |
| Deut 7:3-4 | You shall not intermarry with them... For they would turn away your sons from following Me, to serve other gods. | Direct command against intermarriage with foreign nations |
| 1 Kgs 11:1-4 | King Solomon loved many foreign women... his wives turned his heart away. | Illustrates the severe consequence of marrying foreign women |
| Neh 13:26-27 | Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? ...Shall we then listen to you and commit all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women? | Reinforces the historical warning against such marriages |
| Prov 5:3-6 | For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood. | Poetic warning about the deceptive and destructive nature of promiscuous women |
| Prov 7:6-27 | For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice, and I saw among the simple ones, I perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense... who entices with flattery. | Detailed warning about a youth ensnared by an adulteress, mirroring Samson's plight |
| Jer 2:19 | Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God. | Consequences of straying from God's path and commands |
| Hos 4:11 | Whoredom, wine, and new wine take away the understanding. | Spiritual blindness caused by immorality |
| Jas 1:14-15 | But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | Explains the process of temptation leading to sin and death |
| Eph 5:11 | Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. | Call to separate from unrighteous acts and relationships |
| 2 Tim 2:22 | So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. | Admonition to avoid harmful desires and pursue godly living |
| Gal 5:16 | But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. | Principle of walking in the Spirit to overcome fleshly desires |
| 1 Jn 2:16 | For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. | Worldly desires contrasted with the things of God |
| Rom 7:23 | But I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. | Inner struggle with sin, relevant to Samson's repeated failings |
| 1 Cor 10:11-12 | Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction... Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. | Warnings from Israel's past for current instruction |
| Phil 3:19 | Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame. | Description of those whose lives are ruled by fleshly desires |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. | Applies to disobeying God's direct commands (like Nazarite vow rules and separation) |
| Matt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. | Principle of divided loyalty, applicable to Samson trying to serve God and his lusts |
| Heb 11:32 | And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel... | Samson is still listed among the faithful, emphasizing God's grace despite his flaws |
| 2 Peter 2:19 | For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. | Samson's enslavement to his desires leading to physical enslavement |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. | Calls believers to avoid sexual sin due to its specific harm |
Judges 16 verses
Judges 16 4 Meaning
Judges 16:4 marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of Samson, detailing his formation of a relationship with Delilah in the Valley of Sorek. This verse sets the stage for his final and most significant entanglement, which ultimately leads to his capture and tragic downfall. It highlights Samson's persistent pattern of self-indulgence and his recurring attraction to Philistine women, demonstrating his profound spiritual and moral compromise despite his divine calling and Nazarite consecration.
Judges 16 4 Context
Judges 16:4 occurs late in the book of Judges, a period characterized by cyclical disobedience, oppression, and temporary deliverance. "Every man did what was right in his own eyes" (Judg 21:25). Samson's story, particularly, highlights the decline of Israel's leadership and morality. Born miraculously and consecrated as a Nazarite to begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines (Judg 13:5), Samson repeatedly flouted his divine calling and the principles of separation. His life is marked by impulsive actions, violence, and, significantly, entanglements with Philistine women.
Before Delilah, Samson had sought a Philistine woman in Timnah as his wife (Judg 14) and later visited a prostitute in Gaza (Judg 16:1). The relationship with Delilah in the Valley of Sorek represents the culmination of this destructive pattern. His choice to form an emotional bond, implied by the word "loved," with another Philistine woman, especially after his narrow escape from Gaza, indicates a persistent moral blindness and spiritual vulnerability. The Philistines, who were oppressing Israel, shrewdly recognized Samson's weakness for women and leveraged it for their strategic objectives.
Judges 16 4 Word Analysis
- And it came to pass afterward, (
וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי־כֵן, wayhî ʾaḥăre-ḵēn): This standard Hebrew phrase denotes sequential time, meaning "and it was after this." It directly links Samson's encounter with Delilah to his recent exploit in Gaza (Judges 16:1-3), implying a continuity in his pattern of reckless behavior and spiritual decline. It highlights that this relationship is not an isolated incident but a continuation of his established character flaws. - that he loved (
וַיֶּאֱהַב, wayyeʾĕhav): The verbאָהַב(ʾāhav), meaning "to love." In Samson's context, this "love" signifies an intense, often passionate, desire or infatuation rather than a pure, selfless, or covenantal affection. Given his previous liaisons, it suggests a carnal or self-indulgent attraction, highlighting his fatal weakness for pleasure and his failure to bridle his lusts. This contrasts sharply with God-honoring love. - a woman (
אִשָּׁה, ʾishshāh): The common Hebrew word for "woman." While generic, in this specific narrative, it sets the stage for her immediate identification. The very term 'woman' highlights that Samson's consistent weakness lay in his attractions. - in the valley of Sorek, (
בְּנַחַל שֹׂרֵק, benaḥal Sōrēq):נַחַל(naḥal): A "wadi" or "river valley," a topographical feature. It denotes a specific, identifiable geographic location.שֹׂרֵק(Soreq): The name of the valley, possibly derived from a root meaning "choice vine" or "special vintage" (cf. Isaiah 5:2; Jeremiah 2:21 where "sorek" refers to a superior type of vine). This is highly symbolic for Samson, a Nazarite forbidden from wine and grapes. His entanglement in the "Valley of the Vine" suggests a dangerous proximity to that which he was consecrated to avoid, symbolizing his ongoing compromise with his vow and with the very essence of Israel's separation. It was located on the borderland between Philistine and Danite (Samson's tribe) territory, representing a liminal space of temptation and vulnerability to enemy influence.
- whose name was Delilah. (
וּשְׁמָהּ דְּלִילָה, ushmah Dəlîlâ):שְׁמָהּ(shĕmâ) means "her name."דְּלִילָה(Dəlîlâ): The proper name Delilah. While its etymology is debated, some link it to roots meaning "languishing," "feeble," or "weakened." This would be ironically prophetic of her effect on Samson. She is identified specifically, marking her as a crucial, active agent in the unfolding tragedy, not merely a fleeting encounter. She likely embodies Philistine cunning and mercenary motives.
Words-group Analysis
- "he loved a woman": This phrase succinctly captures Samson's pervasive personal weakness. It is a powerful indictment of a leader whose actions are governed by carnal desires rather than spiritual discernment or fidelity to his divine calling. His "love" in this context signifies a passionate indulgence that renders him vulnerable and eventually enslaved.
- "in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah": This detailed geographical and personal identification provides critical context for Samson's downfall. The "Valley of Sorek" represents the dangerous borderland where covenant people intersect with pagan influence, a place ripe with symbolic meaning related to Samson's violated Nazarite vow (grape association). The naming of "Delilah" immediately personalizes and intensifies the stakes, signifying a targeted, deliberate ploy by the Philistines, actualized through a specific, cunning individual. This precise detailing elevates this encounter from mere casual flirtation to a fatal strategic entanglement.
Judges 16 4 Bonus Section
- The Philistines were masters of infiltration and exploiting weaknesses. They likely targeted Samson specifically because of his known vulnerability to women, leveraging a deep infatuation ("loved") rather than just a casual encounter for their strategic objective. This indicates a heightened level of enemy cunning against God's anointed.
- Samson's "love" here seems to represent a state of profound emotional and intellectual entanglement, far beyond simple physical desire. This emotional blindness made him susceptible to Delilah's repeated interrogations and manipulations, even as he consciously attempted to deceive her.
- This verse can be viewed as a climax of the narrative theme introduced in Judges 14, where Samson’s self-will and personal desire (
בְּעֵינַי, "in my eyes" or "what I saw") were repeatedly prioritized over the counsel of his parents or the clear will of God for separation. His actions serve as a stark reflection of Israel's wider spiritual apostasy during the period of the Judges.
Judges 16 4 Commentary
Judges 16:4 is deceptively simple but immensely significant, initiating the final, tragic arc of Samson's story. It depicts his profound moral blindness, as he, Israel's deliverer, persistently gravitates towards the very people God had called him to resist. His "love" for Delilah underscores a pattern of self-gratifying passion rather than genuine affection, leading him to repeat the cycle of choosing personal pleasure over divine mandate.
The setting, the "Valley of Sorek," adds layers of ironic symbolism. Samson, consecrated as a Nazarite from birth, was forbidden from anything derived from the grapevine (Numbers 6). His falling into deep infatuation within a "valley of choice vines" directly parallels his breaking of his vows and his succumbing to the temptations associated with the forbidden fruit of worldly compromise. This geographic detail metaphorically signifies the dangerous border between his sacred calling and his profanity.
Unlike his previous brief and often anonymous encounters with Philistine women, Delilah is named and portrayed as an active, conniving agent. She becomes the specific instrument through whom the Philistines finally succeed in overcoming Samson, exposing his most profound weakness—not his physical strength, but his moral character and lack of discipline. This verse serves as a potent biblical warning about the devastating consequences of repeatedly indulging fleshly desires, forming unholy alliances, and compromising one's God-given purpose, ultimately leading to loss of spiritual vitality and freedom.