Samson (and Delilah)
Bibliographic
Information (best version for telling):
The story
of Samson is composed of three chapters from this book
Chapter
36 Samson's Birth and Mission
Chapter
37 Samson's Feats and Deliverance
Chapter
38 Samson's Betrayal and Death
In
The Rainbow Book of Bible Stories by
J. Harold Gwynne, D.D.
World
Publishing Company, 1956.
Ethnic
Origin:
Hebrew,
Israelites
Running
Time:
approximately
14 minutes and 32 seconds??
Power
Center(s):
My
third story is focused on an adult group of listeners. For the third story we
had to develop a story program around a common theme. Love and relationships is
the theme for the November 26th group. There was no common theme for
the Dec 3rd group.
Power
Center 1: The relationship God has with his people, the Israelites. I shall
accomplish this with the introduction of the conflict between the Israelites
and the Philistines. (This power center is also reflected in Power Center 2
because Samson represents the Israelites overthrowing the yoke of the
Philistine rule.)
Power
Center 2: The relationship Samson has with God. I shall accomplish this by
showing how Samson followed God's commands. The theme of the story is that
Samson's weakness for falling in love with Philistine women leads to his
downfall.
In
the end Samson renews his vows with God and God gave him the strength to
perform the greatest deliverance for the Israelites.
Revised
Power centers: Pain of war – achieve this by illustrating the never
ending cycle of war and how their is still war going on today
The
revised power centers are applicable to today’s war in Israel and in
Afghanistan.
I
chose these because I wanted to focus on the struggle between the Israelites
and the Philistines. I want people to think about the destruction that war
causes and how love is the answer.
Theme:
All is fair in love and war
Theme:
The theme for the second group is origin. Origin consists of where the story
originates and what culture the story comes from. I revised my story to have a
new introduction that incorporates this new theme.
Characters:
Angel
of the Lord
Samson's
Parents
Manoah - Father of Samson
Mother of Samson
Samson
Samson's
first wife - woman of Timnath
Samson's
First Wife's father
Men
of Timnath
Harlot
of Gaza
Delilah
Israelites
Philistines
Scenes:
1.
An
Angel of the Lord goes to Samson's parents and tells them that they are going
to have a son. They are told how to raise him.
2.
Samson
is born and he is very strong. He chooses to marry a woman of Timnath. When
walking to see her, a lion attacks him. He kills the lion then a swarm of bees
exit the lion and honey is on the inside of the lion's carcass. He gives the honey
to his parents and proposes a riddle to the Philistines at the wedding feast.
If they cannot solve the riddle they have to provide the finest cloth and gold.
They cannot solve the riddle for three days
3.
The
Philistines learn the answer to the riddle from his wife. Samson provides the
cloth by killing Philistines from a different city. Samson's wife is given to
his friend. Samson goes and burns all their crops. This angers the Philistines
and they tell the Israelites to hand Samson over. The Israelites hand Samson
over. Samson kills a thousand men with a donkey's jawbone.
4.
Samson
goes to a harlot and the Philistines plan to kill him when he leaves the city
in the morning. Samson leaves at midnight with the gates of the city on his
back. Samson falls in love with Delilah. The lords of the Philistines offer her
a large sum of money to discover the secret of Samson's strength.
5.
Delilah
tries to find the secret of Samson's strength. First, he tells her to tie him
up with seven green willow twigs. She does but when the Philistines come to
capture him he breaks free and overcomes them easily. Next he tells her to bind
him fast with new ropes. She does but when the Philistines come to capture him
he breaks free and overcomes them easily. Then he tells her to weave the locks
of his hair into a web with a loom, She does but when the Philistines come to
capture him he breaks free and overcomes them easily. Finally he tells her that
the secret of his strength is that a razor has never touched his hair. She cuts
his hair and the Philistines capture him.
6.
The
Philistines rejoice that their enemy is finally caught. They place him in the
slave quarters grinding the mill. During a feast, they bring him into the
temple in order to mock him. Samson prays to God for strength and he brings the
temple down on their heads. That day was the day of the greatest deliverance
for the Israelites.
Synopsis:
The
Israelites had lost touch in their relationship with God. They worshipped false
Gods and they had forgotten the deliverances of the past. The Philistines had
oppressed the Israelites for the past forty years. Samson was born. God planned
to use Samson to deliver the Israelites from oppression and slavery. Samson's
parents were instructed to raise Samson as a Nazarite. "No razor shall
touch his head and no wine shall touch his lips."
Samson
grew up and the Spirit of the Lord was strong within him. Samson was the
strongest man alive. God placed it upon his heart to seek out a woman of the
Philistines to marry. God did this so that a conflict would arise between the
Philistines and the Israelites. Samson sought to marry the woman and she was
kept from him. The Spirit of the Lord rose up in Samson and many Philistines
died. Samson performed many feats of strength.
Delilah
caught Samson's eye and he began to fall in love with her. The Lords of the
Philistines went to her and promised her a large sum of money if she could find
out the secret of Samson's strength. Delilah tried day after day to learn the
secret of Samson's strength. His soul became troubled and he finally told her
the truth.
The
Philistines finally captured Samson. They put out his eyes and placed him in
the slave quarters to grind at the mill. They assembled to rejoice and offered
a sacrifice to their god Dagon. They brought forth Samson and they planned to
mock him and the God of Israel. They placed Samson between the pillars of the
temple that supported the roof. With one last prayer to God, Samson brought
down the temple on the Philistines and himself. Samson killed more Philistines
that day than he had killed in all his other battles.
Rhymes/Special
Phrases/"Flavors":
Nazarite: A person who took a special vow of
self-dedication, such a person was not to drink beer or wine, cut his hair or
touch a dead body. (Numbers 6:1-21) The vow could be taken for a certain period
of time, but some people were dedicated to God as Nazarites from birth.
In present day Israel, Palestinians and the
Israelis war over possession of the holy land. In Biblical times there
were, wars between the Israelites and the Philistines.
Angel speaking to
Samson’s parents
“You
are going to bear a son. Therefore be careful, and drink no wine or strong
drink, and eat nothing unclean. When your son is born, he shall be dedicated to
God by the Nazarite vow; and he shall in time begin to deliver Israel from the
hand of the Philistines.”
Samson proposing
riddle to the men of Timnath
"Out
of the eater came forth meat,
And
of the strong came forth sweetness."
Men of Timnath answering
Samson's riddle
"What
is sweeter than honey?
"And
what is stronger than a lion?"
Samson after slaying
a thousand men with a jawbone.
“With
the jawbone of an ass,
heaps
upon heaps,
with
the jawbone of an ass,
have
I slain a thousand men.”
Delilah speaking to
Samson
“Tell
me, I pray you, the secret of your great strength and how you might be bound by
those who would subdue you.”
Finally,
in a moment of weakness, and against his better judgement, he told her
everything that was in his heart saying, “A razor has never been put to my
head; for I have been a Nazarite to God from the day of my birth. If I am
shaved, then my strength shall go from me and I shall become weak and be like
an ordinary man.”
“The
Philistines are about to fall upon you, Samson.”
Delilah speaking to
the lords of the Philistines
"Come
up this once, for he has showed me all his heart."
“O
Lord God, remember me, I pray you and strengthen me, I pray you, only this
once, O God, so that I may be at once avenged upon the Philistines for my two
eyes.” And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house
stood, one with his right hand and the other with his left hand.
Audience:
This
story can be told for many different audiences. There is a repetitive aspect of
this story that would appeal to younger audiences. This story also has aspects
of adventure that would hold the attention of a young adult. I chose to focus
on adults for this telling.
Allan
B. Chinen describes middle tales in the article “The Message of Midlife Tales.”
Middle tales are tales that appeal to people in the middle of their life. This
time is commonly termed “mid-life.” Chinen describes the common themes of
middle tales as: personal failures, martial conflict, disillusionment, and
loss. Chinen believes the purpose of the middle tale is for adults to find
wisdom and self-acceptance instead of glory or wealth.
The
focus of the middle tale is frequently the dark side of life. The story of
Samson definitely explores the darker side of life. Samson is a character that
battles with his lust for women and his love for God. His lust for women leads
him into trouble each time, it is only through the gifts that God gives Samson,
is he able to escape.
I
believe the story of Samson will give adults a chance to reflect upon their
“wilder days.” It will hopefully take them back to a time when they were young
and remind them of some of the past relationships they were in. I believe that
listeners will identify with the youthfulness of the story and the strength of
the main character.
These
aspects will remind them of the teen to late twenty years.
The
decision that Samson makes to tell Delilah of how he can be bound should remind
young and old listeners of the times when they let their guard down to love.
Chinen
also describes the theme of “loss of magic” in middle tales. This trend is also
evident in the story of Samson. After Samson confides in Delilah the secret of
his strength, the Spirit of God leaves him. His “magic” is lost when his hair
is cut.
The
Zipes article, “On the Use and Abuse of Storytelling,” might argue that fairy
tales are told is in order to overcome the repressed feelings of childhood.
Jack Zipes believe that adults are avoiding their feelings and these repressed
feelings seep into the stories that we pass down from generation to generation.
Zipes also believes that stories are abused when we use them as ways of
manipulating children to social adjustment.
The
majority of Zipes theories apply to fairy tales and stories that are told to
children. Zipes believes there should be a clear separation between
psychologist and the storyteller. I believe that storytelling has always been
therapeutic for people. If that therapy is taken away, then won’t part of the
storytelling process be changed? Part of the trance in storytelling is when the
emotions of the listener are reflected and even magnified in the story. I
believe we enjoy stories that take us through the human spectrum of emotion. If
the fact that someone fictitious may be (remotely) going through what we have
gone through helps us, then why complain? I agree with some of the finer points
of the Zipes article (yes, storytellers are not therapists) but if storytelling
is therapy… then so be it.
Erikson
describes young adulthood in the eight stages of man. He says that young adults
are establishing meaningful and intimate relationships with others and are
looking for a connectedness. In middle adulthood, people move toward a stage of
caring for others. They sacrifice for the next generation.
Young
adults will want to establish meaningful relationships with romantic partners
and they will also want to experience a connectedness with God. Middle adults
will be involved in giving to the next generation. In this stage, middle adults
will be establishing the basis to evaluate life's worth in old age. This period
will involve the productive work and caring for others. It will involve periods
of stagnation and creation.
Piaget's
development stages describe formal operation as the last stage of development.
In this stage people develop their ability to understand and construct abstract
thought. They move away from relying on concrete evidence.
The
story of Samson will involve all the stages of development. For younger
audiences, it contains some repetition. For young adult audiences, it contains
the hero, going through a series of adventures. The main character Samson is
involved in situations that require complex solutions. The story is not straightforward
and the lines are not clearly defined between good and evil. And for adult
audiences, it contains aspects of evaluating life's worth and elements of
sacrifice at the end.
Bibliographic
Information on other versions/variants (at least two)?
Samson
In
Stories from the Bible retold by
Alvin Tresselt
New York, Coward, McCann & Geoghegan 1971
Samson
In Brian’s Wildsmith’s
Illustrated Bible Stories as told by Philip Turner
New York, F. Watts 1969
Bible
Mamo
Jalwalo
In
Folktales of India edited Brenda E.
F.
Chicago,
University of Chicago Press 1987
Brief
comparison of all versions/variants in terms of language, rhythm,
"tellability,"
“There
was among the Israelites a man stronger than any man alive, named Samson, whom
the Lord had blessed.”
The
story of Samson retold by Alvin Tresselt briefly summarizes the history of the
Israelites, explained the reason for Samson’s strength, the feats that Samson
performed and then moves directly to the story of “Samson and Delilah.” This
story did not appeal to me for that reason.
Delilah
binds Samson with seven green willow stems, new rope, and on the third time
shaved his head. Samson’s hair grows
back and eventually he is brought before the Philistine lords to be mocked.
Samson brings the roof of the temple down upon their heads.
This
story was very short. It was only three pages. The character of Delilah lacked
depth. Why did she do the things that she did? The character of Samson lacked
depth also. When his past feats are explained more, the struggle between the
Philistines and Samson makes more sense. (It also sets the tone for the
struggle between the Philistines and the Israelites.” Overall, this story seems
“rushed.”
The
story had some great illustrations!
“After
the fall of Jericho the Israelites quickly overran the Promised Land,
for
many years they had to fight the Philistines for possession.”
The
story of Samson retold by Philip Turner, begins with a small introduction to
the Israelite struggle. This story explains the name of the chapter in the
Bible from which the story of Samson is taken.
“During
these desperate years Israel had many great leaders whom they called Judges.
Samson was one of the most famous of the Judges and he was certainly the
strongest”
The
story goes on to summarize Samson’s feats. This story includes a summary of one
story that the Tesselt story lacked. One evening Samson left the fortress of
Gaza with the main gates on his back.
Then
the story moves to the story of “Samson and Delilah.” In this story, Delilah binds
Samson with seven green willow stems, binds him with new rope, weaves the locks
of his hair into a loom and on the fourth time shaved his head. Samson is brought before the Philistine lords
to be mocked. He is placed between the great pillars. Samson brings the roof of
the temple down upon their heads.
This
story seemed “rushed” also. The introduction is better because it describes the
struggle between the Israelites and the Philistines. Yet the description is
incomplete, in the story retold by Gwynne it explains the other dangers that
the Israelites face.
“Now
it was the nation of the Philistines that troubled and oppressed the Israelites
for a period of forty years.” It goes on to describe the Philistines and the
God that they worship. Even some Israelites worship Dagon, which is the god of
the Philistines. This is important to show that Samson’s parents and Samson are
steadfast in their worship of the God of Israel.
The
Gywnne story also tells the story of the Angel, and includes all the feats that
Samson completes. It is the most complete story that I found and it was closest
to the telling that I found in the Bible. I consider the Bible to be the
original telling but I chosen this telling because the language was easier.
The
Gujarat story of Mamo Jalwalo involves
an old couple and a god. The story begins with old couple that is not able to
sow the seeds for their farm. They encounter a young man who volunteers to
help. This man is so fast and effective at planting the garden they finish
before their neighbors do. The old couple decides to keep the young man. They
reason that he cannot be human. So they cut off a lock of the young man's hair
and he cannot leave. The couple hides the lock of hair in the grain. The first crop
fails and the couple sends the young man back to the house for grain. He finds
the lock of his hair and goes back to his home.
The
Gujarat story was an interesting comparison to the story of Samson. I would
argue that in this story the god's power was not in his hair. The lock of hair
gave the couple the power to detain the god. In my research for variants and
versions, I did identify a story with a giant whose strength came from his
hair. I was not able to find this story because it was published in the 1950s.
I
was not able to identify a suitable variant for this story.