Samson

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Hebrew Shimshon (“sun-like,” from shemesh, “sun”), a personal name used in Israelite tradition
• Period/Era: Divided Kingdom (Judges period, pre-monarchy)
• Main References: Judges 13–16
• Key Connections: Manoah and his unnamed wife; the tribe of Dan; the Philistines; Delilah

Who was Samson?

Samson was an Israelite judge from Dan whose birth was announced by the angel of the LORD.
He was consecrated as a Nazirite from the womb, marked by restrictions including uncut hair.
His judgeship unfolded amid Israel’s oppression by the Philistines, with repeated clashes along the border regions.

Key Events & Achievements

• Event 1: Announced and set apart as a Nazirite deliverer before birth, with specific consecration requirements (Judges 13).
• Event 2: Struck Philistine forces in a series of retaliatory conflicts, including the killing of a thousand with a donkey’s jawbone (Judges 14–15).
• Event 3: Betrayed and captured, he brought down the Philistine temple in his final act, killing many leaders and himself (Judges 16).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Samson’s life portrays how Israel’s deliverance in the Judges era could occur through a consecrated leader whose actions also exposed personal vulnerability.

Key Verse

"Then Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines.' Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it." — Judges 16:30, ESV