Judges 16: Samson is captured and dies

Synopsis:

Samson visited a Harlot in Gaza. The Gazites planned to kill him at the gate in the morning. But Samson got up at midnite and took the doors and the pillars of the gate on his shoulders and took them to Hebron. He then fell in love with Delilah in Sorek. The Philistines promised her 1,100 pieces of silver if she could find out how to make Samson weak. He would tell her – tie me up with vines. She would and he would break them free. Eventually she hassled him – you don’t love me if you don’t trust me. So he told her – his hair was his source of strength. So – when he was asleep, she cut his hair and he was taken by the Philistines who put out his eyes and bound him in brass and put him to work in the prison house. The Philistines celebrated the capture of Samson by feasting to their god Dagon. Eventually – they had a party and wanted to hassle Samson for sport. So he was brought to the house – took the 2 central pillars and destroyed them killing more people in that moment then he had in his entire life. Samson’s family came and got him and buried him with his father ... and he judged for 20 years.

In other words:

Samson falls in love with Delilah – who promptly sells him out.

Favorite bit:

Judges 16:3 – where Samson takes the gates to Gaza with him to thwart those planning to attack him.

Least favorite bit:

Judges 16:5-20 – you would think if your lover kept asking you how to defeat you and tying you up and brining armies to kill you, that you would stop trusting them. But maybe Samson was into bondage and just thought it was cool.

Most confusing bit:

Judges 16:31 – Samson dies, and is buried, yet rules over Israel for another 20 years.

What raised my feminist hackles:

We are finally given the name of a woman and she is someone who can’t be trusted. Lovely.

Moral Lesson Learned:

Don’t trust people who repeatedly try to harm you. (Judges 16)