St. Barthlomew

Reference: Judges 13–16

Samson, one of Israel’s judges, is a figure known for his supernatural strength, flawed character, and role in delivering Israel from the Philistines. His story was set during a time when Israel was under Philistine oppression due to their disobedience.

The Birth of Samson
* Israel’s Context: The Israelites did evil in God’s sight, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years.
* Announcement of Birth: A man named Manoah, from the tribe of Dan and the town of Zorah, had a barren wife. The angel of the Lord appeared to her, announcing she would conceive a son who would be a Nazirite from birth, dedicated to God. He was to abstain from wine, fermented drink, unclean food, and cutting his hair, as his uncut hair symbolized his Nazirite vow. The angel said the boy would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
* Confirmation to Manoah: Manoah’s wife told him of the angel’s visit. Manoah prayed for the angel to return, and the angel reappeared to his wife, confirming the instructions. Manoah met the angel, offered a sacrifice, and realized it was the angel of the Lord when he ascended in the flame of the altar. They feared death for seeing God, but Manoah’s wife reassured him.
* Birth and Blessing: The woman gave birth to a son, named Samson, and the Lord blessed him as he grew. The Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson’s Marriage and Early Exploits

* Desire for a Philistine Wife: Samson went to Timnah, saw a Philistine woman, and insisted on marrying her, despite his parents’ objections to marrying a non-Israelite. Unbeknownst to them, this was part of God’s plan to confront the Philistines
* The Lion Incident: On his way to Timnah, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, enabling him to tear apart a lion with his bare hands. Later, he found a swarm of bees and honey in the lion’s carcass, which he ate and shared with his parents, not telling them its source.
* The Riddle: At the wedding feast in Timnah, Samson posed a riddle to 30 Philistine companions: “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet”. The answer was the lion and honey, but the Philistines couldn’t solve it. They pressured Samson’s wife to extract the answer, threatening her family. She wept and nagged Samson, who revealed the answer on the seventh day. The Philistines solved the riddle, enraging Samson, who accused them of cheating.
* Slaughter and Fallout: Empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, Samson went to Ashkelon, killed 30 Philistines, took their clothes to pay the riddle’s wager, and returned to his father’s house in anger. His wife was given to his companion.
* Revenge at Timnah: Later, during wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife with a young goat but was told she was given to another. Furious, he caught 300 foxes, tied their tails with torches, and set them loose to burn the Philistines’ grain, vineyards, and olive groves. The Philistines retaliated by burning Samson’s wife and her father. Samson avenged them by slaughtering many Philistines and then hid in a cave at Etam.
* Betrayal by Judah: The Philistines camped in Judah, demanding Samson. Three thousand men of Judah bound Samson with ropes and handed him over to avoid conflict. As the Philistines approached, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he broke the ropes, seized a donkey’s jawbone, and killed 1,000 Philistines. He named the place Ramath Lehi (“Jawbone Hill”) and prayed for water, which God provided from a spring at Lehi. Samson judged Israel for 20 years during the Philistine oppression.

Samson and Delilah

* Incident in Gaza: Samson visited a prostitute in Gaza. The Philistines planned to kill him at dawn, but he left at midnight, tore out the city gates, and carried them to a hill near Hebron.
* Delilah’s Betrayal: Samson fell in love with Delilah in the Valley of Sorek. The Philistine rulers offered her 1,100 shekels of silver each to discover the source of Samson’s strength. Delilah asked Samson, who gave false answers three times: tying him with seven fresh bowstrings, new ropes, or weaving his hair into a loom. Each time, he broke free when tested. Delilah nagged him daily, and Samson finally revealed that his uncut hair, tied to his Nazirite vow, was the source of his strength. Delilah shaved his head while he slept, and his strength left him. The Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles, and imprisoned him in Gaza to grind grain.

Samson’s Death and Final Victory

* Philistine Celebration: The Philistines gathered to offer sacrifices to their god Dagon, crediting him for delivering Samson. They brought Samson out to entertain them, placing him between the pillars of the temple.
* Final Act: Samson prayed to God for strength one last time, asking to die with the Philistines. He grasped the two central pillars supporting the temple, pushed with all his might, and brought the structure down, killing himself and about 3,000 Philistines, including their rulers. “Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived”.
* Burial: Samson’s family retrieved his body and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in Manoah’s tomb. He had judged Israel for 20 years.

His life, a paradox of divine strength and human weakness, exemplifies God’s ability to work through broken vessels and the power of repentance, foreshadowing the triumph of Christ over sin and death.