Judges 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. 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.
The verse records a false explanation given to Delilah, that being tied securely with new ropes that had never been used would make him weak and like any other man. It stands as another in a series of repeated exchanges about how he could be bound and made weak. When Delilah tested the claim, he remained strong and the deception was exposed.
His extraordinary strength depended on his Nazarite condition, symbolized by his unshorn hair, and was not simply the result of his physical build. He was a lifelong Nazarite who rashly broke his sacred pledge after becoming infatuated with a wicked woman. In his dealings with Delilah he betrayed the strength God had given him as the defense of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.
He had the same source of strength available as Joseph, but he gave free rein to his passions instead of taking hold of God's strength, and his chosen path ended in shame, disaster and death. He was blinded by Delilah's influence and unable to discern the power working to deceive and destroy him, and his conduct with her illustrates bondage to lust rather than the love of Christ. Sinful infatuation led him to his betrayal, Satan had taken him captive, and his reputation, strength and usefulness were sacrificed to sinful indulgence.
Giving to her the love and service due to God was idolatry, association with idolaters darkened his life, and his life would have been nobler and happier had he obeyed God faithfully. The verse illustrates the danger of allowing a Delilah to become a snare, in that as he yielded to her his strength diminished. The verse warns that putting a wife and selfish enjoyment before God leads a person farther from God and weakens his service, so God must be honored and obeyed above all. The account warns that a person blinded by Satan can be deceived and brought toward destruction by a woman's allure.