Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

SAMSON

Manoah’s son, from Dan’s tribe. His mother, whose name is not given in the Bible, had been barren. The angel of the Lord announced to her that she would have a son, who was to be a Nazirite all of his life (i.e., he was not to drink wine or strong drink, not to eat anything ceremonially unclean, and not to allow a razor to touch his head, Nm 6:1-6). She was also told that he would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines, who had subjugated them for 40 years (Jgs 13:1-5). She reported this to her husband, Manoah, and Manoah prayed concerning this angelic visit (v 8). The angel of the Lord appeared again and gave instructions about the child who was to be born. Manoah made a burnt offering, and the angel of the Lord ascended to heaven in the smoke. Manoah feared that they would die, for he now realized that they had seen God (v 22). The child was born and the Lord blessed him as he grew. The Spirit of the Lord moved upon him in Mahaneh-dan (v 25).

Samson went to Timnah and saw a Philistine woman whom he wished to marry. The Lord was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines, and in Samson’s case these occasions came through Philistine women. When he and his parents went to Timnah to arrange the marriage, a lion came out of the vineyards, and Samson, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord came mightily, tore the lion in half. Later he found that a swarm of bees had made honey in the carcass of the lion (Jgs 14:2-9).

Samson made a feast at Timnah, as was the custom, and told the Philistine men a riddle that involved the lion and the honey. A wager was made on the riddle and the Philistines prevailed upon his wife to learn the answer and disclose it to them. When they came up with the answer, Samson knew what had happened, so he went out and killed 30 Philistine men to pay for his bet (Jgs 14:19). Samson went home, and his father-in-law gave Samson’s wife to Samson’s best man.

When Samson returned to see his wife, he was not allowed to visit her, so he took 300 foxes, tied them in pairs tail to tail, fixed a torch to each pair, and turned them loose in the grainfields of the Philistines, so that the shocks and standing grain were burned. Consequently, the Philistines came and burned his wife and her father. In revenge, Samson went out and slaughtered many of them (Jgs 15:1-8).

During these days, the Philistines came against Judah, and the people of Judah bound Samson with new ropes to turn him over to the Philistines. When they came to Lehi, where the Philistines were camped, the Spirit of the Lord came on him mightily. He snapped the ropes, seized the jawbone of a donkey, and killed 1,000 Philistines. Being very thirsty, he cried to the Lord, so God opened a spring of water at Lehi (Jgs 15:9-20).

Samson’s weakness for Philistine women continued to create trouble for both him and the Philistines. He went down to Gaza, where he became involved with a prostitute (Jgs 16:1). The men of the city learned that he was there and plotted to kill him at dawn, but he arose at midnight and walked off with the doors, posts, and bar of the city gate and put them on top of the hill before Hebron.

Then he found Delilah, from the valley of Sorek. The Philistines enlisted her by bribery to find out the source of his strength (Jgs 16:4-5). She kept pestering him, so he told her that if they bound him with seven fresh bowstrings he would be as weak as other men. So she bound him and cried, “The Philistines are upon you.” He easily broke the bowstrings. In response to her continued questions, he kept lying to her about the secret of his strength. In succession, she bound him with new ropes and seven locks of his hair woven together and attached to a loom. Finally, she wore him down and he told her the truth. If someone shaved his head and broke his Nazirite vow, his strength would be gone. While Samson slept with his head on her knees, she called a barber, who shaved off his hair. This time when she cried, “The Philistines are upon you,” the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and took him to Gaza (v 21).

At Gaza, Samson was bound with bronze fetters and forced to grind at a mill, during which time his hair began to grow again. At a time when the Philistines were having a great festival at the temple of their god, Dagon, they celebrated their victory over Samson and asked that he be brought so they could mock him. Some 3,000 people watched while Samson entertained them. At his request, Samson was placed between the two pillars supporting the temple. He asked the Lord for strength and pushed against the pillars, so that the entire building collapsed. Samson died with the Philistines as he had requested, but he killed more Philistines in this final act than he had previously (Jgs 16:1-30).

Samson’s family came to retrieve his body, and they buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father, Manoah. He had served as “judge,” or leader, of Israel for 20 years (Jgs 16:31).