The Hebrew verb alats means to press upon, urge, or compel someone persistently. It appears in Judges 16:16 describing Delilah's relentless nagging of Samson: "With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it." The word captures persistent, exhausting pressure.
The use of alats in Samson's story is a sobering warning about the power of persistent temptation and emotional manipulation. Delilah's relentless pressing wore down a man of great physical strength until he surrendered the secret of his consecration. This teaches that spiritual vulnerability often comes not in dramatic moments but through accumulated, daily erosion. The antidote is guarding the heart (Proverbs 4:23) and renewing the mind (Romans 12:2).