Samson
Samson is a biblical hero in The Book of Judges, given extraordinary strength by God to fight the Philistines. His uncut hair marks his dedication to God. His story matters because it brings together great power, poor judgement, betrayal, and a costly final victory.
Key stories of Samson
The lion and the riddle
Samson kills a lion with his bare hands. Later, finding honey in its carcass, he turns the strange discovery into a wedding riddle.
In The Book of Judges, Samson's wedding guests pressure his bride to discover the answer to his riddle. Her disclosure begins a bitter quarrel between Samson and the Philistines.
In The Book of Judges by Unknown
Delilah and the secret
Philistine rulers pay Delilah to discover how Samson can be overcome. After repeated questioning, he tells her that his hair has never been cut because he has been dedicated to God since before birth.
In The Book of Judges, Delilah has Samson's hair cut while he sleeps. His strength leaves him, and the Philistines capture and blind him.
In The Book of Judges by Unknown
The fall of the temple
The captive Samson is brought into a Philistine temple for the crowd's amusement. He prays for strength and brings down its supporting pillars, dying with those inside.
In John Milton's Samson Agonistes, a messenger describes Samson pulling down the building during a Philistine festival. The destruction ends both his captivity and his life.
In Samson Agonistes by John Milton
How to recognise Samson in stories
- Look for extraordinary strength linked to uncut hair.
- Notice a trusted lover uncovering a dangerous secret.
- Watch for a blinded captive bringing down pillars.
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Was Samson's strength really in his hair?
Samson's strength comes from God, while his uncut hair marks his sacred dedication. In The Book of Judges, cutting his hair leads to the loss of that strength, but the story also says that God has left him. The hair is more than a magical object.
Was Delilah Samson's wife?
Delilah is not described as Samson's wife in The Book of Judges. She is a woman he loves, and Philistine rulers offer her money to uncover his weakness. Samson has an earlier wife whose disclosure of his riddle is a separate episode.
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