Facts About Samson In The Bible: All About The Last Judge And His Life

In ancient Israel, Samson is mentioned as the last judge.

Before there was the monarchy, there was the rule of judges in Israel. The story of Samson is present in the Hebrew Bible.

According to the Bible, Samson was a Nazirite. According to the New Testament, he had the help of the strong armies of Israel to defeat his enemies. According to popular culture in the Old Testament, he was known for his incredible strength.

For defeating a lion with his bare hands. He was also known to use a donkey's jawbone to massacre 1000 men. Samson had long hair, and if they were cut, he would lose the vow of Nazirite.

Samson had immense strength. Samson had fallen in love with a Philistine woman.

Her name was Delilah, she was from Sorek Valley. Samson loved Delilah, who betrayed him afterward. She cuts his hair while he was sleeping, and he loses his strength.

He is taken over to Philistine and is imprisoned, and made to grind grain in the prison. Samson's eyes were gauged. While in imprisonment, his hair starts to grow.

Samson prayed to the Lord, to restore his strength. He stood in between two pillars of the temple and there he regained his strength. Samson died in the temple of Philistine god Dagon of Gaza with all the Philistines.

Role And Duty Of Samson In Bible

Samson belonged to the Dan tribe and was a well-known biblical figure. His immense strength came from his uncut and long hair.

He used that to defeat the Philistines for 20 years. It was said that he was raised by God and was a gift to the Israelites. When the Philistines oppressed the Israelites, Samson defended them.

The secret behind Samson's strength was unknown to his enemies. Some say that Samson's story is just a legend, but there are some historical events related to it. Samson was born to a Danite man.

His name was Manoah. Manoah's wife was a barren woman, and could not give birth to a child.

Samson's father Manoah had lost hope that he would ever bear a child. Then an angel came and he told that Samson's mother will soon have a son.

Samson's birth bears resemblance to Jesus' birth, as their mothers were given the news of their birth through Angel of the God. The name Samson means 'Sun' or 'child of the Sun.' His life was a blessing by God and his parents devoted him to the lord.

The Story Of Samson In The Bible Samson's Weakness

Samson's weakness was his hair. His hair contained all the strength and he had made a pact with God that the razor would never touch his hair.

Samson's story starts with his trip to Philistine. Samson wanted to marry a Philistine woman when he went to visit Philistia.

On the way he fought a lion, that's when he discovered his strength. He was betrothed to that woman.

Again on the way, he found honey in the carcass of the lion that he killed. When he comes back again for the wedding, he gives a riddle based on the fight with the lion to 30 Philistines who were his groomsman at his wedding feast.

30 pieces of fine linen and garments were the stakes of this bet. The Philistines could not solve it and were very angry at him. They threatened her and her family, that they would burn Samson's wife if she does not obtain the answer from her husband.

Samson's wife asked him the answer to the riddle, and he gave it to her. The groomsman answered Samson back the next day.

Also, in a fit of rage, Samson killed them all, as they threatened his wife's family and also returned back to his home. After some time, when he comes to visit his wife, her father already betrothed her to one of the groomsmen.

Samson was very angry and burned the olive gardens of Philistines. Philistines then put to death Samson's wife and father to law by burning them.

The Philistines told the people of Judah to hand them Samson without taking his life. The Israelites handed them Samson, and Samson, later on, defeated the whole army of Philistines.

Why did Delilah betray Samson?

Samson met Delilah in the Valley of Sorek. He fell in love with Delilah.

Delilah was given 1,100 silver coins so that she could find the reason behind the strength of Samson. She asked him three times, and Samson refused to answer her.

The first time she asked, he told her that he would lose his strength if he was bound with fresh bowstrings. The second time he said he would become weak if he was bound with new ropes, and the third time he said that if his locks were woven in a loom he would lose his strength.

After three times, he gives up and tells her the truth. While he was sleeping, Delilah cuts his hair and he becomes powerless.

The story of Samson is also mentioned in the book of Samuel. Also in the Book of Judges (chapters 13-16). Samson initially and often used his power for abuse, rather than bringing glory to the Lord.

When he was imprisoned by the Philistines, he recognized how helpless he was. Samson was taken to the temple. He started growing his hair in imprisonment.

He used to operate a machine to grind grain. He said to a servant boy in the temple to put him between two pillars.

He prayed to the lord out of faith. God gave him strength and he took down the entire temple. This caused the death of Philistines presenting the temple and was also the cause of Samson's death.