The story of Samson and Delilah is certainly dramatic; it involves sexual freedom, professions of love, violence, and betrayal. Many interpretations of this narrative highlight these elements to illuminate moral values. Thus, Samson and Delilah have developed into stereotypic models of hyper-masculine sexuality and female deception. Lack of biographical details and a narrow focus on the motives that drive Delilah’s actions have fixed her image as a sexual temptress and betrayer. She is often assumed to be a foreign woman who brought down a great man of Israel, even though her name is Hebraic and she lived on the border between the Israelite and Philistine communities. Samson is certainly not the best example of how a judge of Israel ought to behave; he is noted for his weakness of character and liberality in his sexual behavior. These character portrayals change—or at least expand—when different motivations and models of the relationship between Samson and Delilah are considered.

I am especially concerned with a tendency in Christian literature to assume too much about details in this narrative. Many theorists believe that uncovering these kinds of assumptions reveals significant elements about the context or purpose of the interpreter. Questioning the study of human relation patterns in Hebrew Scripture, Betsy Merideth argues, "It is critically important to take seriously the paradigmatic quality of textual opposition, such as those based on gender, and uncover ideology not only in biblical narrative, but perhaps even more in the commentaries and traditional interpretations which so shape our readings of these texts."1 In this commentary, I am not interested in a definitive interpretation of Samson and Delilah. Rather, I think it useful to explore practical and ideological aspects of such methods of textual interpretation and a paradigmatic relationship of power that I see emerging from such a hermeneutic.

Chapter fourteen of Judges opens when Samson notices and desires a Philistine woman at Timnah. His parents inquire whether he might prefer to find a wife from among the Israelites instead. His answer, "Get her for me, because she pleases me," is a defining element in the development of his character. Samson indulges his sexual appetite at the expense of women and the surrounding communities. A trickster, his vengeful acts lead to the death of many Philistines as he seeks personal retribution after his wife is forced to betray him.

The narrative has an overall motif of conflict and power. Samson’s physical strength contrasts with his weakness for the wrong kind of woman. His physical strength serves his vengeful spirit, as shown in his inclination to destroy people and property, and his passion for women leaves him weak and vulnerable. Furthermore, the story includes ambiguities. He is a Nazirite consecrated to God at birth, for example, yet he breaks the tradition when he eats honey from the carcass of a lion. The story of Samson focuses on his personal life, and not so much on his contribution to the public life of the Israelite community. However, the writer conscientiously notes the will of God present in Samson’s actions.

Delilah also exercises power, as seen in her ability to deceive Samson. Furthermore, she gains economic power not typical for women, since Philistine leaders pay for her services. Delilah has come to portray a certain kind of woman, one who uses her sexuality to deceive in order to gain something for themselves. Of the three women who Samson encounters in the narrative, Delilah’s character is the most developed, although much mystery still surrounds her.

The writer notes that Samson falls in love with Delilah, but does not mention him loving his wife from Timnah. However, the author does note that she pleased him, as did the prostitute Samson visited in Gaza. The story does not mention whether Delilah loved Samson, but the Philistines were clearly aware of his love for her. Nor does the text indicate whether Samson and Delilah were involved with each other before or after the lords of the Philistines approached her to find out the secret of Samson’s strength. Did she go to him after the Philistines made the offer?

One common hypothesis is that Delilah had an economic incentive, provided by the Philistine leaders. Delilah is not simply a seductive temptress taking pleasure in games of deception, but a woman trying to secure her finances, possibly a nationalist (if she was, in fact, a Philistine), or maybe a woman aware of Samson’s reputation as a dangerous and violent man. Was she seeking retributive justice for the women that Samson was previously involved with?

One thing that stands out with these possibilities is that Samson and Delilah may not have shared a relationship of reciprocity, which raises the issue of whether betrayal and passion are the most meaningful elements of the story, even if they do play a role in the writer’s purpose. "This narrative is not only about who has power, but also about what kinds of power are held and how they are used,…" writes Carol Smith. "How the reader sees the power of the various parties in the Samson and Delilah narrative and how he or she will evaluate how effectively it is used will depend on the reader’s own context and starting point."2

I am led to believe that this story is a poignant expression of hermeneutics influenced by values of gender and morality from the contemporary scene. It is illuminating to address Samson’s violent character traits in an ethical paradigm, one that brings into question his hyper-masculine dominance. I suggest that many communities are resigned to interpreting power by one party over another as a necessary element in relationships, and this has played a crucial part in interpreting the book of Judges.

The element of power is certainly taken for granted when explaining biblical relationships as models for contemporary couples. There is a "qualified neutrality" of power in such relationships that serves a normative function in many households. There is certainly an assumption that it is appropriate and natural for power to be wielded between men and women, or more historically by men over women, in relationships. Power was exercised between Samson and Delilah, since each had something to gain. Power exercised by men over women is often justified as a means toward order in the family and society.

The Samson and Delilah narrative does not elaborate on or critique the appropriation or use of power between the figures. Rather, it demonstrates consequences of the actions that the characters performed and leaves readers to make their own judgments. "Without an understanding of the dynamics of power," states Smith in conclusion, "there can be no understanding of the dynamics of oppression."3

Notes and References

1. Betsy Merideth, "Desire and Danger: The Drama of Betrayal in Judges and Judith," in Anti-Covenant: Counter-Reading Women’s Lives in the Hebrew Bible, ed. Mieke Bal (Decatur, Ga.: Almond Press, 1989), 63.
2. Carol Smith, "Samson and Delilah: A Parable of Power?" Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 76 (1997): 54.
3. Ibid., 57.

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