Editing Samson

{{Short description|Figure in the Book of Judges}}
{{About|the biblical figure|other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Sampson (disambiguation){{!}}Sampson|Sanson (disambiguation){{!}}Sanson|Samsun|Son of Sam}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Samson
| image              = File:Lucas Cranach d.Ä. - Simson bezwingt den Löwen.jpg
| caption            = ''Samson's Fight with the Lion'' (1525) by [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]]
| native_name_lang   = he
| predecessor        = [[Abdon (Judges)|Abdon]]
| successor          = [[Eli (biblical figure)|Eli]]
| partner             = [[Delilah]]
| father             = [[Manoah]]
| mother             = [[Manoah's wife|not named]]
| birth_place        =
| death_place        =
| restingplace       = [[Zorah]], [[Nahal Sorek]]
}}
{{Judges}}

'''Samson''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|æ|m|s|ən}}; {{Langx|he|שִׁמְשׁוֹן}} ''Šimšōn'' "man of the sun")<ref name= VanderToorn>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=yCkRz5pfxz0C |author1-last = Van der Toorn |author1-first= Karel|author2-last= Pecking |author2-first=Tom|author3-last=van der Horst |author3-first=Peter Willem|title= Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible |page=404|location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |publisher=William B. Eerdmans |year= 1999|isbn= 978-0802824912}}</ref>{{efn |{{langx|el|Σαμψών|translit=Sampsṓn}}}} was the last of the [[Hebrew Bible judges|judges]] of the ancient [[Israelites]] mentioned in the [[Book of Judges]] (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" [[Twelve Tribes of Israel|the tribes of Israel]] before the institution of the [[Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy)|monarchy]]. He is sometimes considered as an Israelite version of the popular [[Near East]]ern [[folk hero]] also embodied by the Sumerian [[Gilgamesh]] and [[Enkidu]], as well as the Greek [[Heracles]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last= Margalith |first= Othniel|date= January 1987 |title=The Legends of Samson/Heracles |url= https://brill.com/view/journals/vt/37/1-4/article-p63_7.xml |journal= Vetus Testamentum |volume= 37|issue= 1–4|pages= 63–70|doi= 10.1163/156853387X00077|url-access= subscription}}</ref> Samson was given [[superhuman]] powers by [[God]] in the form of extreme strength.

The biblical account states that Samson was a [[Nazirite]] and that he was given immense strength to aid him against his enemies and allow him to perform superhuman feats,<ref>{{wwbible|Old Testament, 316–317}}</ref> including slaying a lion with his bare hands and massacring a [[Philistines|Philistine]] army with a [[donkey]]'s jawbone. The cutting of Samson's [[long hair]] would violate his Nazirite vow and nullify his ability.<ref>{{bibleverse||Judges|16:17|HE}}</ref>

Samson is betrayed by his lover [[Delilah]], who, sent by Philistine officials to entice him,<ref>{{bibleverse||Judges|16:5|HE}}</ref> orders a servant to cut his hair while he is sleeping and turns him over to the Philistines, who gouge out his eyes and force him to mill grain at [[Gaza City]]. While there, his hair begins to grow again. When the Philistines take Samson into their temple of [[Dagon]], Samson asks to rest against one of the support pillars. After being granted permission, he prays to God and miraculously recovers his strength, allowing him to bring down the columns{{Snd}}collapsing the temple and killing both himself and the Philistines. In some [[Jews|Jewish traditions]], Samson is believed to have been buried in [[Zorah]] in Israel overlooking the [[Nahal Sorek|Sorek valley]] (also considered his birthplace).<ref>Judges 13:2</ref> 

Samson has been the subject of [[Samson in rabbinic literature|rabbinic]], [[Christianity|Christian]], and [[Islam]]ic commentary, with some Christians viewing him as a [[Typology (theology)|type]] of [[Jesus]], based on similarities between their lives. Notable depictions of Samson include [[John Milton]]'s [[closet drama]] ''[[Samson Agonistes]]'' and [[Cecil B. DeMille]]'s 1949 Hollywood film ''[[Samson and Delilah (1949 film)|Samson and Delilah]]''. Samson also plays a major role in [[Art of Europe|Western art]] and traditions.

==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" />

==Interpretations==
===Rabbinic literature===
{{main article|Samson in rabbinic literature}}
[[File:Lovis Corinth - Der geblendete Simson - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|right|''The Blinded Samson'' (1912) by [[Lovis Corinth]]]]
[[Rabbinic literature]] identifies Samson with [[Bedan]],<ref name="ppp"/> a Judge mentioned by [[Samuel]] in his farewell address ({{bibleverse |1 Samuel|12:11|HE}}) among the Judges who delivered Israel from their enemies.<ref name="bedan"/> However, the name "Bedan" is not found in the Book of Judges.<ref name= "bedan">{{Cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=Bedan&qs_version=9|title=BibleGateway – Keyword Search: Bedan|website=www.biblegateway.com}}</ref> The name "Samson" is derived from the Hebrew word ''[[shamash|šemeš]]'', which means "sun",<ref name="ppp"/><ref name= VanderToorn /><ref name="Mobley2006" /> so that Samson bore the name of God, who is called "a sun and shield" in {{Bibleverse |Psalms|84:12|HE}};<ref name="ppp"/> and as God protected Israel, so did Samson watch over it in his generation, judging the people even as did God.<ref name="ppp"/> Samson's strength was divinely derived (Talmud, Tractate Sotah 10a).<ref name= "ppp"/><ref>''[[Midrash Genesis Rabbah]]'' xcviii. 18</ref>

Jewish legend records that Samson's shoulders were sixty cubits broad.<ref name="ppp"/> Many Talmudic commentaries, however, explain that this is not to be taken literally, for a person that size could not live normally in society;  rather, it means that he had the ability to carry a burden 60 cubits wide (approximately 30 meters) on his shoulders.<ref>Ben Yehoyada and Maharal, in commentary to Talmud, tractate "sotah" 10a</ref> He was lame in both feet<ref>Talmud tractate ''Sotah'' 10a: "And [[Johanan bar Nappaha|Rabbi Yoḥanan]] says: [[Balaam]] was lame in one of his legs, as it is stated with regard to him: 'And he went, limping [''shefi'']'. Samson was lame in both of his two legs, as it is stated "a horned snake [''shefifon''] in the path' (Genesis 49:17)"</ref> but, when the spirit of God came upon him, he could step with one stride from [[Zorah]] to [[Eshtaol]], while the hairs of his head arose and clashed against one another so that they could be heard for a like distance.<ref name="ppp"/><ref name = Midrash>''Midrash [[Leviticus Rabbah]]'' viii. 2</ref> Samson was said to be so strong that he could uplift two mountains and rub them together like two [[wikt:clod|clod]]s of earth,<ref name = Midrash /><ref>''Sotah'' 9b.</ref> yet his superhuman strength, like [[Goliath]]'s, brought woe upon its possessor.<ref name="ppp"/><ref>''Midrash [[Eccl. Rabbah]]'' i., end</ref>

In licentiousness, he is compared with [[Amnon]] and [[Zimri (prince)|Zimri]], both of whom were punished for their sins.<ref name="ppp"/><ref>''[[Leviticus Rabbah]]''. xxiii. 9</ref> Samson's eyes were put out because he had "followed them" too often.<ref name="ppp"/><ref name="Sotah l.c">''Sotah'' l.c.</ref> (As his eyes led him astray by lust, this was the reason he was blinded.)<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.aish.com/tp/i/moha/48960031.html| title = The Eleventh Plague footnote 12 "...'I am the Lord' implies: I am He who inflicted punishment upon Samson, Amnon, and Zimri, and who will inflict punishment upon any one who will act in accordance with their practices..."| date = 24 June 2009}}</ref> It is said that, in the twenty years during which Samson judged Israel, he never required the least service from an Israelite,<ref>''Midrash [[Numbers Rabbah]]'' ix. 25</ref> and he piously refrained from taking the name of God in vain.<ref name="ppp"/> Therefore, as soon as he told Delilah that he was a Nazarite of God, she immediately knew that he had spoken the truth.<ref name="ppp"/><ref name="Sotah l.c"/> When he pulled down the temple of Dagon and killed himself and the Philistines, the structure fell backward so that he was not crushed, his family being thus enabled to find his body and to bury it in the tomb of his father.<ref name="ppp"/><ref>''Midrash [[Genesis Rabbah]]'' l.c. § 19</ref>

In the Talmudic period, some seem to have denied that Samson was a historical figure, regarding him instead as a purely mythological personage. This was viewed as heretical by the rabbis of the Talmud, and they attempted to refute this. They named [[Hazzelelponi]] as his mother in [[Numbers Rabbah]] [[Naso (parsha)|Naso]] 10 and in [[Bava Batra]] 91a and stated that he had a sister named "Nishyan" or "Nashyan".<ref name="ppp"/>

===Christian interpretations===
[[File:Samson hos filistrene.jpg|thumb|''Samson in the Treadmill'' (1863) by [[Carl Bloch]]]]
Samson's story has also garnered commentary from a [[Christianity|Christian]] perspective; the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] praises him for his faith.<ref>{{Bibleref|Hebrews|11:32–11:34|NIV}}</ref> [[Ambrose]], following the portrayal of [[Josephus]] and [[Pseudo-Philo]],<ref name= "Newsome">{{cite book|editor1-last= Newsome|editor1-first=Carol Ann|editor2-last= Ringe|editor2-first= Sharon H. |editor3-last=Lapsley|editor3-first= Jacqueline E.|title=Women's Bible Commentary |date=2012|orig-year=1992|publisher= Westminster John Knox Press|location=Louisville, Kentucky|isbn= 978-0664237073|page=139|edition= 3rd |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9uUMZ_g2_NoC&pg=PA139}}</ref> represents Delilah as a Philistine prostitute,<ref name= "Newsome" /> and declares that "men should avoid marriage with those outside the faith, lest, instead of love of one's spouse, there be treachery."<ref name= "Newsome" /> [[Caesarius of Arles]] interpreted Samson's death as prefiguring the [[crucifixion of Jesus]],<ref name= "Newsome"/> remarking: "Notice here an image of the cross. Samson extends his hands spread out to the two columns as to the two beams of the cross."<ref name= "Newsome"/> He also equates Delilah with [[Satan]],<ref name="Newsome"/> who [[Temptation of Christ|tempted Christ]].<ref name="Newsome"/>

Following this trend, more recent Christian commentators have viewed Samson as a [[typology (theology)|type]] of [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus Christ]], based on similarities between Samson's story and the [[life of Jesus in the New Testament]].<ref name=wp>{{cite book | last=Thomson | first=Edward | title=Prophecy, Types, And Miracles, The Great Bulwarks of Christianity: Or A Critical Examination And Demonstration of Some of The Evidences By Which The Christian Faith Is Supported | publisher=Hatchard & Son | date=1838 | pages=299–300 | isbn=978-0244031282 }}</ref> Samson's and Jesus' births were both foretold by angels,<ref name=wp/> who predicted that they would save their people.<ref name=wp/> Samson was born to a barren woman,<ref name=wp/> and Jesus was [[Virgin birth of Jesus|born of a virgin]].<ref name=wp/> Samson defeated a lion; Jesus defeated Satan, whom the [[First Epistle of Peter]] describes as a "roaring lion looking for someone to devour".<ref>{{cite book |last= Beasley |first= Robert C. |title= 101 Portraits of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures |publisher= Signalman |date= 2008 |isbn= 978-0244031282 }}</ref> Samson's betrayal by Delilah has also been compared to Jesus' betrayal by [[Judas Iscariot]]; both Delilah and Judas were paid in pieces of silver for their respective deeds.<ref>{{cite book| last= Lynn G |first= S |title= A Study of the Good the Bad and the Desperate Women in the Bible|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wHHTljp7u4sC&pg=PA46|date=2008|page=46 |publisher= Xulon Press |isbn= 978-1606473917 }}</ref> [[E. Cobham Brewer|Ebenezer Cobham Brewer]] notes in his ''A Guide to Scripture History: The Old Testament'' that Samson was "blinded, insulted [and] enslaved" prior to his death, and that Jesus was "blindfolded, insulted, and treated as a slave" prior to his crucifixion.<ref name=Brewer>{{cite web | last=Brewer|first= Ebenezer Cobham|title=A Guide to Scripture History. The Old Testament |year= 1858|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=E5oCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA190 |publisher=Trinity Hall, Cambridge | page=190}}</ref> Brewer also compares Samson's death among "the wicked" with Christ being crucified between two thieves.<ref name=Brewer/>

=== Islamic literature ===

The [[Quran]] and authentic [[Sunnah#Sunnah_and_hadith|hadith]] never mentions Samson by name and characteristics specifically. However, there is several non-canonical works of Quran exegesis and scholastic traditions among Islamic literatures that mention Samson, which mentioned as Samson ({{langx|ar|شمشون|Shamshû̅n}}) in Islamic literatures, particularly In the study of [[Tafsir]].<ref name="Samson;Islamweb">{{cite web |title=Samson and Delilah not mentioned in Quran and Sunnah |url=https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/347941/samson-and-delilah-not-mentioned-in-quran-and-sunnah |website=islamweb.net |year=2017 |access-date=4 August 2024 |language=En}}</ref><ref name="Samson;konsultasisyariah">{{cite web |author1=Ammi Nur Baits |title=Benarkah Samson itu Nabi? |year=2015 |url=https://konsultasisyariah.com/26025-benarkah-samson-itu-nabi.html |website=konsultasisyariah.com |publisher=Yufid Network |access-date=4 August 2024 |language=Id}}</ref>

[[:ar:ابن أبي حاتم|Ibn Abi Hatim]], a Hadith scholar and son of [[Abu Hatim Muhammad ibn Idris al-Razi]],<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = BRILL| isbn = 978-90-04-11805-8| last = Dickinson| first = Eerik| title = The development of early Sunnite hadīth criticism: the Taqdima of Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī (240/854-327/938)| year = 2001}}</ref> mentioned Samson in his exegesis by quoting the opinion of [[Mujahid ibn Jabr]] where he described Samson as "an Israelite who wore armor and struggling in the way of God for 1,000 months".<ref name="Samson;Islamweb" />

[[Al-Tabari]] and [[Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi]] incorporated the biblical figure of Samson into the Quranic prophetic world.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bulletin-of-the-school-of-oriental-and-african-studies/article/abs/muslim-samson-medieval-modern-and-scholarly-interpretations/B85B244274623E4D1A1C6D9C965D1740 | doi=10.1017/S0041977X08000529 | title=The Muslim Samson: Medieval, modern and scholarly interpretations | date=2008 | last1=Rippin | first1=Andrew | journal=Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies | volume=71 | issue=2 | pages=239–253 | url-access=subscription }}</ref> Al-Tabari in particular has given details in [[History of the Prophets and Kings]] by incorporating biblical narratives with the authority of [[Israʼiliyyat]] tradition from [[Wahb ibn Munabbih]], that his mother gave birth to him after she made a ''Nazar'' (vow) to God. Samson lived nearby a [[Polytheism|Pagan]] society, where he actively raided their settlement alone, armed with a camel's jawbone and always obtained spoils of war from his successful raids. This tradition of Tabari was traced from one of his teacher, Muhammad ibn Hamid ar-Razi. This tradition by Muhammad ibn Hamid also recorded by [[Al-Dhahabi]] through the records from [[Abu Dawud al-Sijistani]], [[Al-Tirmidhi]], [[Ibn Majah]], Tabari, and [[al-Baghawi]]. However, al-Dhahabi also reported that the tradition from Muhammad Ibn Hamid were deemed inauthentic or flawed narrator by Hadith experts such as Ya'qub ibn Syaibah and [[Muhammad al-Bukhari]]. Furthermore, [[Ibn Ishaq]] also criticize the transmitter whose Muhammad ibn Hamid received from, which was Salamah ibn al-Fadl. Ibn Ishaq deemed him as unreliable narrator who were notorious for narrating traditions without stating his sources.<ref>{{cite web |title=Apakah Kisah Samson Kisah Benar atau Dusta? |trans-title=Is the Story of Samson a True Story or a Lie? |year=2023 |url=https://kisahmuslim.com/7291-apakah-kisah-samson-kisah-benar-atau-dusta.html |website=kisahmuslim.com |access-date=27 August 2024 |language=Id}} translation from: {{cite web |author1=Muhammad Al-Munajjid |author1-link=Muhammad Al-Munajjid |title=هل قصة شمسون صحيحة؟ |trans-title=Is the story of Shamson true? |url=https://islamqa.info/ar/answers/424337/ |website=[[Islamqa.info]] |year=2023 |access-date=27 August 2024 |language=Ar}} Quote from: {{cite book |author1=al-Tabari |author1-link=al-Tabari |title=تاريخ الطبري = تاريخ الرسل والملوك |trans-title=History of al-Tabari = History of the Messengers and Kings part 2 |year=1965 |publisher=دار التراث |location=[[Beirut]], Lebanon |page=22 |url=https://ketabonline.com/ar/books/6877 |access-date=27 August 2024 |language=Ar |quote=Quoting [[:ar:عريب بن سعيد القرطبي|ʻArīb ibn Saʻd al-Qurtubi]]}}</ref>

Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi featured al-Tabari's narration in his tafsir with more extensive details, where the [[Nisba (onomastics)]] of Samson was "Shamsun ibn Masuh". Furthermore, Abu Ishaq added the raids of Samson against the paganic kingdom were happened for the span of 1,000 month and killed "thousands of infidels", where it became a proverb in the saying “better than a thousand months" for the ''Laylat al-Qadr'' ([[Night of Power]]) which believed by Muslims as a moment of night where every good deeds and faith observance multiplied for more than 1,000 months.<ref name="Walid Fikr; Samson" />

[[Ibn Kathir]] has recorded in his [[Tafsir Ibn Kathir]] that the interpretation of the Qur'an episode [[Al-Qadr (surah)|Al-Qadr]] verses 3-4 was about the lifetime of Samson, who goes to [[Jihad]] (religious war) for the span of 1,000 month (83 years).<ref name="Walid Fikr; Samson">{{cite web |author1=Walid Fikr |title=شمشون الجبار: ثلاث روايات لبطل واحد |trans-title=Samson the Mighty: Three Stories of One Hero |year=2018 |url=https://manshoor.com/society/samson-story-judaism-christianity-islam/ |website=manshoor.com |access-date=27 August 2024 |language=Ar}}</ref> [[Badr al-Din al-Ayni]] mentioned in his work of [[Sahih al-Bukhari#Classical commentaries|Umdat al-Qari]] Hadiths of [[Sahih al-Bukhari]] exegesis, about the similar episode of the religious war done by Samson in 1,000 month. Meanwhile, [[Tafsir al-Tha'labi]] work by [[Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Thalabi]] also recorded this narration about Samson episode in Al-Qadr chapter interpretation.<ref name="Samson;Islamweb" /> Aahmad al-Thalabi also interpreted that Samson was considered as one of [[Prophets and messengers in Islam]] and bestowed honorific [[Islamic_honorifics#Prophets_and_messengers|Peace Be Upon Him]] for Samson. Tha'labi traced his interpretation to [[Wahb ibn Munabbih]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Tafsir al-Tha'labi: Al-Kashf wa al-Bayan 'an Tafsir al-Qur'an |volume=1 |series=جامع الكتب الإسلامية |publisher=دار التفسير |pages=111, 256 |url=https://shamela.ws/book/23578 |access-date=4 August 2024 |language=Ar}}</ref>

===Scholarly===
====Comparison with other religious and mythological  figures====
Some modern academics have interpreted Samson as a solar deity, as a [[demi-god]] (such as [[Hercules]] or [[Enkidu]], among others) somehow enfolded into Jewish religious lore, or as an [[archetype |archetypical]] [[folk hero]].<ref>Mobley (2006), p. 5.</ref>

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, some [[Comparative mythology|comparative mythologists]] interpreted Samson as a [[Euhemerism|euhemerized]] [[solar deity]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Jastrow|first=Morris|author-link=Morris Jastrow, Jr|title=The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria|url=https://archive.org/details/TheReligionOfBabyloniaAndAssyria_410|location=Boston|publisher=Ginn & Company|date=1898}}</ref><ref name=Burney1918>{{cite book|author-link=Charles Fox Burney|first=Charles Fox |last=Burney|title=The Book of Judges, with Introduction and Notes|location=London|publisher= Rivingtons|date= 1918|url=}}</ref><ref name=Graves1955>{{cite book|author-link=Robert Graves|last=Graves|first= Robert|date=1955|title=The Greek Myths|title-link=The Greek Myths|chapter=Herakles}}</ref><ref name= Mobley2006>{{cite book|last1=Mobley|first1=Gregory|title=Samson and the Liminal Hero in the Ancient Near East|date=2006|publisher=T & T Clark|location=New York and London|isbn=978-0567028426|pages=5–12|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VqyoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA6 }}</ref> arguing that Samson's name is derived from  Hebrew ''šemeš'', meaning "Sun",<ref name="Mobley2006"/><ref name=VanderToorn/> and that his long hair might represent the Sun's rays.<ref name="Mobley2006"/> These solar theorists also pointed out that the legend of Samson is set within the general vicinity of [[Beth Shemesh]], a village whose name means "Temple of the Sun".<ref name= Mobley2006/> They argued that the name ''Delilah'' may have been a wordplay with the Hebrew word for night, ''[[Leila (name)|layla]]'', which "consumes" the day.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|editor1-last=Freedman|editor1-first=David Noel|editor1-link=David Noel Freedman|date=2000|title=Eerdmans Dictionary of The Bible|page=[https://archive.org/details/eerdmansdictiona0000unse/page/336 336 (entry for 'Delilah')]|publisher=William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.|isbn=0802824005|url=https://archive.org/details/eerdmansdictiona0000unse/page/336}}</ref> Although this hypothesis is still sometimes promoted in scholarly circles,<ref name= Mobley2006/> it has generally fallen out of favor due to the superficiality of supporting evidence.<ref name= Mobley2006/>

[[File:Sansón matando al león - Pedro Pablo Rubens.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left|''Samson Slaying the Lion'' (1628) by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]]]

An interpretation far more popular among current scholars holds that Samson is a Hebrew variant of the same international Near Eastern [[folk hero]] which inspired the earlier Mesopotamian [[Enkidu]] and the later Greek Heracles (and, by extension, his Roman [[Hercules]] adaptation).<ref name=Wajdenbaum>{{cite book|last=Wajdenbaum|first=P.|date=2014|title=Argonauts of the Desert: Structural Analysis of the Hebrew Bible|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3kiPBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA223 |location= New York and London|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1845539245|pages=223–227}}</ref><ref name= Mobley2006/><ref name=VanderToorn/> Heracles and Samson both slew a lion bare-handed (the former killed the [[Nemean lion]]).<ref name= Mobley2006/><ref name=VanderToorn/> Likewise, they were both believed to have once been extremely thirsty and drunk water which poured out from a rock,<ref name= Wajdenbaum/> and to have torn down the gates of a city.<ref name= Wajdenbaum/> They were both betrayed by a woman (Heracles by [[Deianira]], Samson by Delilah),<ref name= Mobley2006/> who led them to their respective dooms.<ref name= Mobley2006/> Both heroes, champions of their respective peoples, die by their own hands:<ref name= Mobley2006/> Heracles ends his life on a [[pyre]]; whereas Samson makes the Philistine temple collapse upon himself and his enemies.<ref name= Mobley2006/> In this interpretation, the annunciation of Samson's birth to his mother is a [[Religious censorship |censored]] account of [[Miraculous births|divine conception]].<ref name= Wajdenbaum/>

[[File:4859viki Fontanna Walka i Zwycięstwo. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A monument of Samson in [[Wrocław]], Poland]]

Samson also strongly resembles [[Shamgar]],<ref name= Mobley2006/> another hero mentioned in the Book of Judges,<ref name= Mobley2006/> who, in {{bibleverse|Judges|3:31|HE}}, is described as having slain 600 Philistines with an [[ox-goad]].<ref name= Mobley2006/>

====Traditional views====
These views are disputed by traditional and conservative biblical scholars who consider Samson to be a literal historical figure and thus reject any connections to mythological heroes.<ref name= Mobley2006/> The concept of Samson as a "solar hero" has been described as "an artificial ingenuity".<ref>{{cite book|last=Cooke|first=George Albert|date=1913|title=The Book of Judges|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofjudgesinre00cookuoft|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref> Joan Comay, co-author of ''Who's Who in the Bible: The Old Testament and the Apocrypha, The New Testament'', believes that the biblical story of Samson is so specific concerning time and place that Samson was undoubtedly a real person who pitted his great strength against the oppressors of Israel.<ref name= eee>{{wwbible|Old Testament, 320}}</ref>

====Religious and moral meaning or lack of it====
In contrast, James King West considers that the hostilities between the Philistines and Hebrews appear to be of a "purely personal and local sort".<ref name= West1971>{{cite book|last=West|first=James King|date=1971|title=Introduction to the Old Testament|location= New York|publisher=MacMillan Company|page=183}}</ref> He also considers that Samson stories have, in contrast to much of Judges, an "almost total lack of a religious or moral tone".<ref name= West1971/>

Conversely, Elon Gilad of ''[[Haaretz]]'' writes "some biblical stories are flat-out [[Cautionary tale|cautions]] against [[Exogamy|marrying foreign women]], none more than the story of Samson".<ref name= Gilead>{{cite news|last=Gilad|first=Elon|title=Intermarriage and the Jews: What Would the Early Israelites Say?|url=https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/shavuot/.premium-1.595543|access-date=30 October 2017|newspaper=[[Haaretz]]|date=4 June 2014}}</ref> Gilad notes how Samson's parents disapprove of his desire to marry a Philistine woman and how Samson's relationship with Delilah leads to his demise.<ref name=Gilead/> He contrasts this with what he sees as a more positive portrayal of intermarriage in the [[Book of Ruth]].<ref name=Gilead/>

====Suicide terrorist====
Some academic writers have interpreted Samson as a [[Suicide attack|suicide terrorist]] portrayed in a positive light by the text, and compared him to those responsible for the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wicker|first=Brian|date=2003|title=Samson Terroristes: A Theological Reflection on Suicidal Terrorism|journal=New Blackfriars|volume=84|issue=983|pages=42–60|doi=10.1111/j.1741-2005.2003.tb06486.x|jstor=43250680|issn=0028-4289}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Atiya|first=A. S.|date=1973|title=Review of Christian Egypt: Faith and Life|journal=Middle East Journal|volume=27|issue=2|pages=231–232|jstor=4325068|issn=0026-3141}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Drury |first=Shadia |date=2003 |title=Terrorism: From Samson to Atta |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41858434 |journal=Arab Studies Quarterly |volume=25 |issue=1/2 |pages=1–12 |jstor=41858434 |issn=0271-3519}}</ref>

==Archaeology==
In August 2012, archaeologists from [[Tel Aviv University]] announced the discovery of a circular stone seal, approximately {{convert|15|mm|abbr=on}} in diameter, which was found on the floor of a house at Beth Shemesh and appears to depict a man, possibly long-haired, next to the sketchy depiction of a large animal resembling contemporary images of lions. The seal is dated to the 12th century BCE. According to ''Haaretz'', "excavation directors Prof. Shlomo Bunimovitz and Dr. Zvi Lederman of Tel Aviv University say they do not suggest that the human figure on the seal is the biblical Samson. Rather, the geographical proximity to the area where Samson lived, and the time period of the seal, show that a story was being told at the time of a hero who fought a lion, and that the story eventually found its way into the biblical text and onto the seal."<ref>{{cite news|last=Hasson|first=Nir|title= Seal found by Israeli archeologists may give substance to Samson legend|newspaper=[[Haaretz]]|date=30 July 2012|url-access=subscription|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/seal-found-by-israeli-archeologists-may-give-substance-to-samson-legend-1.454504|access-date=3 September 2013}}</ref><ref>[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120813103403.htm "Ancient seal may add substance to the legend of Samson"], at sciencedaily.com, 13 August 2012. Accessed 25 April 2024.</ref><ref name= NW>{{cite web |author= Wiener, Noah |title= Lion Seal from Beth Shemesh Sparks Samson Discussion |publisher=[[Biblical Archaeology Society]] (BAS) |date= 30 July 2012 |url=https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/artifacts-and-the-bible/lion-seal-from-beth-shemesh-sparks-samson-discussion/ |access-date= 25 April 2024}}</ref> The human figure appears to be unarmed, which would correspond to the Samson story.<ref>Wiener (2012), see "Update": comment by Dale W. Manor, Field Director of Beth-Shemesh excavations.</ref>

==Cultural influence==
{{Main article|Cultural references to Samson}}
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[[File:Samson's Tomb.jpg|thumb|Alleged site of Samson's tomb in the Zorah (Tzora) forest]]
As an important biblical character, Samson has been referred to in popular culture and depicted in a vast array of films, artwork, and popular literature. Preserved Smith argued that [[John Milton]]'s [[closet drama]] ''[[Samson Agonistes]]'' is an [[allegory]] for the downfall of the [[Puritans]] and the [[Restoration (England)|restoration of the English monarchy]]<ref name="Smith1930">{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Preserved|title=A History of Modern Culture|date=1930|publisher=University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=978-1108074643|page=387|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CfnCAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA387 }}</ref> in which the blinded and imprisoned Samson represents Milton himself,<ref name="Smith1930"/> the "Chosen People" represent the Puritans,<ref name="Smith1930"/> and the Philistines represent the [[Cavalier|English Royalists]].<ref name="Smith1930"/> The play combines elements of [[ancient Greek tragedy]] and biblical narrative.<ref>{{cite book|last=Teskey|first=Gordon|date=2006|title=Delirious Milton: The Fate of the Poet in Modernity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lZxlAAAAMAAJ|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0674010697|page=144}}</ref> Samson is portrayed as a hero,<ref name=Lieb1994>{{cite book|last=Lieb|first=Michael|date=1994|title=Milton and the Culture of Violence|url=https://archive.org/details/miltoncultureofv00lieb|url-access=registration|location=London|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=978-0801429033}}</ref> whose violent actions are mitigated by the righteous cause in whose name they are enacted.<ref name=Lieb1994/> The play casts Delilah as an unrepentant, but sympathetic, deceiver<ref name=Guillory1986>{{cite book|last=Guillory|first=John|author-link=John Guillory|date=1986|article=Dalila's House: ''Samson Agonistes'' and the Sexual Division of Labor|title=Rewriting the Renaissance: The Discourses of Sexual Difference in Early Modern Europe|editor1-last=Ferguson|editor1-first=Margaret|editor2-last=Quilligan|editor2-first=Maurren|editor3-last=Vickers|editor3-first=Nancy|location=Chicago|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=978-0226243146|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9rW7EHRNJ0sC}}</ref> and speaks approvingly of the [[Patriarchy|subjugation of women]].<ref name=Guillory1986/>

In 1735, [[George Frideric Handel]] wrote the [[oratorio]] ''[[Samson (Handel)|Samson]]'',<ref name="Leneman2000">{{cite book|last1=Leneman|first1=Helen|article=Portrayals of Power in the Stories of Delilah and Bathsheba: Seduction in Song|title=Culture, Entertainment, and the Bible|editor-last=Aichele|editor-first=George|date=2000|publisher=Sheffield Academic Press|isbn=184127075X|page=153|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T_efFTiILLkC&pg=PA153 }}</ref> with a [[libretto]] by [[Newburgh Hamilton]], based on ''Samson Agonistes''.<ref name="Leneman2000"/> The oratorio is almost entirely set inside Samson's prison<ref name="Leneman2000"/> and Delilah only briefly appears in Part II.<ref name="Leneman2000"/> In 1877, [[Camille Saint-Saëns]] composed the opera ''[[Samson and Delilah (opera)|Samson and Delilah]]'' with a libretto by [[Ferdinand Lemaire]] in which the entire story of Samson and Delilah is retold.<ref name="Leneman2000"/> In the libretto, Delilah is portrayed as a seductive ''[[femme fatale]]'',<ref name="Leneman2000"/> but the music played during her parts invokes sympathy for her.<ref name="Leneman2000"/> The narrative of Samson and Delilah is retold in [[indie pop]] singer [[Regina Spektor]]'s "[[Samson (Regina Spektor song)|Samson]]" (2002), which includes the lyrics "I cut his hair myself one night / A pair of dull scissors and the yellow light / And he told me that I'd done alright."<ref>{{cite magazine |first= Rincón|last=Alessandra|url= https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/the-late-show-regina-spektor-chilling-performance-samson-watch-8469051 |title= Regina Spektor Gives Chilling Performance Of 'Samson' On 'Late Show': Watch |date=August 7, 2018 |magazine= [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date= January 4, 2023}}</ref>

The 1949 [[List of films based on the Bible|biblical drama]] ''[[Samson and Delilah (1949 film)|Samson and Delilah]]'', directed by [[Cecil B. DeMille]] and starring [[Victor Mature]] and [[Hedy Lamarr]] in the titular roles, was widely praised by critics for its cinematography, lead performances, costumes, sets, and innovative special effects.<ref>{{cite book|last=McKay|first=James|title=The Films of Victor Mature|publisher=McFarland & Company |year=2013|isbn=978-0786449705|page=76}}</ref> It became the highest-grossing film of 1950,<ref>{{cite book|last=Barton|first=Ruth|title=Hedy Lamarr: The Most Beautiful Woman in Film|location=Lexington|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|year=2010|isbn=978-0813126104|page=174}}</ref> and was nominated for five [[Academy Awards]], winning two.<ref>{{cite web|title=23rd Academy Awards Winners|date=4 October 2014 |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1951|publisher=www.oscars.org}}</ref> According to ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', the film portrays Samson as a [[stereotype|stereotypical]] "handsome but dumb hulk of muscle".<ref>{{cite web|author=''Variety'' staff|title=Variety – Review: ''Samson and Delilah''|url=https://variety.com/1949/film/reviews/samson-and-delilah-1200416600/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=31 December 1949}}</ref>

Samson has been especially honored in [[Russian culture#Visual arts|Russian artwork]]<ref name="Wortman">{{cite book|last1=Wortman|first1=Richard S.|title=Scenarios of Power: Myth and Ceremony in Russian Monarchy: From Peter the Great to the Abdication of Nicholas II|date=2006|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, New Jersey|isbn=978-0691123745|pages=25–26|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ykaVAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA26 }}</ref> because the Russians defeated the Swedes in the [[Battle of Poltava]] on the feast day of [[Sampson the Hospitable|St. Sampson]], whose name is [[homophone|homophonous]] with Samson's.<ref name="Wortman"/> The lion slain by Samson was interpreted to represent Sweden, as a result of the lion's placement on the [[Swedish coat of arms]].<ref name="Wortman"/> In 1735, C. B. Rastrelli's bronze statue of Samson slaying the lion was placed in the center of the great cascade of the fountain at [[Peterhof Palace]] in [[Saint Petersburg]].<ref name="Wortman"/>

Samson is the emblem of [[Lungau]], [[Salzburg (state)|Salzburg]],<ref name="Lungau">{{cite web|title=Samson:Emblem of Lungau|url=https://www.lungau.at/en/experience/heritage-tradition/the-giant-samson/|website=lungau.at|publisher=Saliburger Lungau|access-date=28 October 2017|archive-date=6 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406134134/https://www.lungau.at/en/experience/heritage-tradition/the-giant-samson|url-status=dead}}</ref> and parades in his honor are held annually in ten villages of the Lungau and two villages in the north-west [[Styria]] (Austria).<ref name="Lungau"/> During the parade, a young bachelor from the community carries a massive figure made of wood or aluminum said to represent Samson.<ref name="Lungau"/> The tradition, which was first documented in 1635,<ref name="Lungau"/> was entered into the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Austria in 2010.<ref name="Lungau"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Samsontragen im Lungau und Bezirk Murau |url=http://nationalagentur.unesco.at/cgi-bin/unesco/element.pl?eid=25 |website=Immaterielles Kulturerbe in Österreich |language=de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222122436/http://nationalagentur.unesco.at/cgi-bin/unesco/element.pl?eid=25 |archive-date=2015-12-22}}</ref>

=== Military and militant groups ===

Several current and historical military units or events have names that reference the story of Samson.
* [[Operation Samson]], by the [[Lehi (militant group) |Lehi militant group]] in 1947.
* The [[Samson Option]] nuclear strategy.
* [[Samson's Foxes]]
* [[Samson Unit]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Samson}}
* [http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/picture-of-month/displaypicture.aspx?id=1 Catalogue entry] for ''[[:File:Solomon Samson and Delilah.jpg|Samson]]'' (1887) by [[Solomon Solomon]], [[National Museums Liverpool]]

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Tribe of Dan]]||||}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Abdon (Judges)|Abdon]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Biblical judges|Judge of Israel]]}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Eli (biblical figure)|Eli]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Samson}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Samson| ]]
[[Category:Ancient suicides]]
[[Category:Book of Judges people]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible judges]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible people in Islam]]
[[Category:Massacres in the Bible]]
[[Category:Mythological blind people]]
[[Category:Tribe of Dan]]
[[Category:Suicide attacks]]
[[Category:Jihad]]
[[Category:Prophecy in Islam]]
[[Category:Prophets]]