86 Elie Assis 2. The Meaning of the Analogy In both stories God leads his people to victory over their enemies. Rahab conveys this conception as part of her belief in God and her prediction about the events to come. In Judg 4, Deborah expresses this conviction as a prophecy before the battle: Josh 2,9 Judg 4,14 And she said unto the men, And Deborah said unto Barak, I know that the Lord has given you Up! for this is the day in which the Lord has the land. given Sisera into your hand. The analogous structure of the two stories demonstrates the ways of God’s salvation to his people. Usually women do not participate in war, but in these stories their actions are crucial in the implementation of the divine plan. The intervention of these two women is unexpected. The spies are discovered and their surrender to the king seems close, but Rahab does not help her king but rather, with outstanding skill and courage, she assists the spies. The king believes her and does not check the authenticity of her words. In Judg 4, Sisera flees from Barak and goes to Yael’s tent believing that she will give him shelter. Yael brings him into her home, giving him the impression that he has come to a safe haven, and he goes so far as to trust her with his life. Surprisingly, Yael does not assist him but rather his Israelite pursuer. These unexpected interventions of women in favor of Israel are meant to demonstrate the concealed ways of the divine sovereignty. When God is about to save his people his ways are numerous, varied, and unexpected. The fact that these women are gentiles adds even more to the hidden ways of God’s actions (14). The motif of surprise in the assistance that these women give to Israel stands in contrast to the failed expectations in the story of Delilah (Judg 16,4- 22); there is an expectation that this gentile woman will assist her Israelite lover, but she does not. Out of all the women Samson falls for, Delilah is the only one whom he loves (Judg 16,4). The Philistines understand that their only way to overcome Samson is to take advantage of his weakness for women, and thus they bribe Delilah with a promise of money and a husband in order seduce Samson to reveal the secret of his strength. Delilah is tempted by the offer and she takes advantage of her relations with Samson in order to place him into the hands of the Philistines (15). Her decision leads her in the opposite direction of Yael and Rahab. Like them, Delilah uses trickery to overcome Samson, and, as in the stories of Yael and Rahab, in the Samson story, too, sexuality plays a crucial part in the plot. In addition to discussing the similarities of these stories, it is useful to examine their significant differences, shedding light on the uniqueness of (14) According to L. Hoppe, Israel depends on the protection of God who may use even inappropriate persons to effect the divine will (Joshua, Judges with an Excursus on Charismatic Leadership in Israel [Old Testament Messages 5; Wilmington 1982] 31). (15) Delilah is in a dilemma about whom to help — her people or her lover. This resembles the dilemma of Michal over whether to help her husband or her father. Michal makes a moral choice. Delilah, however, does not assist her lover and she does not help her people for moral reasons but out of greed.