Redeeming Samson | April 3
I grew up hearing the story of Samson at the same time “G.I. Joe” was showing on Saturday morning television. I remember seeing an episode about Samson and Delilah from Hanna Barbara’s The Greatest Adventure, in which Samson was presented as a righteous hero and Delilah as a conniving prostitute who used her feminine wiles to seduce Samson. In a time of Cowboys vs. Indians, G.I. Joes vs. Cobra, Ninja Turtles, and Thundercats, I aspired to be a superhero when I grew up (a small part of me still wants to hold onto that childish dream).
Samson’s hair was the secret to his strength, and an explicit sign of his commitment to God. But Samson had one weakness: he went weak in the knees at the sight of a beautiful woman, namely women outside of his tribe. It’s no secret that Samson had a preference for Philistine women, much like the way James Bond couldn’t resist a beautiful woman regardless if she was bent on killing him. In Chapter 14, we read that Samson could have had his choice of wife from any one of his kin or from his tribe. Instead, he catches sight of a Philistine woman and desires after her, later to marry her.
In Chapter 15, we read that after the fiery death of Samson’s wife, he goes on a rampage (“Hulk Smash!”). With his vengeance satiated, he goes looking for “comfort,” first from a prostitute then moving on to Delilah. I grew up being told that Delilah was a prostitute, but this detail is absent from the scriptures. I would venture to argue that such was said of Delilah to scare little boys from kissing little girls, let alone holding their hand- which would only serve as fodder for “abstinence only” education.
Delilah is pressured by her Philistine countrymen to find out how to weaken Samson (the difficulty of such a task would be comparable to finding the “back door” weak point on the Death Star). Samson lies to Delilah as to what is the secret of his strength three times. Why? This isn’t the kind of secret one would take lightly. For Samson, giving away this secret meant making himself completely vulnerable to his confidant.
Why didn’t he walk away from Delilah the first or second time she inquired about his “kryptonite”? Samson couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He lets his guard down around Delilah. He trusts her enough that eventually (scripture says that she “nagged” him), he tells her his secret. Conventional wisdom tells us that ‘love turns us into fools’ (ala Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream). With his head in her lap, at his most vulnerable- which is a big step considering how he prided himself on his strength- his sacred vow is broken as he is stripped of his power. His enemies overtake him in warlike fashion- carrying him off as a spoil of war to be displayed at their temple- for all the temple-goers to mock and laugh at him.
Why were Samson’s eyes gouged out? From a strategic standpoint, he can’t kill what he can’t see. From a moralistic standpoint, his eyes being gouged out could be seen as a purification process- he cannot desire after another beautiful Philistine woman if he cannot see her. His eyes have deceived him. Here at Samson’s lowest point, his focus returns back to his initial calling- as a judge for Israel.
As a peace-loving person desiring to uphold “just peace-making” (a viable alternative in the pro-war vs. pacifism debate) in all that I do, I struggle with the instances of retributive justice (vengeance) and redemptive violence. Samson sought retribution against the Philistines for killing his wife and sought to redeem himself with his last “Hoorah” at the temple of Dagon. Instead of dismissing this text, I choose to hold it up and wrestle with it, demanding from it a blessing.
As I read this text, I see that Samson was the strongest man in the Bible, and even he fell, along with Solomon- the wisest, and David- a man after God’s own heart. What hope do I have? I am not the strongest, the wisest, nor the most devout. My solace comes from the messy conclusion found in Judges 16- Samson, at his lowest and most humiliated, was afforded enough Divinely given strength to topple the temple of Dagon. He had some incredible flaws, and yet God used him as a judge. God met him in his “humanness,” and honored his final request. In a “kill or be killed,” tribe vs. tribe world, what were Samson’s options? Who was there to present him with the “peaceable” option?
As persons seeking to be “salt” and “light” in all that we do and are, we can take solace in the fact that God will meet us in our humanness as God met Samson in his humanness- we don’t have to seek to be perfect (perfection- what a shallowly defined term!), we just have to not give up- to keep on keeping on, to strive for holiness- “Do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
I leave you with this challenge: How does Samson’s story follow and fall short of the Micah 6:8 passage, and in his falling short of such an ideal, should that exclude him from being shown the same kind of mercy (in our reading of the story) that we strive to show to those who “trespass against us…” ? Samson had no one to give him justice for the atrocities committed against him. In extending mercy and forgiveness for those who “trespass against us,” we break the reality of violence that the Samson story (and the book of Judges) testifies to.
As you participate in this conversation, whether online, at a Neighbors Abbey gathering, or with your family and friends, just remember that everyone makes the discussion what it is.
-Joseph “Josey” Stone
