Once burned, twice shy

“Once burned, twice shy” is the proverb Samson uses to frame his fear of being betrayed again. In his exchange with Delilah, it turns a general saying about caution after hurt into the beginning of a more personal disclosure: Samson admits that there was a woman in his past.

Meaning in Context

The expression links an earlier injury to present wariness. Delilah challenges Samson for going behind her back, and he answers that fear of another betrayal is not a good justification, but it is the reason. The proverb gives that fear a compact form: past betrayal has made him cautious about trusting again. The evidence does not identify the woman or explain what happened between them here.

Narrative Function

Samson poses the saying as a question before confirming that there was a woman. That hesitation makes the proverb a bridge from argument to disclosure rather than a full explanation of his past. It names the pattern behind his reaction while leaving its history to be told; in this moment, the phrase helps Delilah understand why the possibility of betrayal has unsettled him so deeply.