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[306]
However, he at length 1
transgressed the laws of his country, and altered his own regular way of
living, and imitated the strange customs of foreigners, which thing was
the beginning of his miseries; for he fell in love with a woman that was
a harlot among the Philistines: her name was Delilah, and he lived with
her. So those that administered the public affairs of the Philistines came
to her, and, with promises, induced her to get out of Samson what was the
cause of that his strength, by which he became unconquerable to his enemies.
Accordingly, when they were drinking, and had the like conversation together,
she pretended to admire the actions he had done, and contrived to get out
of him by subtlety, by what means he so much excelled others in strength.
Samson, in order to delude Delilah, for he had not yet lost his senses,
replied, that if he were bound with seven such green withs of a vine as
might still be wreathed, he should be weaker than any other man. The woman
said no more then, but told this to the rulers of the Philistines, and
hid certain of the soldiers in ambush within the house; and when he was
disordered in drink and asleep, she bound him as fast as possible with
the withs; and then upon her awakening him, she told him some of the people
were upon him; but he broke the withs, and endeavored to defend himself,
as though some of the people were upon him. Now this woman, in the constant
conversation Samson had with her, pretended that she took it very ill that
he had such little confidence in her affections to him, that he would not
tell her what she desired, as if she would not conceal what she knew it
was for his interest to have concealed. However, he deluded her again,
and told her, that if they bound him with seven cords, he should lose his
strength. And when, upon doing this, she gained nothing, he told her the
third thee, that his hair should be woven into a web; but when, upon doing
this, the truth was not yet discovered, at length Samson, upon Delilah's
prayer, (for he was doomed to fall into some affliction,) was desirous
to please her, and told her that God took care of him, and that he was
born by his providence, and that "thence it is that I suffer my hair
to grow, God having charged me never to poll my head, and thence my strength
is according to the increase and continuance of my hair." When she
had learned thus much, and had deprived him of his hair, she delivered
him up to his enemies, when he was not strong enough to defend himself
from their attempts upon him; so they put out his eyes, and bound him,
and had him led about among them.
1 See this justly observed in the Apostolical Constitutions, B. VII. ch. 37., that Samson's prayer was heard, but that it was before this his transgression.
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