Samson

Biblical account

At that time of the history of Israel, some tribes are under the domination of the Philistins. Samson is the son of Manoah, of the Tribu of daN.

Birth of Samson

The woman of Manoah, hitherto sterile, learns from the angel of YHWH which it will give birth to a son who will deliver Israel of the Philistines. This child will have to be devoted to God, as of his birth, as a " Nazir ". The relative laws with nazir imply in particular that the razor never passes on its head and that it never consumes alcohol. The man with the appearance of angel reappears to confirm in Manoah and his wife whom they will have a child who will have to follow the laws of nazir. The angel disappears then in the flames and they recognize that it was a Ange of God.

Samson is born and grows.

First conflicts with the Philistines

The chapter 14 of the Livre of the Judges starts with the request of the Samson young person to his parents to take for woman a Philistine young girl. Their reaction is: " wouldn't there be enough women in our people which you will seek one among the Philistines incirconcis? "

But " because it likes it " , Samson and his parents leave to ask for the hand of the young girl. On the way, Samson kills a lion with naked hands. When it returns to marry the young girl, of the bees started to manufacture Miel in the corpse of the Lion.

At the time of the ceremony of the marriage, inspired by the vision of the hive in the body of the lion, he bets 30 ornaments with his 30 guests whom they will not be able to solve the following enigma:

" Of that which eats is resulting what is eaten, and of the fort the soft one is resulting. "

The guests persuade the woman of Samson so that it obtains the answer and that it reveals it to them. After 7 days of insistence, it obtains the answer and the 30 companions answer correctly the enigma thanks to its indications:

" What could be softer than honey and moreover more extremely than the lion? "

Out of fury, Samson kills 30 men of Ashkelon to strip them their clothes and turns over food near his parents.

When it returns to seek his wife, this one was given to another man. Samson is avenged while making burn the fields of the Philistines. Those then burn the young woman and Samson is avenged again by beating them.

When 1000 Philistines come to seek Samson in his retirement, the Judéens deliver it (with its agreement). Samson demolishes his bonds and, armed with a jaw of ass, it demolishes the 1000 Philistines. After this victory, Samson becomes judge of Israel during 20 years.

The fall of Samson

The most famous episode is its seduction by Dalila. Dalila is requested by the Philistins, enemies of Israel, so that it helps them to discover the secrecy of the force of Samson. It allures Samson then and tries by three times to tap its Secret to him. Each time, Samson answers him by a lie. When Dalila requires of him for the fourth time to share with it its secrecy, Samson finishes by him revealing that its force comes to him from its hair of Nazir because he is devoted and devoted to God.

Dalila betrays it. After him to have cut its seven braids, it calls Philistines which burst the eyes of Samson, deprived of its force and the help of God.

Locked up by his enemies with Gaza, Samson left the dungeon to divert his enemies, at the time of a sacrifice to their god Dagon, whereas its hair started to push back. Placed between two columns, he beseeches God to rather extremely return it, then Suicide by drawing aside the columns of the palate to make it collapse. He kills several thousands of Philistines thus. Its body is found and buried near its family.

See too

Book of the Judges
Dalila (Bible)
Philistine

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