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
In the book of Judges, Samson was a judge of Israel chosen by God with supernatural strength to fight against the Philistine oppressors during a time of repeated cycles of sin and deliverance in Israel's history. In this specific episode, Delilah, a Philistine woman Samson had fallen for, was bribed by the Philistines to uncover the secret of his strength by testing him with various restraints. Despite her attempt to trap him with bowstrings in a hidden room, Samson's God-given power allowed him to break free easily, revealing nothing about his vulnerability at that moment.
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