Bible Story of Samson

Samson possessed extraordinary physical strength, and the moral of his saga relates the disastrous loss of his power to his violation of the Nazirite vow, to which he was bound by his mother’s promise to the angel. He first broke his religious obligation by feasting with a woman from the neighboring town of Timnah, who was also a Philistine, one of Israel’s mortal enemies. Other remarkable deeds follow. For example, he decimated the Philistines in a private war. On another occasion he repulsed their assault on him at Gaza, where he had gone to visit a harlot. He finally fell victim to his foes through love of Delilah, who beguiled him into revealing the secret of his strength: his long Nazirite hair. As he slept, Delilah had his hair cut and betrayed him. He was captured, blinded, and enslaved by the Philistines, but in the end God granted Samson his revenge; through the return of his old strength, he demolished the great Philistine temple of the god Dagon, at Gaza, destroying his captors and himself (Judges 16:4–30).

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extraordinary: DJ[iksˋtrɔ:dnri]

obligation: the action of obligating oneself to a course of action (as by a promise or vow)

obligate: to bind legally or morally

feast: to enjoy some unusual pleasure or delight

deed: a usually illustrious act or action

illustrious: notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity or achievements or actions

decimate: to cause great destruction or harm to

repulse: to drive or beat back

assault: a violent physical or verbal attack

harlot: prostitute

foe: an enemy in war

beguile: to engage the interest of by or as if by guile

guile: trick

betray: to be unfaithful or disloyal to

revenge: the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury

m-w.com

參孫迷戀一個婦人名叫大利拉。非利士人的首領用金錢買通大利拉，讓大利拉探探參孫怎麼會有那麼大的力氣，看看用什麼方法才能勝過參孫(士16∶4—5)。

大利拉三次迷哄參孫，叫參孫說出他力氣大的秘密，並且公然問參孫怎樣才能捆住他。參孫三次都沒有透露自己獲得能力的秘密(士16∶6—14)。

但參孫執迷不悟，仍然迷戀大利拉。「大利拉天天用話催逼他，甚至他心裏煩悶要死」。參孫終於告訴大利拉說他是個從未剃過頭的獻給神的人。若剃了頭髮，就會軟弱得和別人一樣。於是「大利拉使參孫枕著她的膝睡覺」，叫人來剃了他的頭髮，這樣「大利拉剋制他，他的力氣就離開他了」(士16∶15—19)。

參孫被非利士人拿住後，剜了眼睛。「用銅鏈拘索」，叫他「在監裏推磨」。一個英勇非凡的參孫，只因放縱情慾，竟被一個女人迷惑陷害到這種地步，真是後人的警戒(士16∶20—21)!

參孫的「頭髮被剃之後，又漸漸長起來了」(士16∶22)。當「非利士人的首領聚集，要給他們的神大袞獻大祭」的時候，他們聚在廳堂之內和平頂上的會眾約有三千人。他們「將參孫從監裏提出來」戲耍參孫。以後「他們使他站在兩柱中間」。參孫要求「摸著托房的柱子靠一靠」。那時「參孫求告耶和華說：『神啊!求你賜我這一次的力量!』」「參孫就抱住托房的那兩根柱子說：『我情願與非利士人同死!』就盡力屈身，房子倒塌，壓住(非利士的)首領和房內的眾人。這樣，參孫死時所殺的人，比活著所殺的還多」。參孫的一生，說明了一個人應當遠離罪惡，免招禍害。而一旦失足之後就要向神痛悔，對神忠心到底(士16∶23—30)。

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