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Thursday, July 10th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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THE MESSAGE

Judges 16:15

She said, "How can you say ‘I love you' when you won't even trust me? Three times now you've toyed with me, like a cat with a mouse, refusing to tell me the secret of your great strength."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Conspiracy;   Deception;   Delilah;   Friends;   Samson;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Samson;   Stories for Children;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Delilah;   Gaza or Azzah;   Harosheth of the Gentiles;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Delilah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gaza;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Judges, Book of;   Samson;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Levi;   Philistines;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Delilah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Delilah;   Gaza;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Del'ilah,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Mock;   Samson;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Delilah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“How can you say, ‘I love you,’” she told him, “when your heart is not with me? This is the third time you have mocked me and not told me what makes your strength so great!”
Hebrew Names Version
She said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? you have mocked me these three times, and have not told me in which your great strength lies.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And she said to him, "How can you say, ‘I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me how your strength is so great."
English Standard Version
And she said to him, "How can you say, ‘I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies."
New Century Version
Then Delilah said to him, "How can you say, ‘I love you,' when you don't even trust me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me. You haven't told me the secret of your great strength."
New English Translation
She said to him, "How can you say, ‘I love you,' when you will not share your secret with me? Three times you have deceived me and have not told me what makes you so strong."
Amplified Bible
Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies."
New American Standard Bible
Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have toyed with me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Againe shee sayde vnto him, Howe canst thou say, I loue thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked mee these three times, and hast not tolde me wherein thy great strength lieth.
Legacy Standard Bible
Toe sê sy vir hom: Hoe kan jy sê: Ek het jou lief! terwyl jou hart nie met my is nie? Drie maal het jy my nou al bedrieg en my nie meegedeel waardeur jou krag so groot is nie.
Contemporary English Version
"Samson," Delilah said, "you claim to love me, but you don't mean it! You've made me look like a fool three times now, and you still haven't told me why you are so strong."
Complete Jewish Bible
She said to him, "How can you say you love me when your heart isn't with me? Three times you've made fun of me, and you haven't told me the source of your great strength."
Darby Translation
Then she said to him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? these three times hast thou mocked me, and hast not told me in what is thy great strength.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Delilah said to Samson, "How can you say, ‘I love you,' when you don't even trust me? You refuse to tell me your secret. This is the third time you made me look foolish. You haven't told me the secret of your great strength."
George Lamsa Translation
And she said to him, How can you say to me. I love you, when your heart is not with me? For behold, you have deceived me these three times, and you have not told me wherein your great strength lies.
Good News Translation
So she said to him, "How can you say you love me, when you don't mean it? You've made a fool of me three times, and you still haven't told me what makes you so strong."
Literal Translation
And she said to him, How can you say, I love you, and your heart is not with me. These three times you have trifled with me, and have not told me where your great strength lies .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The sayde she vnto him: How cast thou saye yt thou louest me, where as thine hert is not yet with me? Thre tymes hast thou disceaued me, and not tolde me wherin thy greate strength is.
American Standard Version
And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.
Bible in Basic English
And she said to him, Why do you say you are my lover when your heart is not mine? Three times you have made sport of me, and have not made clear to me the secret of your great strength.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And she sayde vnto him agayne: How canst thou saye I loue thee, when thyne heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me this three tymes, and hast not tolde me wherin thy great strength lyeth.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And she said unto him: 'How canst thou say: I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth.'
King James Version (1611)
And shee said vnto him, How canst thou say, I loue thee, when thine heart is not with mee? Thou hast mocked mee these three times, and hast not told me wherin thy great strength lieth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Dalida said to Sampson, How sayest thou, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? this third time thou hast deceived me, and hast not told me wherein is thy great strength.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
"How can you say, 'I love you,'" she told him, "when your heart is not with me? This is the third time you have mocked me and failed to reveal to me the source of your great strength!"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dalida seide to hym, Hou seist thou, that thou louest me, sithen thi soule is not with me? Bi thre tymes thou liedist to me, and noldist seie to me, wher ynne is thi moost strengthe.
Young's Literal Translation
And she saith unto him, `How dost thou say, I have loved thee, and thy heart is not with me? these three times thou hast played upon me, and hast not declared to me wherein thy great power [is].'
Update Bible Version
And she said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? you have mocked me these three times, and haven't told me wherein your great strength lies.
Webster's Bible Translation
And she said to him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart [is] not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me in what thy great strength [lieth].
World English Bible
She said to him, How can you say, I love you, when your heart is not with me? you have mocked me these three times, and have not told me in which your great strength lies.
New King James Version
Then she said to him, "How can you say, "I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies."
New Living Translation
Then Delilah pouted, "How can you tell me, ‘I love you,' when you don't share your secrets with me? You've made fun of me three times now, and you still haven't told me what makes you so strong!"
New Life Bible
Delilah said to Samson, "How can you say, ‘I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have lied to me these three times. You have not told me the secret of your powerful strength."
New Revised Standard
Then she said to him, "How can you say, ‘I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me three times now and have not told me what makes your strength so great."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And she said unto him - How canst thou say, I love thee, when, thy heart, is not with me? These three times, hast thou laughed at me, and hast not told me wherein lieth thy great strength.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Dalila said to him: How dost thou say thou lovest me, when thy mind is not with me? Thou hast told me lies these three times, and wouldst not tell me wherein thy greatest strength lieth.
Revised Standard Version
And she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me wherein your great strength lies."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is."

Contextual Overview

4Some time later he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek (Grapes). Her name was Delilah. The Philistine tyrants approached her and said, "Seduce him. Discover what's behind his great strength and how we can tie him up and humble him. Each man's company will give you a hundred shekels of silver." 6 So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me, dear, the secret of your great strength, and how you can be tied up and humbled." 7 Samson told her, "If they were to tie me up with seven bowstrings—the kind made from fresh animal tendons, not dried out—then I would become weak, just like anyone else." 8The Philistine tyrants brought her seven bowstrings, not dried out, and she tied him up with them. The men were waiting in ambush in her room. Then she said, "The Philistines are on you, Samson!" He snapped the cords as though they were mere threads. The secret of his strength was still a secret. 10 Delilah said, "Come now, Samson—you're playing with me, making up stories. Be serious; tell me how you can be tied up." 11 He told her, "If you were to tie me up tight with new ropes, ropes never used for work, then I would be helpless, just like anybody else." 12 So Delilah got some new ropes and tied him up. She said, "The Philistines are on you, Samson!" The men were hidden in the next room. He snapped the ropes from his arms like threads. 13Delilah said to Samson, "You're still playing games with me, teasing me with lies. Tell me how you can be tied up." He said to her, "If you wove the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on the loom and drew it tight, then I would be as helpless as any other mortal." When she had him fast asleep, Delilah took the seven braids of his hair and wove them into the fabric on the loom and drew it tight. Then she said, "The Philistines are on you, Samson!" He woke from his sleep and ripped loose from both the loom and fabric! 15 She said, "How can you say ‘I love you' when you won't even trust me? Three times now you've toyed with me, like a cat with a mouse, refusing to tell me the secret of your great strength." 16She kept at it day after day, nagging and tormenting him. Finally, he was fed up—he couldn't take another minute of it. He spilled it. He told her, "A razor has never touched my head. I've been God's Nazirite from conception. If I were shaved, my strength would leave me; I would be as helpless as any other mortal."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

How canst: Judges 14:16, Proverbs 2:16, Proverbs 5:3-14

when thine: Genesis 29:20, Deuteronomy 6:5, 1 Samuel 15:13, 1 Samuel 15:14, 2 Samuel 16:17, Proverbs 23:26, Song of Solomon 8:6, Song of Solomon 8:7, John 14:15, John 14:21-24, John 15:10, 2 Corinthians 5:14, 2 Corinthians 5:15, 1 John 2:15, 1 John 2:16, 1 John 5:3

Reciprocal: Judges 16:10 - now tell me Nehemiah 6:4 - four times Proverbs 5:4 - sharp Proverbs 7:21 - With her Proverbs 23:7 - Eat Ezekiel 16:30 - the work 2 Corinthians 6:6 - love Ephesians 4:15 - speaking the truth James 3:6 - a world

Cross-References

Genesis 16:9
The angel of God said, "Go back to your mistress. Put up with her abuse." He continued, "I'm going to give you a big family, children past counting. From this pregnancy, you'll get a son: Name him Ishmael; for God heard you, God answered you. He'll be a bucking bronco of a man, a real fighter, fighting and being fought, Always stirring up trouble, always at odds with his family."
Genesis 17:18
Recovering, Abraham said to God, "Oh, keep Ishmael alive and well before you!"
Genesis 17:20
"And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year."
Genesis 25:12
This is the family tree of Ishmael son of Abraham, the son that Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maid, bore to Abraham.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And she said unto him, how canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me?.... She took an opportunity, when he was caressing her, to upbraid him with dissembled love, and a false heart: thou hast mocked me these three times; she had urged him to tell her where his strength lay, and by what it might be weakened, first pretending it might be done by binding him with green withs, and then with new ropes, and a third time by weaving his locks into the web:

and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth; the thing so frequently and so importunately requested.


 
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