Samson: Hero Or Villain? The Samson Narrative In Light Of David And Saul -- By: Brian Neil Peterson

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 174:693 (Jan 2017)
Article: Samson: Hero Or Villain? The Samson Narrative In Light Of David And Saul
Author: Brian Neil Peterson


Samson: Hero Or Villain?
The Samson Narrative In Light Of David And Saul

Brian N. Peterson

Brian N. Peterson is assistant professor of Old Testament, Lee University, Cleveland, Tennessee.

Abstract

The life of Samson has long been viewed as paradigmatic of the depraved state of pre-monarchic Israel and/or as a negative capstone for the cyclical section of the book of Judges. While these claims in a sense are accurate, they overlook the way the author bifurcates Samson’s early life in chapters 13-15 from the more negative picture in chapter 16. Scholars have read the negative presentation of chapter 16 back onto chapters 13-15, skewing the rhetorical intentions of the author. This article argues that the narrative of Samson was purposely divided in order to juxtapose the positive and negative traits of Samson with David and Saul respectively. Moreover, the author used the Samson narrative as a means of bridging the cycle of the judges with the “appendix” of 17-21 in order to highlight the proper choice for king.

Few would disagree that the Samson narrative is unique among the accounts of the judges.1 Given a divine mandate to deliver Israel before he is born, Samson is ancient Israel’s “Superman,” who, unlike the other judges, never once led the nation into battle. Many who have studied his life tout Samson as de

facto evidence of the downward spiral of the judges era2 and/or a picture of wayward Israel.3 Called to be a Nazirite from his birth, Samson is regularly depicted as breaking his Nazirite vows for self-serving reasons while disregarding everyone but himself.4 But is this what the author of Judges wanted to portray by relating the life of this tragic “hero”?5

It seems that negative assessments of Samson have been read back onto chapters 13-15 in view of chapter 16 and Judges as a whole.6 That the opening three chapters of the Samson narrative have been misunderstood becomes apparent in light of the pro-Davidic and...

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