THE STORY OF SAMSON (JUDGES 13-16)

Reading these stories is always interesting. However, one can be forgiven for thinking that they are just as haphazardly arranged as the somewhat random events in this out-of-control muscle man's life. In actuality, these chapters are just as carefully structured as anywhere else in the Bible, although there may be some disagreement as to exactly how they are structured, as you can see from the following brief discussion.

A complete literary analysis has been performed on the Samson cycle by James Freeman. He sees it as an eleven-part structure in which most of the sections display a four-part pattern:

    (A) a threat or act of destruction

    (B) an act of personal pleasure

    (C) a question

    (D) an act of betrayal.

This order, which is interestingly reversed in the last Samson episode of his heroic death, “may represent a progression from crude muscular display in A to a more specialized sensory activity (B) to an even more sophisticated act of mind (C), all of which prompt betrayal (D).”

Davis, on the other hand, detects a six-fold repeated pattern in the events of Samson’s life, each consisting of a success for the Philistines followed by a disaster brought about by means of Samson. His divisions for literary units within the cycle are different from those of Dorsey, who tentatively proposes a seven-fold symmetrical structure centered on 15:9-20, but one which he readily admits is in reality a non-symmetrical eight-part arrangement. Both Dorsey and Davis see a reversal of sorts taking place within the cycle after chapter 15. An alternative proposal for the structure of the Samson Cycle that is consistent with this last observation is shown below:

The Samson Cycle (13:1-16:31)

Part I: Philistines rule over Israel (13:1-15:19)

    A. Samson's father and mother (ch. 13)

        B. Samson and the Philistine woman (ch. 14)

            1. Samson courts woman of Timnah and kills lion (14:1-10)

            1'. Samson marries woman; riddle of the lion (14:11-20)

    A'. Samson's father-in-law and wife (15:1-19)

Part II: Samson judges over Israel (15:20-16:31)

        B. Samson Destroys Doors of City Gate (15:20-16:3)

    A. In Sorek with Delilah (16:4-22)

        B'. Samson destroys Philistine Temple (16:23-31)

In support for the above structure are the following pieces of evidence:

    (a) The title for Part I is taken from the thrice-repeated reminder, one in each sub-section (13:1; 14:4; 15:11).

    (b) Section IA is unified by twelve mentions of “the angel of the LORD/God.”

    (c) The two prayers of Samson (both dealing with his own needs) are located at the conclusions of parts I and II.

    (d) Each of the four sub-sections of Part I mentions the Spirit of the LORD coming upon Samson. By contrast, the Spirit is not even mentioned in Part II, and in Samson's final act it is said that “he strained with all his might.” (v. 30)

    (e) The limits of Part II are set by the identical statements at 15:20 and 16:31 regarding Samson's twenty-year reign as judge.

    (f) Key words appearing at the start and conclusion of particular passages include “Zorah” for the whole cycle and for IA, “went down” for IB and for IB1, “thirty” and “companion(s)” for IB2, and “bind” for IIA.

    (g) The various “A” sections are unified through several parallels: “new ropes” in IA' and IIA, mention of Samson as a Nazirite in IA and IIA.

    (h) The “B” sections contain the following correspondences: Samson kills 30/30,000 men (IB and IIB'); Samson causes bloodshed during a celebration (IB and IIB'); Samson is bound (IB' and IIB); and he destroys an architectural structure through the use of two posts/pillars (IIB and IIB').

    (i) The closest parallel events in the whole cycle are the two times the Philistines use Samson's women to “coax” a secret out of him after repeated nagging and complaints that Samson did not love them. These incidents appear in the center sub-units of Part I (14:15-18) and Part II (16:5-20).