Judges 16:18When 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 has told me all his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.
The setting
Gaza, Palestine. ~1100 BC. The moment Delilah realizes Samson has finally told the truth. She immediately sends word to her Philistine handlers...
The emotion here: narrator recording with horror at the calculated betrayal
The original word
sārîm (שרים) — rulers, princes, the five lords who governed the Philistine city-states
Why it matters
Each Philistine lord promised Delilah 1,100 pieces of silver - totaling 5,500 pieces, roughly 140 pounds of silver
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 16:18
The phrase 'come up this once' shows this was planned - she had a signal ready for when she got the real answer
Common misconceptionPeople think Delilah loved Samson but chose money instead. Actually, she never loved him - this was espionage from day one.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 16:18
Bible Genome reading
Judges 16:18 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 16:18 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include betrayal, conspiracy, greed. Notable phrases: told her all his heart; called for the lords.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Judges 16:18 mean to you, today?
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