Delilah’s assignment is twofold. First, she needs to obtain the secret source of Samson's strength. Second, she must discover how Samson can be subdued and humbled. It appears the lords will no longer be satisfied with his death. They want Samson alive, though they don’t tell Delilah what they plan to do with him if she should succeed in subduing him.1
5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”