Pt2 Stories of Samson in Judges 13-16: Strength, Sin, and Symbolism (Sotah 9b-10a)
This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.
R’ Ḥama ben Ḥanina - Samson as the Fulfillment of Jacob’s Prophecy about Dan (Judges 13:25; Genesis 49:17): Samson’s Stirring by God’s Spirit; Jacob’s Serpent Prophecy
The verse in Judges describes the beginning of Samson’s divine stirring: “And the spirit of YHWH began [וַתָּחֶל / ‘va-taḥel’] to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.”
R’ Ḥama bar R’ Ḥanina states that this marked the fulfillment1 of Jacob’s prophecy regarding Dan:
Jacob had said: “Dan shall be a serpent (נחש) in the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward”.2
״ותחל רוח ה׳ וגו׳״.
אמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא:
חלתה נבואתו של יעקב אבינו,
דכתיב: ״יהי דן נחש עלי דרך״.
The verse states with regard to Samson: “And the spirit of YHWH began [va-taḥel] to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol” (Judges 13:25).
R’ Ḥama, son of R’ Ḥanina, says:
The prophecy of Jacob our forefather concerning the tribe of Dan took effect [ḥaleta] through Samson, a member of the tribe of Dan,
as it is written: “Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward” (Genesis 49:17).
R’ Yitzḥak of R’ Ami’s School - The Sound of the Shekhina and the High Priest’s Bells (Judges 13:25; Exodus 39:26): Linguistic Link to Priestly Garments
R’ Yitzḥak from the school of R’ Ami interprets the word “lefa’amo” in the verse about Samson (“To move him in Mahaneh Dan”) as a hint that the Shekhina “jangled (מקשקשת) before him like a bell”.3
The basis is a linguistic comparison: “le-fa’amo” shares a root with “pa’amon” (“bell”) used in the context of the High Priest’s robe: Just as the bell rings to signal the priest’s presence, so too the Shekhina signaled Samson’s divine inspiration with sound.
״לפעמו במחנה דן״,
אמר רבי יצחק דבי רבי אמי:
מלמד:
שהיתה שכינה מקשקשת לפניו כזוג.
כתיב הכא:
״לפעמו במחנה דן״,
וכתיב התם:
״פעמן ורמן״.
The verse continues: “To move him [lefa’amo] in Mahaneh Dan.”
R’ Yitzḥak of the school of R’ Ami says:
This teaches that
the Shekhina jangled before him, inspiring him, like a bell [zog],
as it is written here:
“To move him [le-fa’amo] in Mahaneh Dan,”
and it is written there with regard to the clothing of the High Priest:
“A bell [pa’amon] and a pomegranate” (Exodus 39:26).
R’ Asi - Superhuman Strength: Samson Grinding Mountains (Judges 13:25)
R’ Asi states that Samson literally uprooted the mountains of Zorah and Eshtaol (אשתאול) and ground (טחנן) them against each other (demonstrating his superhuman strength).
״בין צרעה ובין אשתאול״,
אמר רבי אסי:
צרעה ואשתאול שני הרים גדולים היו,
ועקרן שמשון
וטחנן זה בזה.
The verse concludes: “Between Zorah and Eshtaol.”
R’ Asi says:
Zorah and Eshtaol were two large mountains,
and Samson uprooted them
and ground them one against the other.
R’ Ḥama ben Ḥanina - Philistine-Abraham peace pact Broken first by the Philistines (Judges 13:5; Genesis 21:23)
The phrase “beginning (החל) to save Israel” (Judges 13:5) is interpreted via wordplay as saying that the Philistine-Abraham peace pact (Genesis 21:23) had been voided (הוחל), since the Philistines had violated it.
״והוא יחל להושיע את ישראל״,
אמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא:
הוחל שבועתו של אבימלך,
דכתיב: ״אם תשקר לי ולניני ולנכדי״.
Samson’s parents were told: “For behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come upon his head; for the child shall be a nazirite unto God from the womb; and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5).
R’ Ḥama, son of R’ Ḥanina, says:
Samson’s parents were being told that the oath of Abimelech, king of the Philistines, was negated,
as it is written that Abimelech said to our forefather Abraham: “Now therefore swear unto me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son; but according to the kindness that I have done unto you, you shall do to me, and to the land wherein you have sojourned” (Genesis 21:23).
The oath of the descendants of Abraham was no longer binding since the Philistines broke their oath by subjugating the Jewish people.
Rav Yehuda citing Rav - Blessing of Sexual Prowess (Judges 13:24): his penis functioned like an adult’s, and his semen flowed like a river
Samson being “blessed by God” (Judges 13:24) is interpreted by Rav as a blessing of precocious and extreme virility—his penis (אמתו) functioned like an adult’s, and his semen flowed like a charging (שוטף) wadi (נחל).
״ויגדל הנער ויברכהו ה׳״.
במה ברכו?
אמר רב יהודה, אמר רב:
שברכו באמתו:
אמתו
כבני אדם,
וזרעו
כנחל שוטף.
The verse states: “And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and YHWH blessed him” (Judges 13:24).
The Talmud asks: With what did He bless him?
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says:
It means that He blessed him with regard to his penis:
that despite his youth
his penis
should function like that of physically mature men,
and that his seed
should be like an overflowing river.
Rav - Samson’s Final Prayer for Revenge on the Philistines and the Merit of Selfless Leadership (Judges 16:28): Samson’s Prayer for Strength; A Plea Based on Merit
Before his death, Samson appeals to God, asking to be remembered and granted strength one final time so he can avenge the loss of his two eyes at the hands of the Philistines.
Rav explains that Samson’s prayer included a justification: he reminded God that he had led the Jewish people for 22 years4 without ever taking a reward, not even asking someone to move a stick (מקל) on his behalf (emphasizing his selfless service as grounds for divine assistance).
״ויקרא שמשון אל ה׳ ויאמר:
ה׳ אלהים!
זכרני נא, וחזקני נא, אך הפעם הזה
ואנקמה נקם אחת משתי עיני מפלשתים״.
אמר רב:
אמר שמשון לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא:
רבונו של עולם!
זכור לי עשרים ושתים שנה ששפטתי את ישראל,
ולא אמרתי לאחד מהם:
העבר לי מקל ממקום למקום.
Prior to Samson’s death, the verse states:
“And Samson called unto YHWH, and said:
YHWH God!
remember me, I pray to You, and strengthen me, I pray to You, only this once,
that I may be this once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes” (Judges 16:28).
Rav said that
Samson said before God:
God!
remember on my behalf the 22 years that I judged the Jewish people without receiving any reward,
and I did not even say to any one of them:
Move a stick for me from one place to another place.
R’ Aivu bar Nagdi citing R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba - Samson’s Symbolic Use of Foxes to Punish the Philistines (Judges 15:4)
The verse describes Samson capturing 300 foxes, tying them tail to tail with torches in between, and sending them to destroy Philistine crops.
The Talmud asks why Samson specifically chose foxes (rather than another animal, for this act of vengeance).
R’ Aivu bar Nagdi cites R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba, who explains that Samson selected the fox because of its nature to “flee” (חוזר לאחוריו), symbolically mirroring the Philistines’ “reneging on their oath” .5
״וילך שמשון
וילכד שלש מאות שועלים״.
מאי שנא שועלים?
אמר רבי איבו בר נגדי, אמר רבי חייא בר אבא:
אמר שמשון:
יבא מי שחוזר לאחוריו,
ויפרע מפלשתים שחזרו בשבועתן.
The verse states earlier: “And Samson went
and caught 300 foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the midst between every two tails” (Judges 15:4).
The Talmud asks: What is different about foxes than any other animal, that he chose them for this purpose?
R’ Aivu bar Nagdi says that R’ Ḥiyya bar Abba says:
Samson said:
Let the animal that goes in reverse when it tries to escape, i.e., the fox,
come and exact punishment from the Philistines, who reneged on their oath that Abimelech swore to Abraham.
R’ Shimon the Pious - Massive Proportions: Shoulders 60 Cubits Wide (Judges 16:3)
A baraita states that R’ Shimon the Pious described Samson’s shoulder span as 60 cubits wide.
This is derived from Judges 16:3, where Samson lifts the massive doors of Gaza’s city gate, including the posts and bar, and carries them on his shoulders.
A tradition states that the gate was at least 60 cubits wide, matching the span of Samson’s shoulders (implying a massive human scale).
תניא,
אמר רבי שמעון החסיד:
בין כתיפיו של שמשון ששים אמה היה,
שנאמר:
״וישכב שמשון עד חצי הלילה
ויקם בחצי הלילה
ויאחז בדלתות שער העיר
ובשתי המזוזות
ויסעם עם הבריח
וישם על כתיפיו״,
וגמירי
דאין דלתות עזה פחותות מששים אמה.
It is taught in a baraita that
R’ Shimon the Pious said:
The width between the shoulders of Samson was 60 cubits,
as it is stated:
“And Samson lay till midnight,
and arose at midnight,
and grabbed hold of the doors of the gate of the city,
and the two posts,
and plucked them up, bar and all,
and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron” (Judges 16:3).
The verse indicates that the width of the gate of the city of Gaza was equal to the width of Samson’s shoulders,
and it is learned as a tradition that
doors of the gate of Gaza were no less than 60 cubits wide.
R’ Yoḥanan - Samson’s Grinding in Captivity (Judges 16:21): Interpretation of ‘Grinding’ as Sexual (Job 31:10)
The verse describes Samson being captured by the Philistines, blinded, shackled, and made to grind (טוחן) in prison (בית האסורים).
R’ Yoḥanan states that “grinding” is a euphemism (לשון) for sex (עבירה - “sin”), citing Job 31:10 as a parallel usage.6
The Talmud states that according to this interpretation, each Philistine man brought his wife to Samson in prison so that she would conceive (תתעבר) from him.7
״ויהי טוחן בבית האסורים״.
אמר רבי יוחנן:
אין טחינה אלא לשון עבירה,
וכן הוא אומר: ״תטחן לאחר אשתי״.
מלמד:
שכל אחד ואחד הביא לו את אשתו לבית האסורים
כדי שתתעבר הימנו.
With regard to Samson’s capture, the verse states: “And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house” (Judges 16:21).
R’ Yoḥanan says:
Grinding is nothing other than a language of a transgression of sexual intercourse,
and so the verse says: “Then let my wife grind unto another man” (Job 31:10).
This teaches that
each and every Philistine man brought his wife to the prison
in order that she should be impregnated by Samson.
Rav Pappa’s Folk Saying Analogy
Rav Pappa likens this to a folk saying: people give to each according to their known appetite or skill.8
אמר רב פפא:
היינו דאמרי אינשי:
קמי דשתי חמרא —
חמרא,
קמי רפוקא (גרידיא —
דובלא).
Rav Pappa said:
This is an example of the folk saying that people say:
Before a wine drinker --
bring wine;
before one who digs in the ground --
bring figs.
So too, Samson, who married Philistine women, was brought more Philistine women while in prison.
R’ Yoḥanan - Adultery Begets Adultery: Reciprocal Consequences
R’ Yoḥanan states that a man who commits adultery will find his own wife doing the same.
ואמר רבי יוחנן:
כל המזנה —
אשתו (מזננת) [מזנה] עליו
And R’ Yoḥanan says:
With regard to anyone who commits adultery —
his wife commits adultery against him
Prooftext (Job 31:9–10)
He supports this with Job 31:9–10, where Job declares that if he has sinned (נפתה לבי - “my heart has been enticed”) with another’s wife, then his own wife should suffer public disgrace.
Job’s curse, “Let my wife grind for another (תטחן - cited in the previous section), and may strangers kneel (יכרעון) over her” .9
שנאמר: ״אם נפתה לבי על אשה
ועל פתח רעי ארבתי״,
וכתיב:
״תטחן לאחר אשתי
ועליה יכרעון אחרין״
as it is stated:
“If my heart has been enticed unto a woman,
and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door” (Job 31:9),
and it is written:
“Then let my wife grind unto another man
and may strangers kneel over her” (Job 31:10).
Folk saying
This is likened to a folk saying: “He is among the pumpkins (קארי), she among the zucchinis”.10
והיינו דאמרי אינשי:
איהו --
בי קארי,
ואיתתיה --
בי בוציני.
And this is the folk saying that people say:
He --
is found among the pumpkins [karei]
and his wife --
among the zucchinis [butzinei],
which are similar types of vegetables. In other words, she acts the same way that he does.
R’ Yoḥanan - Samson’s Judgment Like God’s (Genesis 49:16)
R’ Yoḥanan states that Samson judged Israel like the divine justice of God (i.e. with perfect justice).
This is derived from the verse in Genesis 49:16: “Dan shall judge his people” (understood to refer to Samson, and to liken his judgment to that of “the One,” i.e., God).
ואמר רבי יוחנן:
שמשון דן את ישראל כאביהם שבשמים,
שנאמר: ״דן ידין עמו כאחד וגו׳״.
And R’ Yoḥanan says:
Samson judged the Jewish people as their Father in Heaven does, with complete justice,
as it is stated: “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel” (Genesis 49:16),
which is interpreted to mean that Samson, from the tribe of Dan, judges his people just as God, Who is “One.”
R’ Yoḥanan - Samson Called by God’s Name (Psalms 84:12)
R’ Yoḥanan states that Samson is called by the name of God, drawing on the verse “For YHWH God is a sun11 and a shield (מגן).”
ואמר רבי יוחנן:
שמשון על שמו של הקדוש ברוך הוא נקרא,
שנאמר: ״כי שמש ומגן ה׳ אלהים וגו׳״.
And R’ Yoḥanan says:
Samson [Shimshon] is called by the name of God,
as it is stated: “For YHWH God is a sun [shemesh] and a shield” (Psalms 84:12).
Appendix - Talmudic Interpretations of Samson’s Story: Organized by Verse
Judges 13: Samson’s Birth and Divine Calling
Judges 13:4 - Nazirite Restrictions
“Now therefore beware, I pray of you, and drink no wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing”
R’ Yitzḥak’s interpretation: When the angel instructed Samson’s mother not to eat anything “unclean,” this wasn’t suggesting she had eaten non-kosher food previously. Rather, it referred specifically to things forbidden to a nazirite.
Judges 13:5 - Broken Peace Pact
“For behold, you shall conceive, and bear a son... and he shall begin to save Israel out of the hand of the Philistines”
R’ Ḥama’s interpretation: The phrase “beginning (יחל/החל) to save Israel” indicates that the Philistine-Abraham peace pact had been voided (הוחל), as the Philistines had violated their oath from Genesis 21:23 (”if you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son”).
Judges 13:24 - Divine Blessing of Virility
“And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and YHWH blessed him”
Rav’s interpretation: God’s blessing of Samson was specifically regarding his sexual prowess - his penis functioned like an adult’s despite his youth, and his semen flowed abundantly “like an overflowing river.”
Judges 13:25 - Divine Stirring and Power
“And the spirit of YHWH began to move him in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol”
Multiple interpretations:
R’ Ḥama: This marked the fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy about Dan: “Dan shall be a serpent in the way” (Genesis 49:17).
R’ Yitzḥak: The word “lefa’amo” (to move him) indicates that the Shekhina “jangled before him like a bell” - a linguistic connection to the High Priest’s bells (pa’amon).
R’ Asi: Samson literally uprooted the mountains of Zorah and Eshtaol and ground them against each other, demonstrating superhuman strength.
Judges 14: Samson’s Marriage
Judges 14:3 - Sin Through His Eyes
“And Samson said to his father: Get her for me; for she is pleasant in my eyes”
Talmudic interpretation: Samson “rebelled with his eyes” by desiring a Philistine woman based on appearance (”she is right/straight in my eyes”). This sin led to his punishment - the Philistines later gouged out his eyes as measure-for-measure retribution.
Judges 15: Samson’s Vengeance
Judges 15:4 - Symbolic Foxes
“And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail”
R’ Ḥiyya’s interpretation: Samson chose foxes specifically because of their nature to flee, symbolically mirroring how the Philistines had fled their oath with Abraham.
Judges 15:19 - Unclean Salvation
“But God cleaved the hollow place that is in Lehi, and out of there came water”
R’ Yitzḥak’s interpretation: Since Samson desired “something unclean” (Philistine women), his life was saved through something unclean - water from the jawbone of a donkey (an unclean animal).
Judges 16: Delilah, Capture, and Death
Judges 16:1 - Sin in Gaza
“And Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her”
R’ Yehuda HaNasi’s interpretation: Samson’s “initial wrongdoing” took place in Gaza (visiting a Philistine harlot), and therefore his ultimate downfall and punishment also occurred in Gaza - a measure-for-measure punishment.
Judges 16:3 - Superhuman Proportions
“And grabbed hold of the doors of the gate of the city... and put them upon his shoulders”
R’ Shimon the Pious’s interpretation: The width between Samson’s shoulders was sixty cubits wide, matching the minimum width of Gaza’s city gates that he carried.
Judges 16:4 - Delilah’s Meaningful Name
“And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah”
R’ Yehuda HaNasi’s interpretation: Delilah’s name (דלילה) perfectly fit her actions - she “weakened” (דילדלה) Samson’s strength, heart, and deeds.
Judges 16:16-17 - Sexual Manipulation and Truth
“When she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him... he told her all his heart”
R’ Yitzḥak’s interpretation: Delilah’s “urging” (תאלצהו) of Samson involved sexual manipulation - slipping away from beneath him at the moment of climax.
Abaye’s interpretation: Delilah recognized Samson was telling the truth when he finally mentioned God (”I have been a nazirite unto God”), as she knew he wouldn’t invoke God’s name falsely.
Judges 16:18-20 - Delilah’s Betrayal
“When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart... his strength went from him”
Talmudic interpretation: Delilah weakened Samson in three ways:
His physical strength: “his strength went from him”
His heart: “he had told her all his heart”
His deeds/merit: “he knew not that YHWH was departed from him”
Judges 16:21 - Captivity and Humiliation
“And he did grind in the prison-house”
R’ Yoḥanan’s interpretation: “Grinding” is a euphemism for sexual activity (as in Job 31:10). The Philistines brought their wives to Samson so they would conceive from him, desiring offspring with his strength.
Rav Pappa: This exemplifies the folk saying: “Before a wine drinker, bring wine” - Samson who desired Philistine women was given Philistine women in prison.
Judges 16:28 - Final Prayer and Merit
“And Samson called unto YHWH... remember me, I pray to You, and strengthen me”
Rav’s interpretation: Samson appealed to God based on his selfless leadership - he reminded God that during his 22 years judging Israel, he never asked for even the smallest favor from anyone.
Additional Interpretations
R’ Yoḥanan: Samson’s name (שמשון/Shimshon) reflects divine protection - just as God (שמש/shemesh - “sun” in Psalms 84:12) protects the world, Samson protected Israel in his generation.
R’ Yoḥanan: Samson judged Israel with divine-like justice, as indicated in Genesis 49:16: “Dan shall judge his people as one” - comparing his judgment to that of “the One” (God).
R’ Yoḥanan: Anyone who commits adultery will find his own wife doing the same (referencing Job 31:9-10 and a folk saying).
חלתה.
These derashot by R’ Ḥama bar Ḥanina (in this section, and the following) play on different senses of the Hebrew root חל. He plays on three distinct semantic fields containing the letters חל :
“to begin” (root form חלל; see Hebrew Wiktionary, “החל“, sense #1; in Talmudic Hebrew, this became התחיל)
“to profane / to desecrate / to make void” (root form חלל; see Hebrew Wiktionary ibid., sense #2)
“to come into effect” (root form חול; see Hebrew Wikipedia “חָל“, sense #1)
Each derash pivots from the “beginning” sense in the verse’s plain meaning to a homiletic “effect” or “violation” sense.
Breakdown:
1. Judges 13:25 — וַתָּחֶל רוּחַ יְהוָה לְפַעְמוֹ (“the spirit of YHWH began to move him”)
: “חלתה נבואתו של יעקב
Jacob’s prophecy took effect / was fulfilled.
Play on meanings:
Peshat sense: וַתָּחֶל = began — from the root חלל, meaning to begin (a common biblical idiom: e.g. “ויחל נח איש האדמה”).
Derash sense: חלה = to come upon, to take effect, to be realized — the verb used of something (like prophecy or influence) becoming operative.
→ Thus, “חלתה נבואתו של יעקב” = “Jacob’s prophecy came into effect,” punning on וַתָּחֶל.
So, the semantic bridge is “Began” → “Came into effect / was fulfilled.”
2. Judges 13:5 — וְהוּא יָחֵל לְהוֹשִׁיעַ (“he shall begin to save Israel”)
: “הוחל שבועתו של אבימלך”
The oath of Abimelech was voided / profaned.
Play on meanings:
Peshat sense: יחל = he will begin (again from חלל = to begin).
Derash sense: הוחל = was profaned / desecrated / made void — also from חלל, but in its other sense “to make common / to desecrate” (as in “לא תחלל את שם קדשי”).
So here, the semantic bridge is “Begin” ↔ “Be profaned / broken / voided.”
Genesis 49:17 - R’ Ḥama identifies this serpent imagery with Samson’s ambush-style attacks, fulfilling the cryptic tribal blessing.
Compare the biblical verses, which state that Samson led (“judged”) for 20 years:
וישפט את ישראל בימי פלשתים עשרים שנה
He led Israel in the days of the Philistines for 20 years.
וירדו אחיו וכל בית אביהו וישאו אתו ויעלו ויקברו אותו בין צרעה ובין אשתאל בקבר מנוח אביו
והוא שפט את ישראל עשרים שנה
His brothers and all his father’s household came down and carried him up and buried him in the tomb of his father Manoah, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
He had led Israel for 20 years.
חזרו בשבועתן - the oath their ancestor Abimelech had made with Abraham, referenced also earlier.
On “grinding” as a euphemistic metaphor for sex, see also the next section, and see my piece on food metaphors for sex in the Talmud: “The “Sex is Food” Metaphor in the Talmud“. I cite this section ibid., section “ “Grind” (טחן)“.
Presumably, wanting his genes due to his strength.
Meaning here that just as Samson desired Philistine women, the Philistines brought him more of the same in captivity.
I.e. understood not just as punishment but as a mirror of his own sin, implying symmetrical consequences.
בוציני - suggesting that just as the two vegetables are alike, so too are the actions of husband and wife—his unfaithfulness invites hers.
This folk saying is quoted elsewhere in the Talmud in the context of the promiscuity of Ahasuerus and Vashti, see my “Talmudic Interpretations of the Book of Esther: Esther 1:3-9 (Megillah 12a)“, section “Vashti’s Feast and Sinful Intentions (Esther 1:9): Location of the Feast: both Ahasuerus and Vashti had immoral intentions“, where I summarize:
The Talmud questions why Vashti hosted her feast in the royal house (בית המלכות), a space meant for men, rather than in the women’s quarters (בית הנשים).
Rava states that both Ahasuerus and Vashti had immoral (דבר עבירה) intentions—Ahasuerus sought to engage with the women, while Vashti sought to engage with the men.
The Talmud supports this with a folk proverb: “He with pumpkins (קרי) and his wife with zucchinis” (בוציני - meaning that spouses often engage in similar behaviors.).
שמש - same root as “Samson”.