“bowstrings.” The intestines of some animals were squeezed out and dried to make bowstrings, the strings of instruments, etc. Here Samson says if he were tied with bowstrings that had not yet been dried, so they would be very flexible and would shrink tighter when they dried, that he would be weak. Samson is lying to Delilah, toying with her, but it is a dangerous game and one that we know eventually leads to his capture and death. It is unwise to try to toy with the Devil.