Judge living before Israel's Monarchy

Samson

Judges 13–16

A Danite of Zorah, born to Manoah and his barren wife after Yahweh’s angel promised a son who “shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb” and “shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:2–5). Yahweh’s Spirit came on him and gave him great strength, with which he killed a lion, struck down Philistines, and once killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 14–15).

He fell in love with Delilah, and when she pressed him, he told her his secret: “No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb.” The Philistines cut his hair, put out his eyes, and set him to grind in prison (Judges 16:4–21). At a feast of their god Dagon he prayed once more, “remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once,” pushed over the two middle pillars, and killed more in his death than in his life (Judges 16:23–30). He judged Israel twenty years (Judges 16:31), and Hebrews counts him among the heroes of faith (Hebrews 11:32).

Nazirite judge who fought the Philistines for 20 years. Scripture gives no age at death; both ends of this bar are Ussher's dates (born 1155 BC, died 1117 BC).

Family

Father

Manoah

Wife

Delilah

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