Judg 16:4 | KingComments | STEP | Because he has not been restored to fellowship with God, the next and deeper fall is obvious. The weak arms of a woman appear to be stronger for Samson than the gates of Gaza. Sorek means ‘exquisite vine’. The name Delilah means ‘the longingly yearning’. Together they represent the religious world, which unites itself with the wicked world and its pleasures. It is the people who are typified by Paul in this way: “Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power” ( ). They are people of whom the Philistines are an example. Samson falls in love with someone who proposes this principle. Here the real danger becomes visible that love can arise for an enemy that we have to fight according to the Bible, which is as God commands. Something like this happens if we do not keep ourselves in the love of God ( ). What Samson does here goes beyond his connection with the harlot in . That was a short-lived connection. Samson has gone down the sloping path, becoming increasingly tangled in the snares of the enemy. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon warns his son over and over again against the strange woman and shows the consequences for everyone who gets involved with her. It is invariably a descent “to the chambers of death” ( ).

‏ Judges 16:4

Samson’s New Love

Because he has not been restored to fellowship with God, the next and deeper fall is obvious. The weak arms of a woman appear to be stronger for Samson than the gates of Gaza. Sorek means ‘exquisite vine’. The name Delilah means ‘the longingly yearning’. Together they represent the religious world, which unites itself with the wicked world and its pleasures. It is the people who are typified by Paul in this way: “Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power” (2Tim 3:4b-5). They are people of whom the Philistines are an example.

Samson falls in love with someone who proposes this principle. Here the real danger becomes visible that love can arise for an enemy that we have to fight according to the Bible, which is as God commands. Something like this happens if we do not keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21a). What Samson does here goes beyond his connection with the harlot in Jdg 16:1-3. That was a short-lived connection.

Samson has gone down the sloping path, becoming increasingly tangled in the snares of the enemy. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon warns his son over and over again against the strange woman and shows the consequences for everyone who gets involved with her. It is invariably a descent “to the chambers of death” (Pro 7:25-27 ; Pro 2:16-19 ; Pro 5:5).