The Skeptics Annotated Bible (246 page)

10 And
Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound
.

(16.10)
“Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.”

11
And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

(16.11)
“And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.”

12
Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson
. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber
. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.

(16.12)
“Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson … And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.”

(16.13-14) She asked him a third time, and he told her to weave his seven braids into a cloth and fasten the whole mess to the wall. So she did that and then shouted, “Hey Samson (you dumb shit), the Philistines are coming!” But he broke out of that one, too.

13 And
Delilah said unto Samson
, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies:
tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

(16.13)
“Delilah said unto Samson … tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.”

14
And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he
awaked out of his sleep, and
went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.

(16.14)
“And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he … went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web.”

15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.

16 And it came to pass,
when she pressed him daily
with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

17 That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

(16.16-17) But Delilah didn’t give up. She kept pestering him until finally Samson told her the true source of his strength. It was his hair. If his hair was shaved off, he’d become as weak as any other man.

(16.16-17)
“When she pressed him daily … he told her … There hath not come a razor upon mine head … if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

(16.19-20) So when Samson fell asleep on her lap, she cut his hair.

19 And
she made him sleep upon her knees
; and she called for a man, and she caused him
to shave off the seven locks of his head
; and she began to afflict him,
and his strength went from him.

(16.19)
“She made him sleep upon her knees … to shave off the seven locks of his head … and his strength went from him.”

20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself.
And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

(16.20)
“And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.”

21 But
the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

(16.21) Then the Philistines captured Samson, gouged out his eyes, and put him in prison.

(16.21)
“The Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.”

22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.

25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.

(16.27-30)
Samson kills 3000 in a suicide terrorist attack
Later, at one of their big parties, the Philistines brought Samson out to entertain them. Then Samson, with God’s help, killed himself and 3000 Philistine men and women by causing a roof to collapse. This was the first suicide terrorist attack. God approved of of it and gave Samson the strength to do it. And although the Bible doesn’t say so, there are unconfirmed reports that Samson shouted “God is great (Allahu Akbar)” as the walls came tumbling down.
God’s 55th Killing

27
Now the house was full of
men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof
about three thousand men and women
, that beheld while Samson made sport.

(16.27)
“Now the house was full of … about three thousand men and women.”

28 And
Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD,
remember me, I pray thee, and
strengthen me
, I pray thee, only this once, O God,
that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

(16.28)
“Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God .. strengthen me … that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

30
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines.
And he bowed himself with all his might;
and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

(16.30)
“And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. … and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”