The Story of Samson

Our selection this month is "The Story of Samson," as told in Judges 13-16. Samson was a Nazirite, meaning one who was "separated" or "dedicated," who would abstain from alcohol, who did not cut his hair, who would not engage in "unclean" acts such as going near a corpse (cf., Numbers 6:1).  Samson became a "judge," or leader of the Israelites, who lived under Philistine domination at that time. Curiously, these chapters depict Samson as a warrior and womanizer, but not much of a leader.

Samson and Delilah by Anthony Van Dyke (1599-1641)