In brief
Samson is a judge of Israel from the tribe of Dan, in the days when the Philistines rule the people for forty years. An angel announces his birth to parents who had no children, and he is set apart for God from the womb. The Spirit of Yahweh makes him capable of feats against the Philistines, but his desires and compromises lead to the loss of his strength with Delilah. He dies calling on God one last time, after judging Israel twenty years.
What does the name Samson mean?
His Hebrew name is generally linked to the word for the sun. The Bible gives no explanation of it, but it stresses his consecration as a Nazirite, announced before his birth (Judges 13:5).
The story of Samson
A Birth Announced
Judges 13An angel of Yahweh appears to the wife of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, who is barren. He announces a son set apart for God from the womb, who will begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines. No razor is to touch his head, and the woman must abstain from wine and from anything unclean.
The Lion and the Woman of Timnah
Judges 14Samson sees a woman among the Philistines at Timnah and asks his parents to get her for him. On the way, a young lion roars at him: the Spirit of Yahweh comes on Samson, who tears it apart with nothing in his hand. Later he finds honey in the lion’s carcass and makes it a riddle at his wedding feast.
Burning Foxes and Victory at Lehi
Judges 15When his father-in-law gives his wife to another man, Samson sets three hundred foxes loose with torches in the Philistines’ grain. They burn his wife and her father, Samson takes revenge, then the Philistines march against Judah. The men of Judah hand him over bound, but the Spirit of Yahweh comes on him and he strikes down a great number of enemies.
Delilah and the Secret of His Strength
Judges 16:1-20After Gaza, Samson loves a woman in the valley of Sorek named Delilah. The lords of the Philistines promise her silver if she discovers the secret of his strength. After three lies, pressed every day, he opens his whole heart to her: he is set apart for God and no razor has touched his head. She has him shaved while he sleeps.
Prison, Prayer and Death
Judges 16:21-31The Philistines imprison him in Gaza, put out his eyes and make him grind at the mill. His hair begins to grow again. At a feast of Dagon, he is brought out to entertain them. He calls on Yahweh for strength one last time, grasps the pillars of the house and brings it down on the Philistines and on himself.
What Samson teaches us
- A great anointing does not protect someone who plays with their weak points and makes light of their compromises.
- What you hide out of shame or desire can become the very place where the enemy takes you.
- Choices of the heart, like friendships and loves, weigh on your mission as much as your talents do.
- God stays faithful to his plan despite Samson’s failures, but that does not erase the price of his mistakes.
- It is never too late to call on Yahweh: Samson regains strength in prayer, at the worst moment.
Key verses
No razor will touch his head, because the boy will be set apart for God from the womb, and he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. This is the promise that defines his calling.
Samson tells Delilah everything in his heart and says that no razor has touched his head, because he is set apart for God. He declares that if he is shaved, his strength will leave him. He gives away what he should have protected.
“Lord Yahweh, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God.” Blind and captive, Samson returns to God, and prayer marks the end of his story.
Sermons about Samson
Frequently asked questions
Why did Samson have long hair?
Samson was set apart for God as a Nazirite from the womb, and no razor was to touch his head (Judges 13:5). His hair was the sign of that consecration. It was not the hair that gave him strength, but the Spirit of Yahweh, to whom he had been consecrated.
What does the name Samson mean?
His Hebrew name is generally linked to the word for the sun. The Bible offers no explanation of the name. It stresses his mission: he was to begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and he judged Israel twenty years (Judges 15:20; 16:31).
Where can I find the story of Samson in the Bible?
The story of Samson is in the book of Judges, chapters 13 to 16. Chapter 13 tells of the announcement of his birth, chapters 14 and 15 his feats against the Philistines, and chapter 16 tells of his downfall with Delilah and then his death.