36 – Samson’s Adult Life Begins

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Just as in the account of Yeshua, there are many years – childhood years – missing from Samson’s life. Samson’s childhood is entirely missing while, with Yeshua, there is one account of Him going to Egypt after His birth and at roughly the age of 1 or 2 years old. Both Yeshua’s and Samson’s details begin in their adulthoods.

Let’s start with a possible connection between Samson and Yeshua in the pronunciation of the words ‘Nazirite’ and ‘Nazareth’. Samson was a Nazirite and Yeshua was from Nazareth. Many say these 2 words are related through a Hebrew root word but that is not true. The word ‘Nazirite’ comes from the Hebrew root word: nazir.

H5139
נזר    נזיר
nâzı̂yr  nâzir
naw-zeer’, naw-zeer’

From H5144; separate, that is, consecrated (as prince, a Nazirite); hence (figuratively from the latter) an unpruned vine (like an unshorn Nazirite). (The translation, Nazarite, is by a false alliteration with Nazareth.): – Nazarite [by a false alliteration with Nazareth], separate (-d), vine undressed.

‘Nazareth’ comes from:

H5342
נצר
nêtser
nay’-tser

From H5341 in the sense of greenness as a striking color; a shoot; figuratively, a descendant: – branch.

‘Nazir’ is spelled nun zayin resh. ‘Netser’ is spelled nun tsadi resh. The only connection between the words is the alliteration, or how these 2 words sound alike. Samson was a Nazirite but Yeshua was not though many try to claim Yeshua was a Nazirite.

Some people online claim that the nun resh, which are both in the words ‘nazir’ and ‘Nazareth’, come from a Hebrew 2 letter root. There is no ‘nun resh’ as a 2 letter Hebrew root. There are, minimally, 8 2-letter roots, and maximally, 11 2-letter roots in Hebrew. None of them are the nun resh.

Speaking of names: Yeshua’s name has significance in that it literally means ‘salvation’. Samson’s name is also significant. It is ‘Shimshon’ in Hebrew. This is a compound name deriving from 2 different Hebrew words – shemesh and rishon.

H8123
שׁמשׁון
shimshôn
shim-shone’

From H8121; sunlight; Shimshon, an Israelite: – Samson.

‘Shimshon’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘shemesh’ which can be phrased as “brilliant as the sun”.

H8121
שׁמשׁ
shemesh
sheh’-mesh

From an unused root meaning to be brilliant; the sun; by implication the east; figuratively a ray, that is, (architecturally) a notched battlement: –  + east side (-ward), sun ([rising]), + west (-ward), window. See also H1053.

Samson bore the name of God who is called “sun” in Psalms 84:11.

Psalms 84:11  For YHVH God is a sun [‘shemesh’] and a shield. YHVH will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. 

Yeshua is our “YHVH God” in Psalms 84:11. YHVH Elohim is Israel’s “shemesh” and Israel’s shield. YHVH called Samson for both purposes, to be sun, a bright spot to Israel, and also to be Israel’s shield. Not only did Samson stir up the Philistine hornet’s nest (the bright spot Israel would have known about), he also protected Israel from the Philistines by being a constant pain in their backside! He took the Philistine’s attention off of Israel while YHVH prepared for some big changes to come in Israel.

Note also that ‘shemesh’ not only means “sun”, it also means “east”. Yeshua will return from the east (Matthew 24:27).

That is the first syllable of Samson’s name. The second syllable is ‘shon’. ‘Shon’ is a diminutive of the Hebrew word ‘rishon’.

H7223
ראשׁן    ראשׁון
ri’shôn  ri’shôn
ree-shone’, ree-shone’

From H7221; first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun): – ancestor, (that were) before (-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore [-father] (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.

The ‘ri’ is removed to leave only ‘shon’. Note also that ‘rishon’ has to do with that which is “first”. Yeshua is the “first” and the “last”.

Revelation 1:17  When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last,
Revelation 1:18  and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 

‘Rishon’ translates to the Greek ‘prototokos’ (Strong’s G4416) which means “firstborn”. Both Yeshua and Samson were firstborns. G4416 comes from:

G4413
πρῶτος
prōtos
pro’-tos

Contracted superlative of G4253; foremost (in time, place, order or importance): – before, beginning, best, chief (-est), first (of all), former.

Since there is already so much parallel between Yeshua and Samson just in their names, we must shed some light on the life of Samson that others may have missed or misconstrued because, using him (something which Samson submitted to), YHVH began to save Israel from the Philistines. This is prophetic of Yeshua’s life in every way that He saves Israel from the world both spiritually and physically.

Samson’s Marriage, Yeshua’s Marriage

Judges 14:1  Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 

Notice that Samson “went down”. This is an allusion to the direction of Yeshua when He “comes down” to the earth from Heaven. We know He has appeared on the earth many times, not just in the time of His human life when He came to die on the cross. He was on the earth in His Temple at the center of the earth, which is now called Jerusalem, when He created the garden and made Adam and Eve to tend it.

He came down to see what in the world was going on at the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 11:5  YHVH came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 

Yeshua is YHVH who came down. He was literally at the Tower of Babel in human form. Doubtless no one thought he did not belong there. The scriptures would tell us if someone had spotted Him and objected to His presence. No, He was just there looking around, seeing what was going on. It is interesting, though, that they did not recognize Him as God, a characteristic of those who do not know God. We see throughout the scriptures that so few people recognize Yeshua as God. This is a problem still to this day.

But there was a man who recognized YHVH when He approached in human form: Abraham!

Genesis 18:1  YHVH appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:2  He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
Genesis 18:3  and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant. 

Yeshua appeared as the “angel of the LORD” many times. He appeared to Manoah’s wife and to Manoah, Samson’s parents.

Now let’s look at the next prophecy in Judges 14:1. Samson “saw a woman in Timnah” (prophecy # 2) and she “was a daughter of the Philistines” (prophecy # 3).

Timnah symbolizes the world because it is a place in the world of the Philistines. The Philistine territory symbolizes the world, and in the world, there are many places where a wife can be found. Timnah represents such a place. Samson was drawn to a woman of the world. Yeshua also is drawn to a woman who is in, but not of, the world.

Israel was established in the world first when Jacob returned back to Canaan from Syria.

Genesis 32:28  He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 

At the time of Jacob, Canaan was “the world” within the land. YHVH established Israel while Israel was still in the world. Israel would be called out, set apart and then return to the world, the same world where Samson goes to find a wife.

Another parallel, though, is the one of Israel “going down”, descending into the sins of the world. There is a dual parallel here. As much as “coming down” can parallel Yeshua coming to the earth, the same implication for Samson “going down” to Timnah is Israel’s spiritual decline. And this downward motion of Israel required a parallel downward motion by Yeshua who had to descend from His throne to die for Israel and, through that, the entire world.

Judges 14:2  He came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as my wife.” 

Samson now “comes up” seeking to involve his parents in getting this Philistine woman for his wife. The parallel is Yeshua returning to His place which was His home and throne after having “gone down” to “see” or “find” a woman.

Judges 14:3  Then his father and his mother said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among your brothers’ daughters, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.” 

What did Samson reply to his parents when they asked if he could not get a wife among the Israelites? He gave a typical messianic answer, the same kind of way Yeshua answered people, which was not always a direct answer to their question. Rather than say, “no” or make some argument about her, he simply said, “Get her for me” and that “she was pleasing to him”.

Yeshua chose His people, His wife, out of the world. Help is required to “get a wife”. Even here in Jordan today, marriages do not happen without the family’s involvement. For Yeshua, the help came from Moses.

Samson found a wife among the worldly Philistines rather than in Israel because this is a prophecy of Yeshua’s life mission which ultimately made it possible for Him to choose a wife from among the world – and yes, HE chooses us before we choose Him just like Samson chose his wife.

Samson did not sin by taking a Philistine as a wife as many say. The false doctrine is that God told the Israelites not to marry outside of Israel. This is not true. There were certain nations which the Israelites were not to marry into. These were all the Canaanite nations.

Deuteronomy 7:1  When YHVH your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than you; 

Even though the Canaanites are listed 4^th, it is a fact that the other “ites” (except the Perizzites) were sons of Canaan, who was the son of Ham (Genesis 10:15-18). The Perizzites were most probably the descendants of Sidon, Canaan’s firstborn son. However, some historians say the Perizzites were from Heth, the Hittites, also a son of Canaan. Either way, the Perizzites were a Canaanite tribe but not a son. Periz was a grandson.

Here is what the Torah says about which people Israel was not to marry with.  

Deuteronomy 7:2  and when YHVH your God delivers them up before you, and you strike them; then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy to them.
Deuteronomy 7:3  You shall not make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son.

Therefore, it was only the family of Canaan that was prohibited for marriage into Israel. The Philistines are not even mentioned in the Law of Moses. In fact, nor are the Egyptians part of the list of marital prohibitions. The prohibition pertained only to the Canaanites. Thus Samson did not sin by taking a Philistine wife, as many teach. He actually took a worldly/Philistine wife because it was preordained by YHVH Himself as scripture says in the next verse.

Some have written that Samson sinned against his parents by going against their wishes. It is not a sin to make one’s own life decisions even if they disagree with what our parents think we are supposed to do. It is a sin if we do not honor our parents. Samson’s parents only asked the question. They did not forbid Samson to have the Philistine woman. Had this been the case, and he disobeyed, the debate in favor of him sinning would be more substantial. Plus, Samson honored his parents by involving them in the “getting” of the wife he had chosen. It was always the parents’ honor to make such an arrangement.

Judges 14:4  But his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of YHVH ; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel. 

“But his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of YHVH”. It was YHVH’s Spirit that moved in Samson to get this wife from the world because the wife YHVH had married at Mount Sinai had been unfaithful and was now just part of the world, spiritually speaking.

Sometimes, YHVH’s plans don’t agree with what we think He should be doing. In fact, this is often the case in scripture, isn’t it? Almost no one agreed with how Yeshua comported His life, from the religious elites to His own disciples!

YHVH sought a worldly wife for Samson and for Yeshua, too, because He sought “an occasion” against the world. The occasion for Samson was so that YHVH could begin to deliver Israel to her next phase of existence. This particular “occasion” had to do with removing the Philistines from Israel’s soil. These “occasions” have been many in the existence of Israel. The final “occasion” will come with Tribulation period.

“Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel”, says verse 4. Israel has spent most of her 3500 years in existence being ruled by other nations. It was not supposed to be that way.

Deu 28:13  YHVH will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath; if you listen to the commandments of YHVH your God, which I command you today, to observe and to do,
Deu 28:14  and shall not turn away from any of the words which I command you today, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. 
Deu 28:15  But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to YHVH your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you, and overtake you. 

Deu 28:44  He [your enemy] will lend to you, and you won’t lend to him. He [your enemy] will be the head, and you will be the tail.
Deu 28:45  All these curses will come on you, and will pursue you, and overtake you, until you are destroyed; because you didn’t listen to YHVH your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you. 

Israel is ruled by other nations to this day. The people from the scattered tribes are ruled over by whatever nation they were born in. Even the modern, UN-created STATE of Israel is ruled over by the United Nations itself. Modern Israel is not a sovereign nation because it was created by the United Nations and not by YHVH. Ancient Israel was created by YHVH but modern Israel was not. The Tribulation will be the final “occasion” for YHVH to have no more need for such “occasions”.

Judges 14:5  Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion roared at him. 

This is the second time we read about Samson “going down” from his loftier place. We must recognize the importance of the many times Yeshua left His throne to “come down” to earth for Israel’s sake. Yeshua’s “coming down” to us in the world tells us how much He loves us, how much He loves Israel.

Samson’s parents symbolize the power of Heaven WITH Yeshua in coming to the world to get His wife. Yeshua did not come to the earth alone. He had His Father with Him in Spirit, and the account of Samson reveals the strength of the Holy Spirit!

Notice there was no further argument from his parents about his choice of a wife after Samson told them she was the one. Just as Yeshua chose Israel and then had to “come down” to get her, Samson’s parents just went and got this woman from Timnah.

The scripture says they “came to the vineyards of Timnah“. The vineyard, in this case, represents the excesses of worldly life. Samson was a Nazirite, which meant for him that coming into contact with a vineyard would have been a source of temptation. Samson would be tempted with the good things of the world – the wine and drunken celebrations which Samson had yet never experienced.

This parallels Yeshua’s temptation. He was tempted with something He had not had yet – rulership of the earth. That had ended with Adam and Eve.

Matthew 4:3  The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 

This is about getting Yeshua to bow to Satan and display His power in front of Satan on command.

Matthew 4:4  But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:5  Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
Matthew 4:6  and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’” 

This also is about getting Yeshua to bow to Satan and display His power in front of Satan on command. Apparently, Satan thought the use of power was irresistible.

Matthew 4:7  Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”
Matthew 4:8  Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.
Matthew 4:9  He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” 

This also is about getting Yeshua to bow to Satan, the ruler of the world, to display His power in front of Satan on command. Little did Satan understand that by Yeshua “coming down” to earth, humbling Himself in a way that no demon ever would, He would ultimately end up as the victor and Satan will end up destroyed.

Matthew 4:10  Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
Matthew 4:11  Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him. 

For Satan, the temptation of Yeshua was all about power and authority. For Yeshua, it was about humility and obedience to the Father and the plans they had made together before the foundation of the world.

There is more to this scenario. I will mention that right here is one of the places where Yeshua called Himself “the LORD your God”. But that is for another discussion.

For Samson to come to the vineyard and remain untouched by it is a prophecy that Yeshua would come into the world but not be touched by the world. 

“And look, a young lion roared at Samson”, Judges 14:5.

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Satan is the roaring lion. Yeshua is also a lion, a righteous one with the right and authority to rule. He is also the “old lion”. Satan is a wicked and young lion, a newcomer on the scene of YHVH’s plans, seeking to destroy what YHVH made so he can usurp authority, steal from YHVH and rule over what YHVH created, and thus, have the planet earth all to himself.

Samson was met by the roaring lion in the vineyard of the world. Yeshua came into the world to confront the roaring lion. We are shown this in Samson’s confrontation with it. Satan roared at Yeshua just as this lion roared at Samson.

Judges 14:6  YHVH’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he tore him as he would have torn a young goat; and he had nothing in his hand, but he didn’t tell his father or his mother what he had done. 

The Holy Spirit was Samson’s strength. We can learn a lot from this, i.e. letting YHVH’s Holy Spirit be OUR strength. YHVH’s Spirit enabled Samson to rip the lion apart as one would a young goat. Samson did not have his own strength. He is portrayed as a super muscular hulk with some kind of extraordinary strength. This worldly idea of Samson goes against what Samson really was – an ordinary man, likely strong enough to work and do the necessary life things like everyone else – i.e. average strength for his time, but not so strong that anyone would say, “Wow! Look at the muscles on that man!” or “Wow! Look what he can do!” No! He was an ordinary man, no stronger than his neighbors who also did chores. This was because if Samson actually had been the muscle-bound hulk many people think of him as being, it would not have been YHVH’s strength that empowered him to achieve YHVH’s goals. Thus, Samson would have had bragging rights and we know that no one gets bragging rights in YHVH’s Kingdom!

The point Samuel made is that the lion was no more of a problem to rip apart than a baby goat! It wasn’t that Samson went around tearing baby goats apart. We don’t need to find out what it takes to tear apart a young goat because this is not only a comparison between killing a young goat and killing a full grown lion, it is also a reference to the goat that dies on Yom Kippur. Yeshua will, in about 1100 years from here, BE the goat that gets torn up and at the same time He will tear the roaring lion – Satan – apart and literally kill Satan’s ability to take over the earth.

“He didn’t tell his father or his mother what he had done”. Commentators often view this as sinful on Samson’s part. The scripture doesn’t tell us why the parents did not know about this incident. Perhaps Samson got separated from his parents just as Yeshua was once separated from his. Things happen. Nonetheless, this incident happened and Samson did not mention it.

His not telling his parents about this was not sin. Grown humans are not required to tell parents every detail of one’s life. This was the first time Samson had been overcome by the Holy Spirit. It was new experience and he might not have known what to even say about it! Plus, maybe he knew that if word got out, he would be a hero in Israel and therefore it was of the Holy Spirit for him to be humble and quiet about it.

Judges 14:7  He went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well. 

Samson was a gentleman. He had only seen the woman. Now, in the company of his parents, he speaks to her for the first time. This is still the cultural norm in the Middle East. The man’s approach for marriage does not allow him to approach her. He must go through her parents and his parents must be involved.

Samson talking with the woman makes me think of the woman at the well in Samaria! Yeshua went to talk with her.

Keeping in mind that all of YHVH’s people are part of His “woman”, this also recounts and establishes how YHVH the Father and YHVH the son “talked” to the ancestor of on the one who would become Yeshua’s woman, Abram. They spoke to Abram by walking through the covenant pieces in Genesis 15 while Abram watched. The first approach for Yeshua to take Israel was there in their visit to Abram in Genesis 15.

There was another important time when Yeshua had a “talk” with one of the forefathers of Israel. The “discussion” was had with Abram’s grandson, Jacob, who would be given the name “Israel” in Genesis 32:28. This “discussion” was more of a fight than talking. I am being understated here, a little facetious, if you will allow. This particular incident was pivotal to the creation of Israel and it is necessary to note that YHVH was “well pleased” with Jacob, who He gave the name of “Israel” to, just as Samson was well pleased with the woman from Timnah.

The parallels between Samson and Yeshua are very many. We will stop here and, God willing, will continue next week.