שופטים, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ד׳

Samson's life is marked by a tragic descent into complex and destructive relationships. His involvement with a woman from the Sorek Valley serves as a direct continuation of his previous missteps, reflecting the spiritual principle that one offense naturally leads to another [מלבי״ם].

The true background of this woman remains a subject of debate. While it is not entirely clear if she was of Philistine origin [ביאור שטיינזלץ], several scholars assume she was indeed a Philistine [רלב״ג, אברבנאל]. Her religious standing is equally contested. One perspective suggests that Samson converted her at the beginning of their relationship [רלב״ג]. Conversely, another view argues that, unlike his first wife who underwent conversion and received a new name, this woman never converted and therefore retained her original identity [מלבי״ם].

That identity, Delilah, carries deep significance. Typically, the specific phrasing used to introduce a person's name is reserved for righteous individuals. Its application here, much like its use for Laban the Aramean, serves to emphasize her exceptional wickedness [חומת אנך]. The primary approach among commentators is that her name is not a coincidence, but rather a reflection of her core nature and the devastation she brought upon Samson. The name implies a depletion and weakening of his strength, his heart, and his actions. Tragically, Samson himself analyzed the meaning of her name but fatally misunderstood it. He believed it was a sign that through her, the Philistines would be weakened, never imagining that she would be the one to drain his own powers [חומת אנך].

The Philistine leaders eagerly exploited Samson's love for Delilah, though they proceeded with caution. Fearing she might refuse an outright request to murder him, they did not ask her to bring about his death. Instead, they merely asked her to seduce him and discover how he could be tortured and weakened [אלשיך]. In exchange for this betrayal, she was promised a massive sum of one thousand one hundred silver shekels from each of the leaders, a powerful temptation that was presented to her over many days [אברבנאל].