Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.
Now there were men hiding and waiting with her in the room. And she said to him, 'The Philistines are attacking you, Samson!' And he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a string breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was still not discovered.
The writer is showing how Delilah's first attempt to trap Samson failed because his supernatural strength easily broke through the trap, keeping his secret safe for now.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the period when Israel had no king and was oppressed by the Philistines. Samson was a judge (military leader) whom God had given supernatural strength to deliver Israel. Delilah was working with the Philistine rulers to discover the source of Samson's incredible power so they could capture him.
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