Editing Samson (section)

==Biblical narrative==

===Birth===
{{see also|Nazirite}}
[[File:Eustache Le Sueur - The Sacrifice of Manoah, 1640-1650.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1|''The Sacrifice of Manoah'' (1640–50) by  [[Eustache Le Sueur]]]]
According to the account in the [[Book of Judges]], Samson lived during a time of repeated conflict between [[Land_of_Israel|Israel]] and [[Philistia]], when God was disciplining the Israelites by giving them "into the hand of the [[Philistines]]".<ref>{{Bibleref |Judges|13|HE}}</ref> [[Manoah]] was an Israelite from [[Zorah]], descended from the [[Tribe of Dan|Danites]],<ref>{{bibleverse ||Judges|13:2|HE}}</ref> and [[Manoah's wife|his wife]] had been unable to conceive.<ref name= "cha">{{cite book|title= Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings: the Reign-By-Reign Record of the Rulers of Ancient Israel|last= Rogerson|first= John W.|year=1999|publisher= Thames & Hudson |location= London |isbn= 0500050953 |page= [https://archive.org/details/chronicleofoldte00john/page/58 58]|url= https://archive.org/details/chronicleofoldte00john/page/58}}</ref><ref name="ppp"/> The [[Angel of the Lord]] appears to Manoah's wife and proclaims that the couple would soon have a son who would begin to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines.<ref name="qqq">{{wwbible|Old Testament, 317}}</ref>

The Angel of the Lord states that Manoah's wife was to abstain<ref>{{bibleverse||Judges|13:7|HE}}</ref> from all [[alcoholic drink]]s, [[unclean food]]s, and her promised child was not to shave or cut his hair. He was to be a [[Nazirite]] from birth. In ancient Israel, those wanting to be especially dedicated to God for a time could take a Nazirite vow which included abstaining from wine and spirits, not cutting hair or shaving, and other requirements.<ref name="cha"/><ref name= "ppp"/><ref name="qqq"/> Manoah's wife believes the Angel of the Lord; her husband was not present, so he prays and asks God to send the messenger once again to teach them how to raise the boy who is going to be born.

After the Angel of the Lord returns, Manoah asks him his name, but he says, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/niv/judges/13.htm|title=Judges 13 NIV|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> Manoah then prepares a sacrifice, but the Angel of the Lord will only allow it to be for God. He touches it with his staff, miraculously engulfing it in flames, and then ascends into the sky in the fire. This is such dramatic evidence of the nature of the Messenger that Manoah fears for his life, since it was said that no one could live after seeing God. However, his wife convinces him that, if God planned to slay them, he would never have revealed such things to them. In due time, their son Samson is born, and he is raised according to the angel's instructions.<ref name="ppp"/><ref name="qqq"/>

===Marriage to a Philistine===
{{see also|Samson's riddle}}
When he is a young adult, Samson leaves the hills of his people to see the cities of [[Philistia]]. He falls in love with a Philistine woman from [[Timnah]], whom he decides to marry, ignoring the objections of his parents over the fact that she is not an Israelite.<ref name="ppp"/><ref name= "qqq"/><ref name="wqa">{{Bibleref|Judges|14|HE}}</ref> In the development of the narrative, the intended marriage is shown to be part of God's plan to strike at the Philistines.<ref name="qqq"/>

According to the biblical account, Samson is repeatedly seized by the "[[Holy Spirit|Spirit of the Lord]]," who blesses him with immense strength. The first instance of this is seen when Samson is on his way to ask for the Philistine woman's hand in marriage, when he is attacked by a [[lion]]. He simply grabs it and rips it apart, as the spirit of God divinely empowers him. However, Samson keeps it a secret, not even mentioning the miracle to his parents.<ref name= "qqq" /><ref>[http://biblehub.com/judges/14-6.htm Judges 14:6], Bible hub.</ref><ref name= "chb">{{cite book|title=Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings: the Reign-By-Reign Record of the Rulers of Ancient Israel|last= Rogerson|first=John W.|year=1999|publisher=Thames & Hudson|location=London |isbn=0500050953|page=[https://archive.org/details/chronicleofoldte00john/page/59 59]|url=https://archive.org/details/chronicleofoldte00john/page/59}}</ref> He arrives at the Philistine's house and becomes betrothed to her. He returns home, then comes back to Timnah some time later for the wedding. On his way, Samson sees that bees have nested in the carcass of the lion and [[Bugonia|made honey]].<ref name= "qqq"/><ref name="chb"/> He eats a handful of the honey and gives some to his parents.<ref name="qqq"/>

At the wedding feast, [[Samson's riddle|Samson tells a riddle]] to his thirty groomsmen (all Philistines). If they can solve it, he will give them thirty pieces of fine linen and garments, but if they cannot they must give him thirty pieces of fine linen and garments.<ref name="ppp"/><ref name= "qqq" />  The riddle is a veiled account of two encounters with the lion, at which only he was present:<ref name="qqq" /><ref name= "chb"/>

<poem style="margin-left: 2em;">Out of the eater came something to eat.
Out of the strong came something sweet.<ref>{{bibleverse|Judges|14:14|HE}}</ref></poem>

The Philistines are infuriated by the riddle.<ref name="qqq"/> The thirty groomsmen tell Samson's new wife that they will burn her and her father's household if she did not discover the answer to the riddle and tell it to them.<ref name= "qqq" /><ref name="chb" /> At the urgent and tearful imploring of his bride, Samson gives her the solution, and she passes it on to the thirty groomsmen.<ref name="ppp" /><ref name= "qqq"/>

[[File:Tissot Samson Slays a Thousand Men.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|''Samson Slays a Thousand Men with the Jawbone of an Ass'' ({{Circa|1896}}–1902) by [[James Tissot]]]]

Before sunset on the seventh day, they say to him,
<poem style="margin-left: 2em;">What is sweeter than honey?
and what is stronger than a lion?</poem>
Samson replies,
<poem style="margin-left: 2em;">If you had not plowed with my heifer,
you would not have solved my riddle.<ref>{{bibleverse |Judges|14:18|HE}}</ref></poem>

Samson then travels to [[Ashkelon]] (a distance of roughly 30 miles) where he strikes down thirty Philistines for their garments; he then returns and gives those garments to his thirty groomsmen.<ref name= "ppp" /><ref name= "chb"/><ref name= "ooo">{{wwbible |Old Testament, 318}}</ref> In a rage, Samson returns to his father's house. The family of his bride instead give her to one of the groomsmen as wife.<ref name="ppp"/><ref name= "chb" /> Some time later, Samson returns to Timnah to visit his wife, unaware that she is now married to one of his former groomsmen. But her father refuses to allow Samson to see her, offering to give Samson a younger sister instead.<ref name= "ppp" />

Samson goes out, gathers 300 foxes, and ties them together in pairs by their tails. He then attaches a burning torch to each pair of foxes' tails and turns them loose in the grain fields and olive groves of the Philistines.<ref>{{Bibleref|Judges|15|HE}}</ref> The Philistines learn why Samson burned their crops and burn Samson's wife and father-in-law to death in retribution.<ref name="ppp"/><ref name="chc">{{cite book|title= Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings: The Reign-By-Reign Record of the Rulers of Ancient Israel |last= Rogerson |first= John W. |year=1999|publisher=Thames & Hudson|location= London|isbn=0500050953 |page= [https://archive.org/details/chronicleofoldte00john/page/61 61]|url= https://archive.org/details/chronicleofoldte00john/page/61}}</ref>

In revenge, Samson slaughters many Philistines, saying, "I have done to them what they did to me."<ref name="ppp"/> Samson then takes refuge in a cave in the [[rock of Etam]].<ref name= "ppp">{{cite JewishEncyclopedia |article= Samson |url= http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=122&letter=S&search=Samson}}</ref><ref name="iii" /> An army of Philistines go to the [[tribe of Judah]] and demand that 3,000 men of Judah deliver them Samson.<ref name= "ppp" /><ref name="iii" /> With Samson's consent, given on the condition that the Judahites would not kill him themselves, they tie him with two new ropes and are about to hand him over to the Philistines when he breaks free of the ropes.<ref name= "chc" /><ref name="iii" /> Using the [[Jawbone club|jawbone of an ass]], he slays 1,000 Philistines.<ref name="chc"/><ref name="iii" /><ref name="igb">{{cite book |title= The Illustrated Guide to the Bible|last= Porter|first=J. R. |year= 2000|publisher= Barnes & Noble Books|location= New York|isbn= 0760722781|page= 75}}</ref>

===Delilah===
[[File:José Echenagusía - Samson and Delilah - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|''Samson and Delilah'' (1887) by [[Jose Etxenagusia]]]]
Later, Samson travels to [[Gaza City|Gaza]], where he sees a [[prostitute]] ({{langx|he|אִשָּׁ֣ה זוֹנָ֔ה}}) and visits her.<ref name="iii">{{Bibleref|Judges|16|HE}}</ref> His enemies wait at the gate of the city to ambush him, but he tears the gate from its very hinges and frame and carries it to "the hill that is in front of [[Hebron]]".<ref name="iii"/>

He then falls in love with [[Delilah]] in the [[Nahal Sorek|valley of Sorek]].<ref name="ooo"/><ref name="chc"/><ref name= "iii"/><ref name="chd"/> The Philistines approach Delilah and induce her with 1,100 silver coins to find the secret of Samson's strength so that they can capture their enemy,<ref name="iii"/> but Samson refuses to reveal the secret and teases her, telling her that he will lose his strength if he is bound with fresh bowstrings.<ref name="iii"/> She does so while he sleeps, but when he wakes up he snaps the strings.<ref name="iii"/> She persists, and he tells her that he can be bound with new ropes. She ties him up with new ropes while he sleeps, and he snaps them, too.<ref name="iii"/> She asks again, and he says that he can be bound if his locks are woven into a weaver's loom.<ref name="iii"/> She weaves them into a loom, but he simply destroys the entire loom and carries it off when he wakes.<ref name="iii"/>

Delilah, however, persists and Samson finally capitulates and tells Delilah that God supplies his power because of his consecration to God as a [[Nazirite]], symbolized by the fact that a razor has never touched his head and that if his hair is cut off the vow would be broken and he would lose his strength.<ref>Judges 16:17</ref><ref>Judges 16:16 (ESV)</ref><ref name="chd">{{cite book|title=Chronicle of the Old Testament Kings: The Reign-By-Reign Record of the Rulers of Ancient Israel|last= Rogerson|first=John W.|year=1999|publisher= Thames & Hudson|location=London |isbn= 0500050953|page= [https://archive.org/details/chronicleofoldte00john/page/62 62]|url= https://archive.org/details/chronicleofoldte00john/page/62}}</ref> Delilah then woos him to sleep "in her lap" and calls for a servant to cut his hair.<ref name="ooo"/> Samson loses his strength and he is captured by the Philistines, who blind him by gouging out his eyes.<ref name="ooo"/>  They then take him to Gaza, imprison him, and put him to work turning a large [[millstone]] and grinding grain.<ref name="iii"/>

{{multiple image
   | direction = horizontal
   | width     =
   | header    = Pushing or pulling?
   | footer    = According to the biblical narrative, Samson died when he grasped two pillars of the Temple of Dagon and "bowed himself with all his might" (Judges 16:30, [[KJV]]). This has been variously interpreted as Samson pushing the pillars apart<ref>{{cite book |last1=Webb |first1=Barry |author1-link=Barry Webb |title=The Book of Judges |date=2012 |publisher=[[Eerdmans]] |page=414}}</ref> (''left'') or pulling them together<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dyer |first1=Charles |last2=Merrill|first2=Eugene|author-link2=Eugene H. Merrill (academic)|title=Nelson's Old Testament Survey: Discovering the Essence, Background and Meaning About Every Old Testament Book |date=2003 |publisher=[[Thomas Nelson (publisher)|Thomas Nelson]] |page=32 |isbn=978-1-4185-8736-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4ONXMFeUAiYC&pg=PA32-IA209 |access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref> (''right'').
   | image1    = 064.The Death of Samson.jpg
   | alt1      = Pushing
   | width1    = 210
   | caption1  =
   | image2    = SamsonDestroyTemple.jpg
   | alt2      = Pulling
   | width2    = 180
   | caption2  =
  }}

===Death===
One day, the Philistine leaders assemble in a temple for a religious sacrifice to [[Dagon]], one of their most important deities, for having delivered Samson into their hands.<ref name="iii"/><ref name= "eej">{{wwbible|Old Testament, 319}}</ref> They summon Samson so that people can watch him perform for them. The temple is so crowded that people are even climbing onto the roof to watch{{snd}}and all the rulers of the entire government of Philistia have gathered there too, some 3,000 people in all.<ref name="chd"/><ref name="eej" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://biblehub.com/judges/16-27.htm|title=Judges 16:27 Now the temple was full of men and women; all the lords of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them.|website=biblehub.com}}</ref> Samson is led into the temple, and he asks his captors to let him lean against the supporting pillars to rest.  However, while in prison his hair had begun to grow again.<ref>{{bibleverse|Judges|16:22|HE}}</ref>  He prays for strength and God gives him strength to break the pillars, causing the temple to collapse, killing him and the people inside.<ref>{{bibleverse|Judges|16:28–30|HE}}, JPS (1917)</ref>

After his death, Samson's family recovered his body from the rubble and buried him near the tomb of his father Manoah.<ref name="eej"/> A [[tomb]] structure which some attribute to Samson and his father stands on the top of the mountain in [[Tel Tzora]],<ref>{{cite book|author1-first =I. M. | author1-last = Levinger|author2-first = Kalman | author2-last = Neuman|title= IsraGuide 2007/2008 | format = pb |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uj7Dqe2rngEC |year=2008|publisher=Feldheim Publishers|isbn=978-1598261547|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=uj7Dqe2rngEC&pg=PT228 266]}}</ref> although a separate tradition passed down by the traveler [[Isaac Chelo]] in 1334 alleges that Samson was buried at the monument known as ''al-Jārib'' in ''Sheikh Abū Mezār'', a village (now ruin) located near [[Tel Beit Shemesh]].<ref name="Ben-Yosef">{{cite book |last=Ben-Yosef |first=Sefi|author-link=:he:ספי בן-יוסף |editor=Sefi Ben-Yosef|contribution=Sar'ah |title=Israel Guide – Judaea (A useful encyclopedia for the knowledge of the country)|volume=9 |publisher=Keter Publishing House, in affiliation with the Israel Ministry of Defence |location=Jerusalem|year=n.d.|page=306 |language=he|oclc=745203905 }}</ref> Near the village there used to be shown a hewn rock, known as ''Qal'at al-mafrazah'', on whose top and sides are quarried different impressions and thought to be the altar built by Manoah.<ref name="Ben-Yosef"/> At the conclusion of Judges 16, it is said that Samson had "judged" Israel for twenty years.<ref name="iii" />