Delilah
Delila (also Dalila , Hebrew דְּלִילָה) was, according to the Old Testament or the Tanach, a lover of the Israelite hero Samson (actually Simson / Shimshon). The Book of Judges reports that Delilah was bribed by the Philistines to elicit the secret of his strength from Samson, who is considered invincible. When she succeeded in this, she handed Samson over to his enemies, who took him prisoner. It is commonly believed that Delilah belonged to the Philistine people, although the Bible text says nothing about it.
Surname
The meaning of the name Delilah is unclear. Possibly the name means "drooping hair" (derived from Hebrew דלל dalal , "hanging down") or "the little one" (derived from Hebrew דל dal "small, light" or דלל dalal "small, light to be").
It is reasonable to assume a play on words with Hebrew לילה lailāh "night", since the name Samson is derived from the Hebrew word for "sun". This already expresses in the name that Delilah was Samson's opponent. Andreas Scherer , however, considers this derivation to be very doubtful. Instead, he mentions a connection with Arabic dalla "flirt, flirt" as another possibility .
Biblical report
Samson, a devotee of God ( Nazarite ) from birth, was blessed by God with invincible strength. According to the requirements of the Nasiräat, a razor should never get on his hair, otherwise he would lose his strength. In numerous adventures Samson fought against the enemies of his people, whom he always defeated. Therefore, he was considered invincible.
The Bible reports ( Ri 16 EU ) that Samson fell in love with Delilah, who lived in the valley of the Sorek stream . The Philistine princes promised her that each of them would give her 1,100 pieces of silver if she would reveal and reveal the secret of Samson's power. So Delilah kept asking Samson about the origin of his great strength. She received wrong answers from him three times. Samson first said: If you tie him with seven ropes of fresh bast, he would become weak and like any other person . The second time: when someone ties him up with new ropes. The third time: if you were to braid your seven locks with a loom and fasten them to the ground with a stake. Every time Samson was supposedly weak and the Philistines lurked to gain access, Delilah called: "Samson, Philistines above you!" But Samson was always ready to fight.
Delilah complained about the dishonest information and did not let up. She pushed Samson over and over again, every day, until he grew tired of asking questions. Then he revealed his secret to her. Delilah knew that this time he had told her the truth. She called for the Philistine princes, who cut off Samson's hair in his sleep and then blinded him . After Samson's capture, the Bible no longer reports anything about Delilah.
See also
- Samson and Delilah on artistic adaptations of the material
- Samson et Dalila , opera by Camille Saint-Saëns
literature
- Madlyn Kahr: Delilah. In: The Art Bulletin , 54/3 (1972), pp. 282-99.
- Xenia Ressos: Samson and Delila in the Art of the Middle Ages and Early Modern Times (= Studies on International Architecture and Art History , Volume 108). Imhof, Petersberg 2014, ISBN 978-3-86568-843-9 .
- Carol Smith: Samson and Delilah: A Parable of Power? In: Journal for the Study of the Old Testament , 76 (1997), pp. 45-57.
Web links
- Andreas Scherer: Delilah. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (Eds.): The Scientific Biblical Lexicon on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff.
- J. Cheryl Exum : Delilah: Bible , in: Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. March 20, 2009. (Accessed June 19, 2014)