In verses 3 through 23 we have an account of Samson’s origin.
Samson’s father, Manoah, was of the family of the Danites. His wife was barren and had borne no children (v. 2).
Samson’s conception was actually a miracle initiated by the appearing of the Angel of Jehovah (Christ) to his mother and father. Verse 3 says, “The Angel of Jehovah appeared to the woman and said to her, Now you are barren and have borne no children; but you will conceive and bear a son.” When she told her husband about this, he entreated Jehovah, saying, “Oh, Lord! Let the man of God, whom You sent, come again to us, I pray; and let Him teach us what we should do with the child that is to be born” (v. 8). God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came again to the woman. She went to tell her husband, and he followed her. When Manoah asked the Angel of Jehovah what His name was, He said, “Why do you ask about My name, since it is wonderful?” (v. 18).
Samson was to be a Nazarite boy, who was not to drink wine, nor to eat anything unclean, nor to cut his hair with a razor, so that he would save Israel from the hand of the Philistines (vv. 3-5, 7).
Verse 24a says that the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. The name Samson means “sunlike.”
Samson grew as a Nazarite by the blessing of Jehovah (v. 24b).
Samson grew up with his head covered. This was signified by his not cutting his hair (v. 5).
Samson was in submission to God. This was signified by the keeping of his long hair (cf. 1 Cor. 11:15).
As a Nazarite, Samson grew up without touching worldly pleasures. This was signified by his not drinking wine (Judg. 13:7a).
Samson also kept himself clean. This was signified by his not eating the unclean things (v. 7b).
Samson was moved by the Spirit of God (v. 25).
Samson had faith in God (cf. Heb. 11:32). His faith is seen in his tearing a young lion by the Spirit of Jehovah rushing upon him (14:5-6), in his slaying thirty men by the Spirit of Jehovah rushing upon him (v. 19), and in his destroying the house where he was compelled to perform (16:28-30).
Chapters fourteen through sixteen describe a number of instances of Samson’s might. We see his might in his tearing a young lion by the Spirit of Jehovah and in his killing thirty men by the Spirit rushing upon him (14:5-6, 19). We see his might in his catching three hundred foxes (15:4). According to verses 12 through 16, Samson’s might was displayed in his breaking the two ropes with which he was bound and in his killing one thousand men by the Spirit of Jehovah rushing upon him. Moreover, Samson’s might was shown in his plucking up the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts with the bar and bringing them up to the top of the mountain in front of Hebron (16:3). The last case of Samson’s might was in his destroying the house where he performed (vv. 29-30).
Samson failed in not contacting God and in indulging in sex. He indulged in sex with a woman of the Philistines, whom he married and who released his secret to the Philistines (14:1-3, 10-17); with a harlot in Gaza, in whose place Samson was surrounded by the Philistines (16:1-3); and with a woman by the name of Delilah, who released the secret of his great strength (vv. 4-20a).
Judges 16:20b-30 is a record of Samson’s miserable ending. First, Jehovah left him (v. 20b). Then the Philistines grabbed him, gouged out his eyes, and bound him with fetters, and he ground at the mill in the prison house (v. 21). He was forced to perform before the Philistines that they might celebrate their victory over him before their god Dagon (vv. 23-25). Finally, Samson was killed by the house which was destroyed by him (vv. 28-30).
The record in Judges regarding Samson concludes with the word saying that he had judged Israel twenty years (v. 31b).