Eros — “Romantic Love”

Eros is an intense sexual desire for someone. Usually, it is so

passionate and overwhelming that the Greeks often thought it
would cause someone to lose control of their words or actions.
Today, we might call it lust. Regardless, eros can be a very
dangerous thing if not quickly reigned in. We find two examples
of eros in the Old Testament.

Samson was slow to figure it out, but he finally understood the

danger of eros after his passion for Delilah backfired on him.
Samson was a bit overconfident in himself, perhaps with some
reason. God had obviously blessed him with great strength, but it’s
evident he wasn’t very blessed with common sense or impulse
control.

Samson slept with harlots (Judges 16:1) and burned entire grain
fields in revenge (Judges 15:5). Then he met Delilah (Judges 16),
and he could not keep his hands off her. It turns out she was a spy
for the Philistines, and, as we know, she tricked him into telling
her what the source of his strength was. Later, after he was asleep,
she had his hair all shaved off, then the Philistines arrested him
and gouged out his eyes.

King David also had trouble keeping his hands to himself when he
spotted Bathsheba bathing one day. Though they were both
already married, he immediately sent for Bathsheba so he could be
intimate with her. A few months later, she sends word to him that
she’s pregnant, so David instantly starts plotting her husband’s
death.

It seems the Greeks had their definition of eros correct. It can be a

very dangerous thing.