Judges 16:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Can this be the same Samson who could snap raw bowstrings and fracture new ropes as if they were threads of wax? Is this the same man who felt no discomfort as he was bound, while the Holy Spirit was upon him? Truly, after the Spirit of God departed, he transformed into a very different being from the Samson who returned adorned with the trophies of his enemies—who fell from the peak of his strength into the embrace of a woman, both exalted and tricked, and had his hair sheared. Was the hair on his head of such significance that its mere presence bestowed invincible strength, and with its removal, the man instantly became powerless? Such is not the case; we must not believe that hair holds such might.

There exists the hair of faith and devotion—the hair of the Nazarite, the hair symbolizing the one who observes the laws, who practices moderation and self-restraint, reflecting the image of the Church, which anointed the feet of the Lord and dried them with her hair (See Jn. 11:2), recognizing Jesus even in His earthly form. This is the hair that Scripture describes: Thy hair is like a flock of goats (Song 4:1), and it is said of Christ, To every man Christ is the head (1 Cor. 11:3). Additionally, in another passage, His head is of pure gold; His locks are waves, dark as a raven (Song 5:11). Likewise, in the Gospel, our Lord teaches that some aspects of hair are visible and understood, as He states: But the hairs of your head are all numbered (Matt. 10:30), which clearly pertains to spiritual virtues, for God is not concerned with our hair in a physical sense. Yet, it is not implausible to consider that, in the fullness of His power, nothing can be withheld.

What benefit is it to me that God knows every hair on my head? What matters is that His oversight leads to the overflow of grace that rewards the faithful with eternal life. Samson himself indicates that these hairs are not merely physical but represent the inner strength when he admits, ‘If my hair be shorn, my strength shall depart from me.’

For such a truth, Saul warranted his removal from the land of the living, as the prophet declared, "for this cause God shall break thee utterly, and destroy thee, and pluck thee up out of thy dwelling, and thy root out of the land of the living" (Psalm 51:7). Thus, in pursuit of the truth, he was eternally exiled from the territory where Rahab the harlot and her family were established through deception (Hab. 2). Similarly, Samson was safeguarded by falsehood, yet the truth, carelessly revealed to his treacherous wife, led to his downfall; for he neglected to heed the prophetic warning, "From her that lieth in thy bosom guard the doors of thy mouth" (Micah 7:5).

When Scripture depicts Him, Christ embodies the entirety, the head and the body. Just as Christ is the head of the Church, the Church functions as His body; thus, they are inseparable, representing the complete Christ. However, the Church comprises both robust and feeble members: some are nourished solely by solid food, while others remain on spiritual milk. Moreover, it's important to consider that within the sacraments, such as baptism and communion, there exists a mixture of the righteous and the unrighteous within the Church. The body of Christ acts as a threshing floor and, ultimately, will transform into a granary. While it remains a threshing floor, it does not reject the chaff; yet, when the moment arrives to store grain, the wheat will be discerned from the chaff. Thus, in some respects, Samson performed his deeds as a leader, while in others, as part of the body, yet all within the person of Christ. During his righteous actions and miracles, he reflected Christ, the head of the Church. At times of wisdom, he represented the virtuous within the Church. When he succumbed to temptation and acted foolishly, he became a symbol of the sinful within the Church. The woman Samson took as his wife represents the Church that had previously engaged in idolatry before coming to recognize the One True God, and which Christ later united to Himself. Enlightened by Him and bestowed with faith, she was privileged to learn from Him the secrets of salvation, eventually being granted insight into the heavenly mysteries as well.