Samson

The life of Samson is recorded in the book of Judges as a series of conflicts between a divinely empowered Israelite and the Philistines. The narrative begins when an angel appears to a woman and her husband, Manoah, to announce the birth of a son who must never cut his hair or drink wine (Judges 13:2–5). Manoah offers a sacrifice to the Lord after the angel ascends in the flame of the altar, and the couple names the child Samson (Judges 13:19–24). As the boy grows, the Spirit of the Lord begins to stir him, granting him supernatural physical strength used to kill a lion with his bare hands and defeat large groups of Philistine soldiers (Judges 14:5–6, 15:14–15).

The text describes Samson as a judge who leads Israel for twenty years while frequently engaging in personal vendettas against his enemies (Judges 15:20). His downfall begins when he falls in love with Delilah, a woman living in the Valley of Sorek (Judges 16:4). The Philistine leaders offer Delilah a large sum of silver to discover the source of his strength so they can subdue him (Judges 16:5). After three failed attempts to trick him, Delilah pressures Samson daily until he reveals that his strength is tied to his status as a Nazirite and that his power would leave him if his head were shaved (Judges 16:15–17).

While Samson sleeps on her lap, Delilah calls for a man to shave the seven locks of his hair, causing his strength to depart (Judges 16:19). The Philistines seize him, gouge out his eyes, and take him to Gaza to work in a prison mill (Judges 16:21). The story concludes during a religious festival for the god Dagon, where the Philistines bring Samson out to entertain them in a crowded temple (Judges 16:23–25). Samson prays for a final moment of strength and pushes against the two central pillars of the building, causing the structure to collapse (Judges 16:28–30). The text states that he kills more people in his death than he did during his life, and his brothers later bury him in the tomb of Manoah (Judges 16:30–31).