The Bible Book

106 SAMSON

Samson’s Revenge and Death is

a wood engraving from Die Bible in

Bildern (The Bible in Pictures) by the

German artist Julius Schnorr von

Carolsfeld. Published in 30 parts

between 1852 and 1860, the work

contained 240 woodcut illustrations.

Samson lays waste to 1,000

Philistine men with it. He then

mocks the Philistines as donkeys

themselves. After this victory, God

rewards Samson with a drink from

the spring of Lehi—a place named

for the great victory, as “Lehi”

means “jawbone.”

Delilah’s treachery

Samson’s fortunes change when

he encounters a woman named

Delilah in the Valley of Sorek. She

is working for the Philistines, who

are determined to find a way of

capturing Samson. Delilah seduces

Samson in order to persuade him to

reveal the secret of his great

strength, and how to take it from

him. After several abortive

attempts—and some creative lying

from Samson—Delilah finally learns

that if Samson’s hair is shaved off,

he will lose his strength. With the

Philistines’ help, Delilah cuts off

Samson’s hair while he is sleeping.

The Philistines then rip out his

eyes—a punishment to dissuade

prisoners from rebelling—and tie

him to a heavy grinding mill that

he must heave in circles in order

to make flour.

Meanwhile, Samson’s hair

steadily begins to grow back, and

Samson realizes that his strength is

returning. This fact is lost on his

Philistine captors, who parade him

in triumph at a temple festival in

honor of their god Dagon. Three

thousand Philistines are gathered

in the temple when Samson

positions himself between two

great pillars supporting the roof. He

prays to God for revenge on the

Philistines for the loss of his two

eyes, asking to die with his captors.

God grants Samson the strength he

requests. With a mighty heave,

Samson pushes over the pillars, the

roof collapses, and everyone inside

the temple, including Samson,

is consigned to a gory end.

Vessel of God

Biblical scholars have long debated

the meaning of the tale of Samson.

Some see him as a legendary hero,

in the mold of Hercules or the

Mesopotamian mythological figure

Enkidu, or as an archetypal folk

The Spirit of the Lord came

powerfully upon him. The

ropes on his arms became

like charred flax and

the bindings dropped.

Judges 15:14

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THE HISTORICAL BOOKS 107

hero. Others see him as a real

historical figure. The biblical tale

of Samson sheds light on how

individuals can derive strength

from God’s spirit, and illustrates

the fundamental nature of human

weakness. The contrast between

divine strength and mortal frailty

is shown by Samson’s story.

Through God he is physically

strong, but he yearns for and seeks

out the company of women and

breaks his Nazirite vows. This

ultimately brings about his

downfall; he fulfills the mission

he has been given by God, but he

is continually diverted by selfish

impulses along the way.

Two important lessons can

be taken from this story. First,

it makes clear that God has the

power to take a human being’s

He will become weak if he is tied with seven

fresh bowstrings that have not been dried.

He will become weak if he is tied securely

with new ropes that have never been used.

He will become weak if the braids of his hair are

woven into fabric on the loom and pinned down.

The truth: Samson will become

weak if his head is shaved.

He snaps the

bowstrings as easily as

strings held over a flame.

He snaps the ropes as

if they are threads.

He easily pulls up the

pin and the loom.

Samson loses his strength and

is captured by the Philistines.

selfish impulses, such as Samson’s

lust, and use them to accomplish

His will. Although Samson’s life

ends in tragedy, he does achieve

the goal he has been set. The story

also illustrates the dangers of

ceaseless retaliation. Samson and

the Philistines attack each other

back and forth, until all parties

involved are destroyed by the

endless cycle of vengeance. ■

Samson tells Delilah ... When Delilah believes him ...

Samson and Delilah in popular culture

The story of Samson—and

particularly of his relationship

with the woman from the Valley

of Sorek, Delilah—is one of the

most riveting tales in the Bible.

The couple’s love affair and her

quest to uncover the secret of his

strength have inspired artists,

writers, and screenwriters. Delilah

has been portrayed as a heartless

seductress and a lover torn

between loyalties.

Numerous artists, including

Michelangelo and Rembrandt,

have painted scenes from the

lovers’ lives. Popular literature,

from The Canterbury Tales

to Thackeray’s Vanity Fair,

is replete with references to

the pair. One of the most

lavish representations of the

lovers is Cecil B. DeMille’s

1949 Hollywood classic Samson

and Delilah, starring Victor

Mature as Samson and Hedy

Lamarr as Delilah. DeMille

created an action-packed drama,

casting Lamarr as a minx and

Mature as a handsome but

simple-minded hulk.

Delilah, played by Hedy Lamarr,

prepares to cut Samson’s hair in the

1949 film, which cast Delilah as the

vengeful sister of Samson’s first wife.

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