Samson was a judge of Israel, set apart from birth under a Nazirite vow to begin delivering Israel from the Philistines. Judges 13:5 records the angel’s message to his mother: “No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb.” His life was marked by supernatural strength given by the Spirit of the Lord.
Though consecrated, Samson struggled with fleshly desires. He sought a Philistine woman for marriage (Judges 14:2), killed a lion with his bare hands (Judges 14:6), and used the jawbone of a donkey to slay a thousand men (Judges 15:15). Despite his flaws, God used him to strike fear into the Philistines.
Samson’s weakness for women led to his downfall. Delilah enticed him to reveal the secret of his strength—his uncut hair. When his hair was shaved, “the Lord had departed from him” (Judges 16:20), and he was captured, blinded, and enslaved.
While imprisoned, Samson repented and his strength returned. In his final act, he pulled down the pillars of the Philistine temple, killing himself and many enemies. Judges 16:30 says, “So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.”
Despite his failures, Samson is listed in the hall of faith. Hebrews 11:32 includes him among those “who through faith subdued kingdoms.” His life is a warning against compromise, but also a testimony of God’s mercy and power working through weakness.
