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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

A Literary and Theological Analysis of Samson in the Book of Judges 13-16

Submitted to Dr. John McLean

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of

OBST 515 B02

Old Testament Orientation 1

by

Carol H. Montgomery
July 2015

Table of Contents
Introduction2
Summary of Judges 13-16..3-4
Literary analysis...4-7
Theological analysis...7-10
Conclusion.10
Bibliography..11

Introduction
The story of Samson is a significant one as well as forms one of the most outstanding
happenings in the book of Judges. It illustrates the interesting story of Samson from the time of
his birth to the time of his death. From the beginning of the story in chapter 13 1, the reader
understands how unique the life of Samson would be because of the conditions that surrounded
his birth. His birth was a miracle since his mother was barren. People born under such
circumstances in the Bible had a history of having significant roles in the society. Most of such
kind of people usually brought deliverance in their communities. Samson, therefore, had the
same role to play. He was to deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines. He had been
chosen by God to be a Nazarite before his conception.
Samson was a person of great strength who was born out of divine birth. He was a person
who was destined to do great things and most importantly to defeat the Philistines. However,
Samson wasted his life by engaging in matters that were ungodly and unpleasing in the eyes of
God. He married a Philistine wife, yet Philistine was a tribe that was regarded as an enemy of the
Israelites2. His actions led to his downfall. This paper aims at analyzing the literary and
theoretical perspective of the story of Samson in the book of Judges. It will include some of his
major victories and how he was brought down by a Philistine woman.

Pnina, Galpaz-Feller. Samson: The Hero and The Man: The Story of Samson (Judges 13-16). Vol. 7. Bern: Peter Lang, 2006.
Steve, Weitzman. "The Samson Story as Border Fiction." Biblical Interpretation 10, no. 2 (2002): 158-174.

Summary of Judges 13-16

Samson was born in a period that the Israelites had been ruled by the Philistines for a
long time, because, they had disobeyed God. Samson's father was named Manoah, and his wife
was barren. The angel of the Lord had appeared to Manoah's wife to tell her that she would bear
a son that would deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. The birth of Samson was divine. His
mother was given instructions that Samson was not supposed to shave off his hair in his entire
life. He was a Nazarite.
Samson was blessed by God, and he became an energetic young man. Samson then
married a woman from Timnath, who was a Philistine. Despite the refusal of his parents about
marrying the woman, Samson went ahead and married her. As they went to get the woman,
Samson killed a lion, but did not tell his parents. Afterwards, as Samson took the woman home,
he found honey in the carcass of the lion he had killed. He ate the honey and took some home.
Later on, Samsons wife was given to a friend.
Samson was used by God to provoke the philistines 3. Samson wanted to revenge for the
actions of the Philistines. He had isolated himself on the top of the rock Etam. It was at this place
that he was invaded by the Philistines. He used the jaw of an ass to kill thousands of the
Philistines that had attacked him. Samson later found a harlot in Gaza named Delilah. Delilah
seduced Samson until she was told that the strength of Samson was found in his hair. Delilah told
the Philistines where Samson's strength lied. He was shove off his hair, and his eyes were later
plucked off. During his death, he asked for strength from God for one last chance that he used to
kill the Philistines that were in the house4.
3

Stuart, Foster. "Judges 14: 4-Yahweh uses Samson to provoke the Philistines." Old Testament Essays 25, no. 2 (2012): 292-302.

Jeremy, Schipper. "Narrative Obscurity of Samsons [ILLEGIBLE] in Judges 14.14 and 18." Journal for the Study of the Old

Testament 27, no. 3 (2003): 339-353.

Literal Analysis
From the beginning of the story of Samson, the reader understands how the life of
Samson was supposed to be following the instructions of his mother as given by the angel of the
Lord. His mother was told to abstain from unclean foods5. This was an indication that the child to
be born was to remain clean even after his birth. Anything that she would eat that was not clean
would be against the will of God. Samson was involved in an unclean act by eating the honey
from the carcass of a lion. He had killed the lion himself. Anything that Samson would kill was
unclean. The honey he ate from the carcass of the lion was contaminated. As a reader one starts
guessing that something bad would happen to Samson because he had involved himself with
unclean foods.
His mother was also instructed that she should not set a razor on his head. Samsons hair
would, therefore, have a significance effect in his life that was divine. The author sets the
background of the strength of Samson that was found in his hair. Samsons strength was found in
his hair. The reader can sense that if Samson is shove off his hair, then there would be a negative
impact experienced. The confirmation of the negative implication is when he is seduced to
explain where his strength lies. Immediately his hair is cut off, his strength and powers also
vanish away. The situation in which his hair is shaved off is an issue of concern. It was shaved
off by his enemies. The source of his strength had remained a secret and nobody knew except his
parents. Telling the secret to the enemy was a mistake that he did and would regret it later.
Samson had a weakness for women. During his life, he had been involved with two
Philistine women. The Philistines are the enemies of the Israelites; hence, one expects that he
should not relate with them in any way. However, his lust for women made him marry a
5

Robert, Chisholm Jr. "Identity Crisis: Assessing Samson's Birth and Career."." Bibliotheca Sacra 166, no. 662 (2009): 147-62.

Philistine and later got a harlot who was responsible for his failure. From this encounter, a reader
already knows the effects of being obsessed with women.
Similarly, Samson did not listen to the advice he was given by his parents. His parents did
not want him to marry a Philistine woman. They told him to find a woman from his tribe. He
was, however, defiant and did not follow any of the advice given. The women he had been
warned about led to the loss of his strength and eventually his death 6. It can be argued that
refusing to listen to the advice of the elder people made him lose his power.
Samson did not use his power for the purpose he was intended to do by God. Anytime he
used his power to kill the Philistines; it was due to personal gain and not for the benefit of the
Israelites. For instance, in the first case where he killed thousands of Philistines using the
jawbone of an ass, he had isolated himself on the top of a rock. He was also seeking revenge
because his wife had been given to a friend.
God had destined him to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines using the strength that
he had given him, but he used it for his personal gain. During his last moments, he killed more
Philistines than he had done in his entire life. He prayed to God to be given strength for the last
time. The reason he asked for the power was so that he could kill the Philistines; because, they
had plucked out his eyes and had shove off his hair. The personal interests was what made him
kill many philistines, but not as a result of the intended reason of delivering the Israelites from
the rule of the Philistines.
The persistence of Delilah made Samson tell her the source of his strength. Samson could
not keep a secret in the sight of a woman. He had lied to Delilah a couple of times, but Delilah
remained persistent after she realized that Samson was lying to her. The constant requests from
6

Joseph Anthony, Wittreich. Interpreting Samson Agonistes. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014.

Delilah made Samson tell her the truth 7. Samson could not, therefore, keep a secret on matters of
importance. Samson did not think for the second time before he told Delilah where his strength
lied. After lying to Delilah three times, he would have realized that she was up to something ill.
This is because; every time he told her where his strength was, she would do something
that would make him lose his power, and then told Samson that there were some Philistines
outside who wanted to kill him. From those scenarios, Samson would have gotten a hint that
Delilah was an evil woman. Understanding that would have made him chase away Delilah. He
would not have shared any secret with her; hence, would have saved his life.
The author of the book of Judges structures the chapters of the story of Samson in a way
that the reader gets the concept quickly. The author begins by explaining the situation that
surrounded the birth of Samson. The reader understands that the birth of Samson is a miracle,
and therefore he might be destined for great things. This is because; in other cases in the Bible
where children are born miraculously, they have a divine purpose they have to accomplish. The
instructions that the mother is given by the angel of God is another indication that Samson was
not an ordinary person. The author uses precise words that are easy for the reader to understand.
The life of Samson is then illustrated afterward. The structure moves from step to step
and is systematic. However, most of the issues discussed are negative. The author describes how
he eats unclean foods and also how he is involved with Philistine women. The author focuses on
these matters to show why Samson did not accomplish his divine task. The author concludes the
story of Samson by illustrating his death. He explains the circumstances that caused his death.
The structure of the story makes it easy for the reader to understand the story.
7

Robert, Myles. "Terminating Samson: the Sarah Connor Chronicles and the Rise of New Biblical Meaning." Relegere: Studies

in Religion and Reception 1, no. 2 (2012): 329-50.

Theoretical Analysis
The story of Samson has various theological interpretations that can be used to describe
the teachings that the story has. These interpretations are useful in ensuring that Christians get to
know the meaning of the scriptures and the teachings they should get from the story of Samson.
In chapter 13 of the book of Judges, the story of Samson begins with the illustration
about his birth. Samsons mother was barren and could not bear any child. However, an angel of
the Lord visits her one day to give her the good news that he would bear a child who would
deliver the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines.
Some of the people that God used to accomplish different divine tasks in the Bible are
born in a miraculous way. A good example is the birth of Jesus Christ who carried the sins of the
world. He was born of a virgin. The teaching that can be derived from the reading is that God
uses the despised in the society to bear great people in the society8.
In this case, Samsons mother may have been looked down by the members of the family
and the community. She was, however, blessed with a son that would be the savior of the
Israelites. He would be responsible for ending the punishment that had been given to the
Israelites for disobeying God.
The tribe of Dan was not well known in Israel. This is the tribe where the father of
Samson was from. God chose to use the tribe in order to bring forth a man that would rescue the
Israelites. God can use the less recognized people in the society to accomplish some of the noble
and divine tasks that they were never thought they would perform. As long as the people follow
the instructions given, there is guaranteed success and victory over the enemies.
Samson was disobedient, and that led to his fall even though he was destined to be a hero.
Samson was disobedient to both God and his parents. He knew that he was to deliver the
8

Joseph Anthony, Wittreich. Interpreting Samson Agonistes. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014.

Israelites from the rule of the Philistines. The Philistines, who were described as uncircumcised,
were the enemies of the Israelites. Samson fell in love with a Philistine woman, and he declared
that he wanted to marry her. Despite the resistance from his parents, Samson went on and
married the Philistine woman9.
Whenever one disobeyed God, they would face punishment at some point. Samson was
haunted by his acts of disobedience. First, he deviated from the purpose of God in his life.
Samson was destined for greatness. He was to undertake a very noble task of deliverance. His
disobedience made him follow his personal ambitions putting aside the divine assignment he was
supposed to do. The Philistines he killed was as a result of the revenge he had against them for
giving his wife to a friend. Secondly, his disobedience costs him his life. He did not listen when
he was warned about getting involved with the Philistine women. He told Delilah about where
his strength was hidden.
As a result, Delilah framed him, and he was ambushed by the Philistines. His eyes were
plucked off. Disobedience to God has some negative impact that a person is bound to face.
Irrespective of the favor that one might be having, disobedience to God makes that favor useless.
A person can face different challenges and adverse effects if they do not follow the will of God
in their lives. God commands Samson's mother that she should not eat any unclean food. God
wanted the baby being born to be clean since he would perform a significant task. When God
wants to use a person for his purpose, he sets some rules that should be followed strictly to
ensure that the individual fulfills the purpose. The instructions given to the mother was to be
used by Samson in his daily life.

Fay, Weldon. "Samson and his women." Out of the garden: Women writers on the Bible (1995): 72-81.

Samson was not supposed to eat anything that was unclean because he was going to be
used of God by performing a task that would be ordained by God Himself. Following the rules of
the latter was essential for Samson to accomplish the purpose he was born to achieve. Samson
eats honey from the carcass of a lion. The honey was unclean; hence eating it was against the
commands of God. Samson could not disobey God and go unpunished 10. However, it is his
continuous actions of defiance that made him to be destroyed. God did not punish him at any
point. He was responsible for his death because he did not follow the simple instructions he had
been given by God from the start.
Samson was given a second chance by God after he prayed for it. Even though Samson
had gone against the will of God, God was merciful, and he gave him a second chance even
though it was during his last moments. God gave him strength and he was able to kill thousands
of Philistines. The number of Philistines he murdered in that single scenario was much more than
the number he had killed in his entire life. It was a demonstration of the potential Samson had
but did not use it for the glory of God. Although he did not please God, we get to know that God
is merciful, and he is fast in forgiving when one repents. Samson had recognized his mistakes
when it was too late. God was merciful to him, and he was given back his strength although his
hair was no more. This scenario also indicates that God does the impossible things. Even though
Samson did not have hair that was the source of his strength, he managed to kill thousands of
Philistines after he had prayed for one more chance. The Philistines thought that Samson could

10

Martin, Emmrich. Deliverance Anticipated. "The Symbolism of the Lion and the Bees:

Samson Cycle." Journal-Evangelical Theological Society 44, no. 1 (2001): 67-74.

Another Ironic Twist in the

10

not be able to kill since they had destroyed his source of power. However, they were proved
wrong because the God that had destined great things for Samson is a God of impossibilities11.

Conclusion
Samson had been ordained by God before he was even born and he was to be the person
who would deliver the Israelites from the rule of the Philistines. It is evident that Samson is
destined for great things because his birth was a miracle. The instructions that the angel of the
Lord gave to the mother were clear indication that the son that was to be born would be used for
Gods purpose. However, Samson was disobedient as well as lustful. He did not follow the
commands of God and this led to his downfall. His lust for women made him marry a Philistine
who was an enemy to the Israelites. As a result of his lust, he told Delilah where his strength was,
and was eventually killed. The literary and theological analysis of the story of Samson is useful
in explaining all the important aspects that surrounded his story. It is a story that the audience can
understand easily; hence, the theological and literary analysis is easy to comprehend.

Bibliography
Chisholm Jr, Robert B. "Identity Crisis: Assessing Samson's Birth and Career."." Bibliotheca
Sacra 166, no. 662 (2009): 147-62.

11

Klaas, Spronk. "Sanctioning Samson: Do Old Testament Stories About Violence Make Sense Today? Some Answers From

The Perspective Of Redaction Criticism And History Of

In Quest Of a Shared Meaning 32 (2008): 169.

Research." African and European Readers of the Bible in Dialogue:

11

Emmrich, Martin. Deliverance Anticipated. "The Symbolism of the Lion and the Bees:
Another Ironic Twist in the Samson Cycle." Journal-Evangelical Theological Society 44,
no. 1 (2001): 67-74.
Foster, Stuart J. "Judges 14: 4-Yahweh uses Samson to provoke the Philistines." Old Testament
Essays 25, no. 2 (2012): 292-302.
Galpaz-Feller, Pnina. Samson: The Hero And The Man: The Story Of Samson (Judges 13-16).
Vol. 7. Bern: Peter Lang, 2006.
Myles, Robert J. "Terminating Samson: the Sarah Connor Chronicles and the Rise of New
Biblical Meaning." Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception 1, no. 2 (2012): 329-50.
Schipper, Jeremy. "Narrative Obscurity of Samsons in Judges 14.14 and 18." Journal for the
Study of the Old Testament 27, no. 3 (2003): 339-353.
Spronk, Klaas. "Sanctioning Samson: Do Old Testament Stories About Violence Make Sense
Today? Some Answers From The Perspective Of Redaction Criticism And History Of
Research." African and European Readers of the Bible in Dialogue: In Quest Of a
Shared

Meaning 32 (2008): 169.

Weitzman, Steve. "The Samson story as border fiction." Biblical Interpretation 10, no. 2 (2002):
158-174.
Weldon, Fay. "Samson and his women." Out of the garden: Women writers on the Bible (1995):
72-81.
Wittreich, Joseph Anthony. Interpreting Samson Agonistes. Princeton: Princeton University
Press, 2014.