Difference between revisions of "Samson" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
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==Biblical story==
 
==Biblical story==
  
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{{Book of Judges}}
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===Annuciation and Birth===
 
Samson is the last of "judges" mentioned in the Book of Judges, and his story is by far the longest of them. The story begins with a "man of God" appearing to Samson's mother. (The narrator informs us that he is an angel, but Samson's parents do not seem to know this at first.) Following the pattern of several other biblical women — [[Sarah]], [[Hannah]], and [[Mary]] the Mother of Jesus in the New Testament — the unnamed woman is childless. The angel predicts that, even though she is sterile, she will have a son "who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." (Judges 13:7)In accordance with [[Nazarite|Nazaritic]] requirements, she is to abstain from all alcoholic beverages and all unclean (not kosher) meat, and her promised child is never to shave or cut his hair. In due time the son, Samson, is born; and he is reared according to these provisions.
 
Samson is the last of "judges" mentioned in the Book of Judges, and his story is by far the longest of them. The story begins with a "man of God" appearing to Samson's mother. (The narrator informs us that he is an angel, but Samson's parents do not seem to know this at first.) Following the pattern of several other biblical women — [[Sarah]], [[Hannah]], and [[Mary]] the Mother of Jesus in the New Testament — the unnamed woman is childless. The angel predicts that, even though she is sterile, she will have a son "who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." (Judges 13:7)In accordance with [[Nazarite|Nazaritic]] requirements, she is to abstain from all alcoholic beverages and all unclean (not kosher) meat, and her promised child is never to shave or cut his hair. In due time the son, Samson, is born; and he is reared according to these provisions.
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===Samson's Philistine Wife===
  
 
When he becomes a young man, Samson visited the town of Timnah, where he became infatuated with a Philistine woman. His parents object to the match, but recluctantly agree to accompany him to Timnah to arrange it. On they the way to visit her, Samson is attacked by a lion and kills it with his bare hands. This is the first of his many amazing feats of strength. When he returns later to marry her, Samson notices that bees have nested in the carcass of the lion and have made honey. He eats a handful of the honey and gives some to his parents.
 
When he becomes a young man, Samson visited the town of Timnah, where he became infatuated with a Philistine woman. His parents object to the match, but recluctantly agree to accompany him to Timnah to arrange it. On they the way to visit her, Samson is attacked by a lion and kills it with his bare hands. This is the first of his many amazing feats of strength. When he returns later to marry her, Samson notices that bees have nested in the carcass of the lion and have made honey. He eats a handful of the honey and gives some to his parents.
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When Samson returns to Timnah at harvest time, he finds that his father-in-law has given his wife to another, apparently one of Samson's Philistine companions. Her father refuses to allow him to see her, and wishes to give Samson the younger sister. Samson retaliates by attaching torches to the tails of three hundred foxes, leaving the panicked beasts to run through the Philistine fields and vineyards, thus burning them and ruining the precious crops. The Philistines take revenge by burning Samson's wife and father-in-law to death. Not to be outdone, Samson slaughters many more Philistines, smiting them "hip and thigh."
 
When Samson returns to Timnah at harvest time, he finds that his father-in-law has given his wife to another, apparently one of Samson's Philistine companions. Her father refuses to allow him to see her, and wishes to give Samson the younger sister. Samson retaliates by attaching torches to the tails of three hundred foxes, leaving the panicked beasts to run through the Philistine fields and vineyards, thus burning them and ruining the precious crops. The Philistines take revenge by burning Samson's wife and father-in-law to death. Not to be outdone, Samson slaughters many more Philistines, smiting them "hip and thigh."
  
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Samson then takes refugein a cave in the rock of [[Etam]]. An army of Philistines went up and demanded from 3,000 men of [[Tribe of Judah|Judah]] to deliver them Samson. With Samson's consent, they tie him with two new ropes and are about to hand him over to the Philistines when he breaks free. Using the jawbone of a donkey, he slays one thousand Philistines. At the conclusion of ''Judges'' 15 it is said that "Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines."
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Samson then takes refuge in a cave in the rock of Etam. An force of 3,000 men from the [[Tribe of Judah]], being a vassal of the Philistines in whose territory Samson is hiding, agree to a Philistine demand to deliver Samson to them. Samson allows them to tie him with two new ropes. They are about to hand him over to the Philistines when the spirit of Yahweh comes upon him again, and he breaks free. Using the jawbone of a donkey, he slays 1,000 Philistines.
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[[Image:Francesco Morone 001.jpg|thumb|left|Samson and Delilah, by Francesco Morone]]
 
  
 
Later, Samson goes to [[Gaza]] where he stays with a prostitute. His enemies wait at the gate of the city to ambush him, but he rips the gate up and carries it to "the hill that is in front of [[Hebron]]."
 
Later, Samson goes to [[Gaza]] where he stays with a prostitute. His enemies wait at the gate of the city to ambush him, but he rips the gate up and carries it to "the hill that is in front of [[Hebron]]."
  
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He then falls in love with [[Delilah]] at the [[Brook of Sorek]]. The Philistines approach Delilah and induce her to try to find the secret of Samson's strength. Samson tells her that he can be bound with fresh bowstrings. She does so while he sleeps, but when he wakes up he snaps the strings. She persists, and he tells her he can be bound with new ropes. She binds him with new ropes while he sleeps, and he snaps them, too. She asks again, and he says he can be bound if his locks are woven together. She weaves them together, but he undoes them when he wakes. Eventually Samson tells Delilah that he will lose his strength at the loss of his [[hair]]. Delilah calls for a servant to shave Samson's seven locks. Since that breaks the Nazarite oath, Yahweh leaves him, and Samson is captured by the Philistines. They gouge out his eyes. After being blinded, Samson is brought to Gaza, imprisoned, and put to work grinding grain.
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===Samson and Deliah===
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Continuing the them of his fatal attraction to the wrong type of women, Samson then falls in love with the beautiful [[Delilah]]. Hearing of this, the Philistines approach Delilah and induce her to try to find the secret of Samson's strength. Three times he falsely informs her to bind him in various ways; three times she does so; and three times he escapes her trap. Eventually Samson tells Delilah the that he will lose his strength if his hair is cut. Delilah calls for a servant to shave Samson's seven locks while he sleeps. The story indicates that Samson probably thinks this, too, will not work. But since he has allowed his mother's oath to be broken, Yahweh now leaves him. Samson is promptly captured by the Philistines. They gouge out his eyes. Samson is brought to the Philistine city of Gaza, imprisoned, and put to work grinding grain.
  
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One day the Philistine leaders assemble in a temple for a religious sacrifice to [[Dagon]], their god, for having delivered Samson into their hands. They summon Samson so that he may entertain them. Three thousand more men and women gather on the roof to watch. Once inside the temple, Samson asks the servant who is leading him to the temple's central pillars if he may lean against them.
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Later, the Philistine leaders assemble in a temple for a religious sacrifice to their god, [[Dagon]], in gratitude for having delivered Samson into their hands. They summon Samson so that he may entertain them. Three thousand additional people gather on the roof to watch. Once inside the temple, Samson asks the servant who is leading him to the temple's central pillars if he may lean against them.
  
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:"Then Samson prayed to the [[Yahweh|Lord]], 'O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.' (''Judges'' 16:28)." "Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines!' (''Judges'' 16:30) Down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more as he died than while he lived." (''Judges'' 16:30).  
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:Then Samson prayed to the [[Yahweh|Lord]], "O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes..." Down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more as he died than while he lived." (''Judges'' 16:28-30).  
  
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After his death, Samson's family recovers his body from the rubble and buries him near the tomb of his father Manoah.
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After his death, Samson's family recovers his body from the rubble and buries him near the tomb of his father Manoah. He is reported to have judged Israel for 20 years.
  
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===Deuteronomist's prologue===
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===Assessment===
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According to the [[documentary hypothesis]], the first verse of the Samson story is an addition by the composer of the [[Deuteronomist|D source]] in the 7th century B.C.E. The original Samson story didn’t include this verse.
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While Samson's story is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining in the Bible, he can hardly be called a successful judge. None of his victories are lasting, and they all seem to be based on personal revenge rather than out of patriotic motivation. He does not unite the Israelites, or even his own tribe of Dan. Time and again, he is deceived by beautiful women. While his acts of revenge are heroic, the do not seem particularly noble.
  
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:Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. Judges 13:1
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The Jewish Encyclopedia concludes its article on Samson with the following:
  
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The original story portrays Samson’s mission as beginning the liberation of the Israelites (Judges 13:5). [[The Lord]] uses Samson to strike at the Philistines. But the prologue says that the Philistines were doing the will of the Lord. This verse reflects the characteristic Israelite concept that the nation’s victories and defeats were both by the will of the Lord.
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:Ch. xvi. records the disgraceful and disastrous end of Samson. His actions at Gaza display his strength and also his fascination for Philistine women. The final and fatal episode, in which Delilah betrays him to his enemies, is similar in its beginnings to the art practised by the Timnitess. Samson's revenge at the feast of Dagon was the end of a life that was full of tragic events. Despite his heroic deeds he does not seem to have rid his people of the oppression of the Philistines; his single-handed combats were successful, but they did not extricate Israel from Philistine tyranny.
  
 
==In rabbinic literature==
 
==In rabbinic literature==
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[[Rabbinical literature]] identifies Samson with [[Bedan]]; Bedan was a Judge mentioned by [[Samuel]] in his farewell address ([[Books of Samuel|1 Samuel]] 12:11) among the Judges that delivered Israel from their enemies. However, the name "Bedan" is not found in the Book of Judges. The name "Samson" is derived from ''shemesh'' (= "[[sun]]"), so that Samson bore the name of God, who is also "a sun and shield" ([[Psalms]] 84:12). As God protected Israel, so did Samson watch over it in his generation, judging the people even as did God. Samson's strength was divinely derived (Talmud, Tractate Sotah 10a]). Samson resembled God in requiring neither aid nor help (''[[Midrash Genesis Rabbah]]'' xcviii. 18).
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Rabbinical literature gives varied and sometimes conflicting additional information about Samuel. In the Talmudic period, as today, many Jews seem to have been skeptical about whether Samson was an historic figure. He was regarded by some as a purely mythological figure. This opinion was considered heretical by some the rabbis of the Talmud.
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One tradition identifies him with Bedan, a judge mentioned by [[Samuel]] in his farewell address ([[Books of Samuel|1 Samuel]] 12:11). The name "Samson" is derived from ''shemesh'' ("sun"), and thus another rabbinical opinion compares his strength to the power of the sun, which, like Samson's, was derived from God. (Talmud, Tractate Sotah 10a]).
  
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Jewish legend records that Samson's shoulders were sixty [[ell]]s broad. He was lame in both feet (Talmud ''Sotah'' 10a), but when the spirit of God came upon him he could step with one stride from [[Zorah]] to [[Eshtaol]], while the hairs of his head arose and clashed against one another so that they could be heard for a like distance (''Midrash Lev. Rabbah'' viii. 2). Samson was said to be so strong that he could uplift two mountains and rub them together like two [[wiktionary:clod|clod]]s of earth (ibid.; ''Sotah'' 9b), yet his superhuman strength, like [[Goliath]]'s, brought woe upon its possessor (''Midrash Eccl. Rabbah'' i., end).
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One legend records that Samsonwas lame in both feet (Talmud ''Sotah'' 10a), but when the spirit of God came upon him he could cover several kilometers with one stride. His hair itself was magical, in that his individual hairs clashed against one another and could be heard for miles (''Midrash Lev. Rabbah'' viii. 2). Samson was so strong that he could lift two mountains and rub them together like two clods of earth (''Sotah'' 9b). Yet, his superhuman strength, like [[Goliath]]'s, brought him no happiness (''Midrash Eccl. Rabbah'' i).
  
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In licentiousness he is compared with [[Amnon]] and [[Zimri]], both of whom were punished for their sins (''Lev. R''. xxiii. 9). Samson's eyes were put out because he had "followed them" too often (''Sotah'' l.c.). It is said that in the twenty years during which Samson judged Israel he never required the least service from an Israelite (''Midrash Numbers Rabbah'' ix. 25), and he piously refrained from taking the name of God in vain. Therefore, as soon as he told Delilah that he was a Nazarite of God she immediately knew that he had spoken the truth (''Sotah'' l.c.). When he pulled down the temple of Dagon and killed himself and the Philistines the structure fell backward, so that he was not crushed, his family being thus enabled to find his body and to bury it in the tomb of his father (''Midrash Gen. Rabbah'' l.c. § 19). In the Talmudic period many seem to have denied that Samson was an historic figure; he was apparently regarded as a purely mythological personage. This was viewed as heretical by the rabbis of the Talmud, and they refuted this view.
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In licentiousness he is compared with King David's son [[Amnon]] and the evil Israelite King [[Zimri]], both of whom were punished for their sins (''Lev. R''. xxiii. 9). Samson's eyes were put out because he "followed them" too often (''Sotah'' l.c.).
  
 
==Other cultural references==
 
==Other cultural references==
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===Israeli culture===
 
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"[T]he figure of "Samson the hero" played a role in the construction of Zionist collective memory, and in building the identity of the 'new Jew' who leaves behind exilic helplessness for Israeli self-determination," Benjamin Balint, a writer in Jerusalem, has written. [[Vladimir Jabotinsky]] (1880&ndash;1940), the founder of Revisionist [[Zionism]] wrote a 1926 novel in Russian (English translation in 1930), ''Samson'' in which the author makes Samson an assimilated Jew attracted by the surrounding, more sophisticated (and un-philistine) Philistine culture. Some important Twentieth century [[Hebrew]] poems have also been written about the Bible hero. More recently, elite Israeli combat units have been named "Samson", and the Israeli nuclear program was called the "Samson Option".<ref name=balent>Balent, Benjamin, "Eyeless in Israel: Biblical metaphor and the Jewish state," review of ''Lion's Honey: The Myth of Soloman,'' by David Grossman, ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'', [[October 30]], [[2006]], pages 35&ndash;36</ref>
 
  
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Noam Chomsky and others have said Israel suffers from a "Samson complex" which could lead to the destruction of itself as well as its Arab enemies.<ref name=balent/>
 
  
 
===Literature===
 
===Literature===
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===Art===
 
===Art===
 
===Art===
  
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Samson has been a popular subject for paintings:<ref>[http://www.textweek.com/art/samson.htm] "The Text This Week
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Samson has been a popular subject for paintings:<ref>http://www.textweek.com/art/samson.htm "The Text This Week
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Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources" Web site, Web page titled "Links to Images of Samson",, accessed [[November 2]], [[2006]]</ref>
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Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources" Web site, Web page titled "Links to Images of Samson",, accessed November 2, 2006</ref>
  
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*[[Alexander Anderson]], ''Samson Fighting the Lion'', ca. 1800 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Alexander Anderson, ''Samson Fighting the Lion'', ca. 1800 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
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*[[Jean Audran]], after [[F. Verdier]], ''The Burial of Samson'', ca. 1700 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Jean Audran, after F. Verdier, ''The Burial of Samson'', ca. 1700 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
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*[[Giovanni Francesco Barbieri]] (Guercino), ''Samson and the Honeycomb'', ca. 1657 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Guercino), ''Samson and the Honeycomb'', ca. 1657 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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*[[Niccolu Boldrini]], after [[Titian]], ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1540-1545, [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Niccolu Boldrini, after Titian, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1540-1545, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
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*[[Boucicaut Master]], ''Samson and the Lion'', 1415, [[Getty Museum]]
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*Boucicaut Master, ''Samson and the Lion'', 1415, Getty Museum  
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*[[Hans Burgkmair the Elder]], ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1500 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Hans Burgkmair the Elder, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1500 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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*[[Lovis Corinth]], ''Samson Blinded'', 1912
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*Lovis Corinth, ''Samson Blinded'', 1912
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*[[Giuseppe Caletti]] ([[Il Cremonese]]), ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1625 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Giuseppe Caletti (Il Cremonese), ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1625 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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*[[Lucas Cranach the Elder]], ''Samson and Delilah'', 1529  
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*Lucas Cranach the Elder, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1529  
 
**''Samson's Fight with the Lion'', 1520-25  
 
**''Samson's Fight with the Lion'', 1520-25  
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*[[Salomon de Bray]], ''Samson with the Jawbone'', 1636 [[Getty Museum]]
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*Salomon de Bray, ''Samson with the Jawbone'', 1636 Getty Museum  
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*[[Gerard de Jode]], ''Samson Tying the Firebrands to the Foxes' Tails'', ca. 1550 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Gerard de Jode, ''Samson Tying the Firebrands to the Foxes' Tails'', ca. 1550 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
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*[[Etienne Delaune]], ''Samson Setting Fire to the Wheat of the Philistines'', ca. 1575 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]  
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*Etienne Delaune, ''Samson Setting Fire to the Wheat of the Philistines'', ca. 1575 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
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* [[H.B.]] ([[John Doyle]]), ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1800 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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[[Image:Francesco Morone 001.jpg|thumb|250px|Samson and Delilah, by Francesco Morone]]
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*[[Gustave Doré]], ''Death of Samson'', 1865  
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* H.B. (John Doyle), ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1800 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
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*Gustave Doré, ''Death of Samson'', 1865  
 
**''Samson and Delilah'', 1865
 
**''Samson and Delilah'', 1865
 
**''Samson Carrying Away the Gates of Gaza'', 1865  
 
**''Samson Carrying Away the Gates of Gaza'', 1865  
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**''Samson Fighting with the Lion'', ca. 1496  
 
**''Samson Fighting with the Lion'', ca. 1496  
 
**''Samson Slaying a Lion'', 1865
 
**''Samson Slaying a Lion'', 1865
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*[[Albrecht Dürer]], ''Delilah Cuts Samson's Hair'', 1493
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*Albrecht Dürer, ''Delilah Cuts Samson's Hair'', 1493
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*[[Josephus Farmer]], ''Samson'', 1982, [[Smithsonian American Art Museum]]
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*Josephus Farmer, ''Samson'', 1982, Smithsonian American Art Museum  
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*[[Philip Galle]], ''Samson Fighting the Lion'', ca. 1600 [[Lutheran Brotherhood's Collection of Religious Art]]
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*Philip Galle, ''Samson Fighting the Lion'', ca. 1600 Lutheran Brotherhood's Collection of Religious Art  
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*[[Luca Giordano]], ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1675 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Luca Giordano, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1675 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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*[[Guercin]], ''Samson Captured by the Philistines''   
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*Guercin, ''Samson Captured by the Philistines''   
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*[[Reinhold Hoberg]], ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1900 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Reinhold Hoberg, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1900 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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*[[Lord Frederic Leighton]], Illustrations for [[Dalziel's Bible Gallery]], 1881, [[Tate Gallery]]:  
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*Lord Frederic Leighton, Illustrations for Dalziel's Bible Gallery, 1881, Tate Gallery:  
 
**''Samson and the Lion''
 
**''Samson and the Lion''
 
**''Samson Carrying the Gates''
 
**''Samson Carrying the Gates''
 
**''Samson at the Mill''  
 
**''Samson at the Mill''  
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*[[Andrea Mantegna]], ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1500  
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*Andrea Mantegna, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1500  
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*[[Jacob Matham]] after [[Peter Paul Rubens]], ''Samson and Delilah'', 1613  
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*Jacob Matham after Peter Paul Rubens, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1613  
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*[[Matthaeus Merian the Elder]], 1625-30, ''Samson and Delilah''  
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*Matthaeus Merian the Elder, 1625-30, ''Samson and Delilah''  
 
**''Samson and the Gates''
 
**''Samson and the Gates''
 
**''Samson's Strange Weapon''
 
**''Samson's Strange Weapon''
 
**''Samson Slays a Lion''  
 
**''Samson Slays a Lion''  
 
*[[Michelangelo]], ''Samson and Two Philistines'', ca. 1530-50  
 
*[[Michelangelo]], ''Samson and Two Philistines'', ca. 1530-50  
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*[[Aureliano Milani]], ''Samson Slaying the Philistines'', 1720 [[National Gallery]], Canada  
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*Aureliano Milani, ''Samson Slaying the Philistines'', 1720 National Gallery, Canada  
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*[[Erasmus Quellinus]], ''Samson Killing the Lion'', ca. 1650 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Francesco Morone, ''Samson and Delilah''
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*[[Archie Rand]], ''Samson'', contemporary [[Bernice Steinbaum Gallery]]
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*Erasmus Quellinus, ''Samson Killing the Lion'', ca. 1650 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
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*[[Guido Reni]], ''The Triumph of Samson'', 1611-12   
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*Archie Rand, ''Samson'', contemporary Bernice Steinbaum Gallery  
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*[[Rembrandt van Rijn]], ''The Blinding of Samson'', 1636  
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*Guido Reni, ''The Triumph of Samson'', 1611-12   
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*[[Rembrandt]] van Rijn, ''The Blinding of Samson'', 1636  
 
**''Delilah Calls the Philistines'', ca. 1655  
 
**''Delilah Calls the Philistines'', ca. 1655  
 
**''The Sacrifice of Menoah'', 1641
 
**''The Sacrifice of Menoah'', 1641
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**''Samson Betrayed by Delilah'', 1629-30
 
**''Samson Betrayed by Delilah'', 1629-30
 
**''Samson Putting Forth His Riddles at the Wedding Feast'', 1638
 
**''Samson Putting Forth His Riddles at the Wedding Feast'', 1638
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*[[Kirk Richards]], ''Delilah'', 1997  
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*Kirk Richards, ''Delilah'', 1997  
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*[[Paul Roorda]], ''Samson'', contemporary  
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*Paul Roorda, ''Samson'', contemporary  
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*[[Peter Paul Rubens]], ''The Death of Samson'', ca. 1605 [[Getty Museum]]
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*Peter Paul Rubens, ''The Death of Samson'', ca. 1605 Getty Museum  
 
**''Samson is Seized'', 1609-10  
 
**''Samson is Seized'', 1609-10  
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*[[Jacob Savery I]], ''Samson Wrestling with the Lion'', (after), ca. 1595 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Jacob Savery I, ''Samson Wrestling with the Lion'', (after), ca. 1595 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
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*[[Hans Leonhard Schaufelein]], ''Samson Destroying the Temple'', Fifteenth to Sixteenth centuries [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Hans Leonhard Schaufelein, ''Samson Destroying the Temple'', Fifteenth to Sixteenth centuries Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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*[[Jan Steen]], ''Samson and Delilah'', 1667-70
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*Jan Steen, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1667-70
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*[[Matthias Stom]], ''Samson and Delilah'', 1630s  
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*Matthias Stom, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1630s  
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*[[James Tissot]], 1896-1900. [[Christian Theological Seminary]], Indianapolis, ''Samson Breaks His Cords''  
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*James Tissot, 1896-1900. Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, ''Samson Breaks His Cords''  
 
**''Samson Kills a Young Lion''  
 
**''Samson Kills a Young Lion''  
 
**''Samson Puts Down the Pillars''
 
**''Samson Puts Down the Pillars''
 
**''Samson Slays a Thousand Men''
 
**''Samson Slays a Thousand Men''
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*[[Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld]], 1851-60' [[World Mission Collection]], ''The Death of Samson''  
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*Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1851-60' World Mission Collection, ''The Death of Samson''  
 
**''Samson Kills the Lion''  
 
**''Samson Kills the Lion''  
 
**''Samson Kills the Philistines''  
 
**''Samson Kills the Philistines''  
 
**''Samson is Seized''  
 
**''Samson is Seized''  
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*[[Christiaen vanCouwenbergh]], ''The Capture of Samson'', 1630  
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*Christiaen vanCouwenbergh, ''The Capture of Samson'', 1630  
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*Sir [[Anthony Van Dyck]], ''Samson and Delilah'', 1620  
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*Sir Anthony Van Dyck, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1620  
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*[[Gerrit van Honthorst]], ''Samson and Delilah'',  ca. 1615  
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*Gerrit van Honthorst, ''Samson and Delilah'',  ca. 1615  
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*[[Israhel van Meckenem the Younger]], ''Samson and the Lion'', ca. 1475 [[National Gallery of Art]]
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*Israhel van Meckenem the Younger, ''Samson and the Lion'', ca. 1475 National Gallery of Art  
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*[[Frans van den Wyngaerde]], ''Samson Killing the Lion'', ca. 1650 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
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*Frans van den Wyngaerde, ''Samson Killing the Lion'', ca. 1650 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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*[[Claes Jansz Visscher the Elder]], ''Delilah Cutting Samson's Hair'', ca. 1610. [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
+
*Claes Jansz Visscher the Elder, ''Delilah Cutting Samson's Hair'', ca. 1610. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco  
−
*[[Les Drysdale]], ''Samson'', contemporary  
+
*Les Drysdale, ''Samson'', contemporary  
  
 
'''Anonymous:'''
 
'''Anonymous:'''
−
*''Samson Destroying the Pillars of the Philistine Temple'', ca. 1600 [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
+
*''Samson Destroying the Pillars of the Philistine Temple'', ca. 1600 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
−
*Display Cabinet (with figure of Delilah cutting Samson's Hair), 1620s [[Getty Museum]].  
+
*Display Cabinet (with figure of Delilah cutting Samson's Hair), 1620s Getty Museum.  
−
* ''The Women at the Tomb'' (with scene from Samson and the Lion), Unknown German, c. 1170s. [[Getty Museum]]  
+
* ''The Women at the Tomb'' (with scene from Samson and the Lion), Unknown German, c. 1170s. Getty Museum   
−
*''Samson Destroys the Temple'', Unknown German [[Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco]]
+
*''Samson Destroys the Temple'', Unknown German Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  
 
==In popular culture==
 
==In popular culture==
Line 162: Line 167:
  
 
===Music===
 
===Music===
−
[[Handel]] wrote his oratorio ''Samson'' in 1743.
+
*[[Handel]] wrote his oratorio, ''Samson'', in 1743.
  
−
[[Camille Saint-Saëns]] wrote an [[opera]], ''Samson et Dalila'' between [[1868]] and [[1877]].
+
*Camille Saint-Saëns wrote the opera ''Samson et Dalila'' between 1868 and 1877.
  
 
Samson has also been the subject of numerous popular songs.
 
Samson has also been the subject of numerous popular songs.
  
−
Both the [[Grateful Dead]] and Peter, Paul and Mary coevered the song "Samson & Delilah," a traditional spiritual song learned from Reverend [[Gary Davis]]<ref>{{cite web
+
*Both the [[Grateful Dead]] and Peter, Paul and Mary recorded versions of the song "Samson & Delilah," a traditional spiritual number learned from Reverend [[Gary Davis]]
−
|title=Grateful Dead Lyric & Song Finder
 
−
|publisher=Lyrics for the traditional song "Samson & Delilah"
 
−
|url=http://www3.clearlight.com/~acsa/songfile/SAMSON.HTM#note1
 
−
}}</ref>.
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
Regina Spektor included a song titled "Samson" on her 2002 album ''Songs'' and on her 2006 album ''Begin to Hope' which tells his story story from the point of view of Delilah.
 
−
 
 
−
PJ Harvey's song "Hair" is also Samson and Delilah, similarly told in the voice of Delilah.
 
  
−
The song "Gouge Away" from the album ''Doolittle'' by the Pixies also retells the story of Samson.
+
*Regina Spektor wrong and recorded a song entitled "Samson" — included in her 2002 album ''Songs'' and n her 2006 album ''Begin to Hope'' — which tells Samson's story story from the point of view of Delilah.
  
 +
*PJ Harvey's song "Hair" is also about Samson and Delilah, similarly told in the voice of Delilah.
  
 +
*The song "Gouge Away" from the album ''Doolittle'', by the Pixies, also retells the story of Samson.
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==

Revision as of 05:59, 22 January 2007


Samson and Delilah, by Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641)
This article is about Biblical figure. For other uses of the term, see Samson (disambiguation).

Samson, Shimshon (Hebrew: שִׁמְשׁוֹן, Standard Šimšon Tiberian Šimšôn; meaning "of the sun" – perhaps proclaiming he was radiant and mighty, or "[One who] Serves [God]") or Shama'un (Arabic) is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Children of Israel mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanach. He is described in the Book of Judges chapters 13 to 16. Interestingly, while there are many common prophets in Jewish, Christian and Islamic discourse, stories about Samson are absent in narratives from the Quran, although some Muslims consider Samson a Prophet. Samson is something of a Herculean figure, utilizing massive strength to combat his enemies and perform heroic feats unachievable by ordinary men: wrestling a lion, slaying an entire army with nothing more than a donkey's jawbone, and tearing down an entire building.

Biblical story

Annuciation and Birth

Samson is the last of "judges" mentioned in the Book of Judges, and his story is by far the longest of them. The story begins with a "man of God" appearing to Samson's mother. (The narrator informs us that he is an angel, but Samson's parents do not seem to know this at first.) Following the pattern of several other biblical women — Sarah, Hannah, and Mary the Mother of Jesus in the New Testament — the unnamed woman is childless. The angel predicts that, even though she is sterile, she will have a son "who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." (Judges 13:7)In accordance with Nazaritic requirements, she is to abstain from all alcoholic beverages and all unclean (not kosher) meat, and her promised child is never to shave or cut his hair. In due time the son, Samson, is born; and he is reared according to these provisions.

Samson's Philistine Wife

When he becomes a young man, Samson visited the town of Timnah, where he became infatuated with a Philistine woman. His parents object to the match, but recluctantly agree to accompany him to Timnah to arrange it. On they the way to visit her, Samson is attacked by a lion and kills it with his bare hands. This is the first of his many amazing feats of strength. When he returns later to marry her, Samson notices that bees have nested in the carcass of the lion and have made honey. He eats a handful of the honey and gives some to his parents.

At the wedding-feast, Samson proposes that he tell a riddle to his thirty groomsmen (all Philistines). If they can solve it, he will give them each a costly set of clothing and undergarments. On the other hand, if they cannot solve it, Samson will receive a like set of clothing from each of them. The riddle — "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet" — is a veiled account of his second encounter with the lion (at which only he was present). The Philistines are stumped by the riddle. They threaten Samson's new wife, saying they will burn her and her father's household if she does not discover the share the secret of the riddle. At the urgent and tearful imploring of his bride, Samson tells her the solution; and she tells it to the thirty groomsmen. When they solve his riddle, Samson flies into a rage, accusing them of "plowing with my heifer." Filled with the spirit of Yahweh, he goes to the city of Ashkelon, kills thirty Philistines there and presents their clothing to his his groomsmen back in Timnah. Still in a rage, he returns to his father's house, and his bride is given to the best man as his wife.

When Samson returns to Timnah at harvest time, he finds that his father-in-law has given his wife to another, apparently one of Samson's Philistine companions. Her father refuses to allow him to see her, and wishes to give Samson the younger sister. Samson retaliates by attaching torches to the tails of three hundred foxes, leaving the panicked beasts to run through the Philistine fields and vineyards, thus burning them and ruining the precious crops. The Philistines take revenge by burning Samson's wife and father-in-law to death. Not to be outdone, Samson slaughters many more Philistines, smiting them "hip and thigh."

Samson then takes refuge in a cave in the rock of Etam. An force of 3,000 men from the Tribe of Judah, being a vassal of the Philistines in whose territory Samson is hiding, agree to a Philistine demand to deliver Samson to them. Samson allows them to tie him with two new ropes. They are about to hand him over to the Philistines when the spirit of Yahweh comes upon him again, and he breaks free. Using the jawbone of a donkey, he slays 1,000 Philistines.

Later, Samson goes to Gaza where he stays with a prostitute. His enemies wait at the gate of the city to ambush him, but he rips the gate up and carries it to "the hill that is in front of Hebron."

Samson and Deliah

Continuing the them of his fatal attraction to the wrong type of women, Samson then falls in love with the beautiful Delilah. Hearing of this, the Philistines approach Delilah and induce her to try to find the secret of Samson's strength. Three times he falsely informs her to bind him in various ways; three times she does so; and three times he escapes her trap. Eventually Samson tells Delilah the that he will lose his strength if his hair is cut. Delilah calls for a servant to shave Samson's seven locks while he sleeps. The story indicates that Samson probably thinks this, too, will not work. But since he has allowed his mother's oath to be broken, Yahweh now leaves him. Samson is promptly captured by the Philistines. They gouge out his eyes. Samson is brought to the Philistine city of Gaza, imprisoned, and put to work grinding grain.

Later, the Philistine leaders assemble in a temple for a religious sacrifice to their god, Dagon, in gratitude for having delivered Samson into their hands. They summon Samson so that he may entertain them. Three thousand additional people gather on the roof to watch. Once inside the temple, Samson asks the servant who is leading him to the temple's central pillars if he may lean against them.

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, "O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes..." Down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more as he died than while he lived." (Judges 16:28-30).

After his death, Samson's family recovers his body from the rubble and buries him near the tomb of his father Manoah. He is reported to have judged Israel for 20 years.

Assessment

While Samson's story is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining in the Bible, he can hardly be called a successful judge. None of his victories are lasting, and they all seem to be based on personal revenge rather than out of patriotic motivation. He does not unite the Israelites, or even his own tribe of Dan. Time and again, he is deceived by beautiful women. While his acts of revenge are heroic, the do not seem particularly noble.

The Jewish Encyclopedia concludes its article on Samson with the following:

Ch. xvi. records the disgraceful and disastrous end of Samson. His actions at Gaza display his strength and also his fascination for Philistine women. The final and fatal episode, in which Delilah betrays him to his enemies, is similar in its beginnings to the art practised by the Timnitess. Samson's revenge at the feast of Dagon was the end of a life that was full of tragic events. Despite his heroic deeds he does not seem to have rid his people of the oppression of the Philistines; his single-handed combats were successful, but they did not extricate Israel from Philistine tyranny.

In rabbinic literature

Rabbinical literature gives varied and sometimes conflicting additional information about Samuel. In the Talmudic period, as today, many Jews seem to have been skeptical about whether Samson was an historic figure. He was regarded by some as a purely mythological figure. This opinion was considered heretical by some the rabbis of the Talmud.

One tradition identifies him with Bedan, a judge mentioned by Samuel in his farewell address (1 Samuel 12:11). The name "Samson" is derived from shemesh ("sun"), and thus another rabbinical opinion compares his strength to the power of the sun, which, like Samson's, was derived from God. (Talmud, Tractate Sotah 10a]).

One legend records that Samsonwas lame in both feet (Talmud Sotah 10a), but when the spirit of God came upon him he could cover several kilometers with one stride. His hair itself was magical, in that his individual hairs clashed against one another and could be heard for miles (Midrash Lev. Rabbah viii. 2). Samson was so strong that he could lift two mountains and rub them together like two clods of earth (Sotah 9b). Yet, his superhuman strength, like Goliath's, brought him no happiness (Midrash Eccl. Rabbah i).

In licentiousness he is compared with King David's son Amnon and the evil Israelite King Zimri, both of whom were punished for their sins (Lev. R. xxiii. 9). Samson's eyes were put out because he "followed them" too often (Sotah l.c.).

Other cultural references

Literature

  • In 1671, John Milton made him the sympathetic hero of his blank verse tragedy Samson Agonistes.
  • In 1724, Moshe Chaim Luzzatto wrote the first Hebrew play ever written on the subject of Samson.[1]
  • In 1926, Vladimir Jabotinsky published his historical novel, Samson (see "Israeli culture" above for details), which earned him a credit on the 1949 Hollwood movie Samson and Delilah.[1]
  • In 2006, David Grossman's novel, Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson was published.


Art

Art

Samson has been a popular subject for paintings:[2]

  • Alexander Anderson, Samson Fighting the Lion, ca. 1800 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Jean Audran, after F. Verdier, The Burial of Samson, ca. 1700 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Guercino), Samson and the Honeycomb, ca. 1657 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Niccolu Boldrini, after Titian, Samson and Delilah, ca. 1540-1545, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Boucicaut Master, Samson and the Lion, 1415, Getty Museum
  • Hans Burgkmair the Elder, Samson and Delilah, ca. 1500 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Lovis Corinth, Samson Blinded, 1912
  • Giuseppe Caletti (Il Cremonese), Samson and Delilah, ca. 1625 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Lucas Cranach the Elder, Samson and Delilah, 1529
    • Samson's Fight with the Lion, 1520-25
  • Salomon de Bray, Samson with the Jawbone, 1636 Getty Museum
  • Gerard de Jode, Samson Tying the Firebrands to the Foxes' Tails, ca. 1550 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Etienne Delaune, Samson Setting Fire to the Wheat of the Philistines, ca. 1575 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Samson and Delilah, by Francesco Morone
  • H.B. (John Doyle), Samson and Delilah, ca. 1800 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Gustave Doré, Death of Samson, 1865
    • Samson and Delilah, 1865
    • Samson Carrying Away the Gates of Gaza, 1865
    • Samson Destroying the Philistines, 1865
    • Samson Destroys the Temple, 1866
    • Samson Fighting with the Lion, ca. 1496
    • Samson Slaying a Lion, 1865
  • Albrecht Dürer, Delilah Cuts Samson's Hair, 1493
  • Josephus Farmer, Samson, 1982, Smithsonian American Art Museum
  • Philip Galle, Samson Fighting the Lion, ca. 1600 Lutheran Brotherhood's Collection of Religious Art
  • Luca Giordano, Samson and Delilah, ca. 1675 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Guercin, Samson Captured by the Philistines
  • Reinhold Hoberg, Samson and Delilah, ca. 1900 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Lord Frederic Leighton, Illustrations for Dalziel's Bible Gallery, 1881, Tate Gallery:
    • Samson and the Lion
    • Samson Carrying the Gates
    • Samson at the Mill
  • Andrea Mantegna, Samson and Delilah, ca. 1500
  • Jacob Matham after Peter Paul Rubens, Samson and Delilah, 1613
  • Matthaeus Merian the Elder, 1625-30, Samson and Delilah
    • Samson and the Gates
    • Samson's Strange Weapon
    • Samson Slays a Lion
  • Michelangelo, Samson and Two Philistines, ca. 1530-50
  • Aureliano Milani, Samson Slaying the Philistines, 1720 National Gallery, Canada
  • Francesco Morone, Samson and Delilah
  • Erasmus Quellinus, Samson Killing the Lion, ca. 1650 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Archie Rand, Samson, contemporary Bernice Steinbaum Gallery
  • Guido Reni, The Triumph of Samson, 1611-12
  • Rembrandt van Rijn, The Blinding of Samson, 1636
    • Delilah Calls the Philistines, ca. 1655
    • The Sacrifice of Menoah, 1641
    • Samson Accusing His Father-In-Law, 1635
    • Samson Betrayed by Delilah, 1629-30
    • Samson Putting Forth His Riddles at the Wedding Feast, 1638
  • Kirk Richards, Delilah, 1997
  • Paul Roorda, Samson, contemporary
  • Peter Paul Rubens, The Death of Samson, ca. 1605 Getty Museum
    • Samson is Seized, 1609-10
  • Jacob Savery I, Samson Wrestling with the Lion, (after), ca. 1595 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Hans Leonhard Schaufelein, Samson Destroying the Temple, Fifteenth to Sixteenth centuries Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Jan Steen, Samson and Delilah, 1667-70
  • Matthias Stom, Samson and Delilah, 1630s
  • James Tissot, 1896-1900. Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Samson Breaks His Cords
    • Samson Kills a Young Lion
    • Samson Puts Down the Pillars
    • Samson Slays a Thousand Men
  • Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1851-60' World Mission Collection, The Death of Samson
    • Samson Kills the Lion
    • Samson Kills the Philistines
    • Samson is Seized
  • Christiaen vanCouwenbergh, The Capture of Samson, 1630
  • Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Samson and Delilah, 1620
  • Gerrit van Honthorst, Samson and Delilah, ca. 1615
  • Israhel van Meckenem the Younger, Samson and the Lion, ca. 1475 National Gallery of Art
  • Frans van den Wyngaerde, Samson Killing the Lion, ca. 1650 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Claes Jansz Visscher the Elder, Delilah Cutting Samson's Hair, ca. 1610. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Les Drysdale, Samson, contemporary

Anonymous:

  • Samson Destroying the Pillars of the Philistine Temple, ca. 1600 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  • Display Cabinet (with figure of Delilah cutting Samson's Hair), 1620s Getty Museum.
  • The Women at the Tomb (with scene from Samson and the Lion), Unknown German, c. 1170s. Getty Museum
  • Samson Destroys the Temple, Unknown German Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

In popular culture

Film

The most detailed film version of the Biblical Samson was the 1949 Cecil B. deMille film Samson and Delilah, starring Victor Mature as Samson.

The Samson character was later featured in a series of 5 sword-and-sandal adventure films made in Italy in the 1960s, as follows:

  • Samson (1961)
  • Samson vs. Hooley Dooleys (1963) a/k/a Samson and the Sea Beast
  • Samson Challenges Hercules (1963) a/k/a Hercules, Samson and Ulysses
  • Samson vs. the Black Pirate (1963) a/k/a Hercules and the Black Pirate
  • Samson and the Mighty Challenge (1965) a semi comedy/satire co-starring Hercules, Ursus & Maciste

Six other Italitan movies were originally about a character calles "Maciste" but were release in the US as Samsom films. American distrubtors believed the name Maciste in the titles would not be marketable to American filmgoers. These films included: Samson Marries Ionko (1962), Son of Samson (1960), Samson and the Slave Queen (1963), Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World (1961), Samson vs. The Giant King (1964), and Samson in King Solomon's Mines (1964)

Music

  • Handel wrote his oratorio, Samson, in 1743.
  • Camille Saint-Saëns wrote the opera Samson et Dalila between 1868 and 1877.

Samson has also been the subject of numerous popular songs.

  • Both the Grateful Dead and Peter, Paul and Mary recorded versions of the song "Samson & Delilah," a traditional spiritual number learned from Reverend Gary Davis
  • Regina Spektor wrong and recorded a song entitled "Samson" — included in her 2002 album Songs and n her 2006 album Begin to Hope — which tells Samson's story story from the point of view of Delilah.
  • PJ Harvey's song "Hair" is also about Samson and Delilah, similarly told in the voice of Delilah.
  • The song "Gouge Away" from the album Doolittle, by the Pixies, also retells the story of Samson.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named balent
  2. ↑ http://www.textweek.com/art/samson.htm "The Text This Week Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources" Web site, Web page titled "Links to Images of Samson",, accessed November 2, 2006

External links


Tribe of Dan
Preceded by:
Abdon 		Judge of Israel Succeeded by: Eli


ceb:Samson de:Samson es:Sansón fr:Samson it:Sansone he:שמשון nl:Simson (persoon) ja:サムソン pl:Samson (postać biblijna) ru:Самсон fi:Simson sv:Simson zh:參孫

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