Facts About Samson
—A simple list

The Judge Samson

• Samson was the second last of the judges of the Israelites. The last judge was Samuel.
• Samson was an extremely strong man and his strength was mysteriously connected to his long hair.
• For twenty years Samson judged Israel, at a time when Israel was "in the hands of the Philistines" (Judges 13:1).
• He was born into a "family of the Danites" (Judges 13:2). The tribe of Dan was one to whom a territory "had not yet fallen" so they were an unsettled people (Judges 18:1).
• The Danite family to which Samson belonged, is symbolic of Christians. We are "sojourners and pilgrims" in this wicked world, waiting for the inheritance of Heaven (1Peter 2:9-12).
• Samson was born by way of a miracle. His parents were apparently godly people. As seems to be an oft-repeated sign, God chooses a barren woman and promises her, "You shall conceive and give birth to a son" (Judges 13:2-3).
• Samson was a Nazirite from birth. The Nazirite vow is described in Numbers chapter six. A Nazirite did not cut his or her hair, did not eat or drink anything made from grapes, and did not go near a dead body. The vow was usually for a limited time, but God commanded that Samson be "a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death" (Judges 13:5,7).
• Samson obtained a good testimony through faith". Although Samson’s ways fell sadly short of God’s ways, God still used Samson’s faith for victory. We, though sometimes of too "little faith", look for the victory to be finally perfected in Jesus (Hebrews 11:32-34,39-40).
• Samson loved Delilah, but she betrayed him (Judges 16).