Bible Challenge Day 92: Samson’s Women (Judges 13)

Much of the Bible is a man’s book, at least in the sense that the main actors are men. From the time that Moses first challenges Pharaoh until the end of his life, women do not get a lot of air time, not even Miriam, Moses’ sister, who was clearly important in her own right. In Joshua, the only important woman is Rahab, and she only appears in two chapters.

But Judges is an exception. From the beginning to the end of the book, women matter. Deborah is the most impressive of all. But one or more women are important to the storyline for most of the judges, and they are absolutely critical in Samson’s story. The most famous woman in Samson’s life is Delilah, but we will not read about her until tomorrow. Today I was struck by his mother.

Samson’s mother was barren, but an angel of the Lord appears to her to promise her a child. This put her in the line of barren mothers from Genesis: Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. Her husband missed the encounter, so he prays that God will send the “man” again. God does, but again sends the angel to Samson’s mother, not to Manoah. She hurries to call her husband, so that he too can hear the divine message. Manoah asks the angel about Samson’s rule of life, and the angel gives a rule for Samson’s mother. Finally, when the angel ascends to heaven, Manoah assumes that he and his wife will die since they have seen the Lord. She reassures him that God would not have accepted their sacrifice if God intended to kill them.

At each point, the angel has privileged her over her husband and even over her son to be born. And the story makes clear that she has more wisdom and insight than her husband. This pattern is consistent enough that it must be part of the lesson of the story. Precisely because the Bible tends to be male dominated, I value the exceptions and want to notice and celebrate biblical women when I can. Thank God for Samson’s mother. Would that Samson displayed her good sense and judgement one he becomes an adult!

Fr. Harvey