Running head: SAMSON 1

Samson: A Tragic Hero

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Samson: A Tragic Hero

Samson is an Israelite biblical figure who lived according to the proscriptions of Nazirite

life. He was one of the most recognized judges who ruled Israel before the kingship system was

introduced. According to rabbinic literature, God sent Samson to watch over his generation by

playing the role of a judge and a protector. For this reason, god gave him a noble stature and

divine strength. The breadth of Samson’s shoulders was sixty cubits. This implies that he had the

ability to carry a load approximately 30 meters on his shoulders. Both of his feet were lame.

Nevertheless, when the spirit of God would come upon him, he could step from one to another

with a few strides. As he walked, the hairs of his head would rise and clash against each other.

The sound they made would be heard from a distance (Galpaz-Feller, 2016). Samson was said to

be so strong that he could lift two mountains and rub them together. The bible records that he

retrieved honey from the carcass of a lion using his bare hands (Judges 14: 6). This paper

discusses how Samson from the bible in the book of Judges is a tragic hero.

Samson’s experience with a riddle reveals his tragic flaws. Samson’s superhuman

physical strength was coupled with an extraordinary mind. He challenged the philistines with a

riddle that were all unable to solve. When both the Israelites and the philistines were unable to

solve the riddle, his wife came to him begging to know the answer. Initially, Samson ignored her

pleas but later revealed to her the answer. This incident shows that women were one of Samson’s

most tragic flaws (Webb, 2012). In another instance, Samson’s most tragic flaw is evidenced

when he goes to Gaza and has sexual relations with a prostitute. The people of Gaza learn of his

presence and surround the building at night to kill him when the sun rises. Luckily, he escapes

through slipping out before morning (Judges 16: 1). The two incidences foreshadowed Samson’s

eventual downfall that would be caused by a woman.

Samson’s ego and sexual desires altered his decision making process. Consequently, he

made some free choices that constantly messed him up. For years, God had been warning the

Israelites against marrying non-Israelites because they would pollute their religious beliefs and

lead them astray (Judges 3:5-6). Samson ignored this law and made a choice to marry a philistine

woman. His parents warned him against marrying Delilah but he ignored their advice. However,

God condoned this marriage. Secondly, Samson made a wrong choice when he picked a

prostitute and laid with her. As a leader and a Nazirite, Samson was expected to uphold holiness

in the area of sexuality (Galpaz-Feller, 2016). By marrying a philistine, Samson was not only

breaking the law on marriage but also acting against the Ten Commandments.

Every compromise in Samson’s life brought him severe consequences. After marrying

Delilah, a philistine and a pagan, Samson was tricked into revealing the source of his great

strength. Delilah nagged Samson and he eventually told her that his strength would be diffused

through cutting his hair. Delilah cut Samson’s hair in his sleep, had the philistines capture,

torture him and eventually put him to death. Before Samson died, he was blinded, tortured and

humiliated in chains. God restored his supernatural strength and Samson pulled the pillars of the

building. The collapse led to the death of Samson and three thousand Philistines. Through taking

a prostitute and overindulging in alcohol, Samson lost his devotion to God (Baker, 2016).

Consequently, the presence of the lord departed from him and he could not see foresee the

tragedies that would result from laying with a prostitute and marrying Delilah.

Despite having spiritual advantages, some of Samson’s life choices revealed that he did

not understand the moral integrity and responsibility that his strengths demanded. Samson did

not believe that he made the wrong choice by marrying a philistine. He believed that she was

what he needed (Webb, 2012). On taking a prostitute and laying with her, Samson understood
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that he was committing a sin. He was aware that he was a Nazirite and it was required of him to

refrain from immoral sexual behaviors. Nevertheless, through interacting with foreign women

from different cultural backgrounds, he ends up committing sexual sins. Samson does not

immediately realize that he sinned when revealed the secret to his strength (Baker 2016). He only

learns it when he is captured by the Philistines.

To sum up, Samson is a tragic hero who lost his physical and mental power to his

violation of the Nazirite vow. He broke his first religious obligation by marrying a philistine

woman. He finally fell victim of his faults through his love for Delilah who tricked him into

revealing the secret to his strength. The catharsis of Samson happened at a philistine temple after

his capture. He prays to God to strengthen him again so that he could take his revenge against the

philistines for blinding him. God restores his strength and he destroys the middle pillars

supporting the temple. He destroys the temple and all the people in it (Judges 16: 28). God grants

him his wish to die with the philistines.

References

Baker, R. (2016). Hollow men, strange women: Riddles, codes and otherness in the book of

Judges. Brill.

Galpaz-Feller, P. (2016). Samson: The Hero and the Man: the Story of Samson (Judges 13-

16) (Vol. 7). Peter Lang.

The Holy Bible, new international version. (1984). Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing

House.

Webb, B. G. (2012). The Book of Judges. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.