DELILAH

delilah, in the bible, the heroine of samson's last love-story and the cause of his downfall (judg. xvi.). she was a philistine of sorek (mod. surik), west of zorah, and when her countrymen offered her an enormous bribe to betray him, she set to work to find out the source of his strength. thrice samson scoffingly told her how he might be bound, and thrice he readily broke the bonds with which she had fettered him in his sleep; seven green bow-strings, new ropes, and even the braiding of his hair into the frame of the loom failed to secure him. at length he disclosed the secret of his power. delilah put him to sleep upon her lap, called in a man to shave off his seven locks, and this time he was easily captured. see samson.