I know it wasn't just that, but also because had taken the vow of the Nazarene, but his strength did seem to stem directly from his hair because when it was cut his strength vanished. It's such a supernatural story in the midst of historical documentation of that Jewish period.
Please, if you're just going to say it's a fairy tale don't bother even answering. I would like to hear intelligent answers please.
2007-01-09 07:30:35 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It was because of the meaning of it.
Samson broke some of the Nazirite vows, like when he ate honey from a beehive in the skeleton of an unclean animal, and the name of the valley (the Valley of Grapevines) where he went to get his second wife also suggests that he was straying on the requirement not to touch grapes.
The hair however, was the main outward symbol of a Nazirite. If a Nazirite touched a dead body he was supposed to shave off his hair and start the period of his vows again (Numbers 6). Samson was a special kind of Nazirite, as he was born a Nazirite and dedicated for life. By letting his hair be shaved off Samson was renouncing his Nazirite vows, so God took away his strength.
When his hair grew back, it symbolised that he was returning to his status as one dedicated to God, and so God have him back his strength when he asked for it in order to carry out one last suicide mission against his enemies. Even when dead, the Philistines and Israelites who saw his dead body with the long hair would have understood the symbolism of it and realised that Israel's God lay behind Samson's strength.
2007-01-09 08:16:56 · answer #1 · answered by Beng T 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Nazarite vow that Samson took was a vow of consecration to God.Leaving the hair uncut was just a part of it. Samson exhibited supernatural strength because God's Spirit strengthened him. When he broke the Nazarite vow, the Spirit of God left him and took Samson's strength as well. Read the whole story in the book of Judges.
2007-01-09 15:45:11 · answer #2 · answered by Paulie D 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The story of Samson is a study in contrasts. We see the tremendous feats of Samson's physical strength on the one hand and his obvious spiritual shortcomings on the other hand. He was strong but weak! God has included this account about Samson in His Word, not just that we may stand in awe at the strength of the world's strongest man, but that we may learn the lessons for growing Christians that are recorded here. (See Romans 15:4.)
Samson lived in Israel during the period of the Judges. In fact, Samson was the last judge of Israel before Samuel. Soon after Samson's death, Saul was anointed by Samuel as the first king of Israel. The period of the judges was certainly not a time of spiritual growth in Israel's history. The people of Israel had gone downhill since the days of Moses and Joshua. Disobedience to the Word of the Lord was the reason for this downhill spiral. A "do your own thing" attitude characterized the age of the judges. Judges 17:6 and 21:25 state that "everyone did that which was right in his own eyes." God permitted the enemies of Israel to come in and oppress and defeat His people because of their sin. Periodically during these dark days the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help. God then graciously raised up a judge to deliver them. But soon after they were delivered, they turned their backs on the Lord again and plunged into renewed idolatry and immorality.
Against such a background Samson came on the scene. It was during a time of Philistine oppression. Right from the start Samson had everything going for him. If ever there was a "most likely to succeed" candidate, young Samson was that person. In chapter 13 we learn that Samson came from a solid home. He had godly parents who believed and worshipped the Lord. Furthermore, Samson was designated by God Himself to be a deliverer of Israel from the hands of the Philistines (13:5). Victory was guaranteed. What more could one ask for? And then, of course, there was Samson's physique. Not only did God bless him with great physical strength but it seems that God gave him good looks as well. (An ugly Samson just could not have had the "success" that Samson had with the Philistine women!) On top of all this, we read further that God blessed young Samson and the Spirit of the Lord was at work in his life (13:24-25). Wow! What a tremendous foundation on which to build. What potential! In light of such a beginning how sad it is to read the above Scripture (16:21) concerning Samson's tragic end--gouged-out eyes, bound with chains, harnessed like an ox, imprisoned by the Philistines. Instead of delivering Israel from the Philistines, Samson had delivered himself to the enemy
2007-01-09 15:43:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes the meaning of the bible gets lost in people trying to analyze why God said this and not that. The core fact is God gave him strength. It wasn't of Samson's own doing. Whether it was his hair or his toe nails would not make the lesson any less valuable.
2007-01-09 15:36:35 · answer #4 · answered by gtahvfaith 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Long hair (which his mother was told of) was basically a sign of obedience to God.
2007-01-09 15:55:11 · answer #5 · answered by jefferyspringer57@sbcglobal.net 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
'cause punk was IN back then.
2007-01-09 15:34:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋