Samson’s tale of martyrdom has a few Ten Commandments’ moments. While his beginnings are quite promising, his life devolves into an endless cycle of suffering and vengeance. At the beginning, his barren mother encounters an angel who promises her a special son. She is instructed that the child would be raised as a Nazarite and that he would begin to save the Children of Israel from the Philistines. Judges 13:5.
Samson contains three stand-out commanments’ moments.
In the first one, Samson marries a Philistine woman. During feasting, he challenges those present-Philistines- to a riddle. With a wager placed, the guests have a series of days to come up with the answer or pay up. The story includes the following passage: ”It was on the Sabbath day that they said to Samson’s wife, “entice your husband to tell [you] the riddle for us- lest we will burn you and your father’s house with fire!” Judges 14:15.
This Sabbath reference is significant. It may be the only reference to the Sabbath within the Book of Judges. While the passage does not discuss the Sabbath in terms of its holiness, it does, however, in a literary fashion, value the day. The writer, to perhaps enhance the Philistines’ treachery, makes sure to reference that their actions concurred with the Sabbath. Overall, this suggests that, to the author, there was some awareness of the Sabbath’s significance. The passage, as well the entire Book of Judges, lends doubt as to whether there was an widespread observance during that period of time.
Later on, one of Samson’s acts of vengeance upon the Philistines caused them to mobilize an army against him. In pursuit of Samson, they encounter the Judeans. The Judeans, fearful of the Philistines, speak to Samson of the problem. They tell Samson of their intent to arrest him and turn him over to the Philistines. Samson agrees to be arrested. Then, Samson says: “swear to me that you yourselves will not harm me.” Judges 15:12.
This passage references the notion that evoking the Lord’s name amounted to a form of currency in times antiquity. It served as a way of contracting conduct and performance.
Samson, after deceived by Delilah, loses his great strength, is blinded and is brought to the Philistine temple where they gathered to make a great sacrifice to their god, Dagon. The huge event with many dignitaries was to be a great moment of praise. In that moment, however, Samson petitioned to the Lord one more time for strength so he could exact vengeance upon the Philistines. With that, he famously pushed on the pillars and made the building collapse. In doing so, he killed many in attendance.
In terms of analyzing Samson’s tale in a Ten Commandments’ framework, the dramatic conclusion to the strong man’s life speaks towards monotheism in a symbolic fashion. It was expression of allegiance to the God of Israel. This was a moment when one man of the God of Israel took down a local god, Dagon, and his many followers in epic fashion.
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