And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
JUDGES 16:5KJVWhat does Judges 16:5 mean?
Judges 16:5 describes how the leaders of the Philistines approached Delilah and asked her to seduce Samson in order to discover the secret of his great strength, promising her a large sum of silver if she succeeded. The verse shows the Philistines’ determination to capture Samson by using Delilah to uncover what made him so powerful.
In this scene, the "lords" of the Philistines (their rulers) come to Delilah, who is close to Samson, and ask her to "entice" him—meaning to lure or persuade him—to reveal the source of his strength. Their goal is to find out how they can overpower and bind Samson, so they can "afflict" or harm him. Each leader offers Delilah eleven hundred pieces of silver, showing how serious and desperate they are to defeat Samson, who has been a major threat to them.
The Hebrew behind Judges 16:5
- "Entice" (פָּתָה, pathah): This word means to persuade, seduce, or lure someone into doing something. Here, it highlights that the Philistine leaders are asking Delilah to use personal influence and deception, not force, to get Samson’s secret.
- "Strength" (כֹּחַ, koach): This word means physical power or might. The Philistines are not just curious about Samson’s abilities—they want to know the exact source of his unusual power so they can neutralize it.
- "Afflict" (עָנָה, anah): This word often means to humble, oppress, or cause suffering. The Philistines’ intent is not just to capture Samson, but to humiliate and harm him once he is powerless.
- "Silver" (כֶּסֶף, keseph): The large amount of silver offered to Delilah underlines how valuable Samson’s capture is to the Philistines and the extent of their resources and motivation.
Why Judges 16:5 matters
- Judges 16:5 explains why Delilah is motivated to betray Samson, showing that her actions are driven by a significant financial reward rather than personal feelings.
- The verse highlights the Philistines’ strategy: instead of direct confrontation, they use manipulation and bribery, revealing their desperation and cunning.
- This verse sets up the unfolding drama of Samson’s downfall, making it clear that his vulnerability comes not from his enemies’ strength, but from betrayal by someone close to him.