Date
4-7-2026
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)
Chair
David Maas
Keywords
Samson, Judges, metaphor, parallelism, defamiliarization, type-scene, Genesis 38, Judah, Tamar, Timnah, Riddle, Lion, Honey, Nazir, Nazirite
Disciplines
Religion
Recommended Citation
Scorup, Roy A., "Samson as Judah/Israel: Parallelism and Metaphor in Judges 13–16" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8145.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8145
Abstract
This dissertation argues that the Samson narrative in Judges 13–16 functions as a metaphorical parallel to Israel and Judah. By employing rhetorical criticism methodology, this study will trace the parallelism between Samson and the twin nations of Israel and Judah and analyze the unique flourishes and oddities that are replete in the account, which largely serves to advance this metaphor.
The parallels between Samson and his nation are striking, tracing a shared trajectory from divinely appointed origins, chronic rebellion, and ultimate decline. While many scholars have noted a strong parallelism between Samson and the Israelite nations, aside from Greenstein’s “The Riddle of Samson,” no recent work of significance has been done. While the parallels between the man and his nation are pronounced, the Samson saga in Judges 13–16 notably diverges from its peers within Judges, as Samson’s account introduces elements of violence, chaos, and explicit passion far above that of the prior accounts, which appears incongruous within the context of the redemptive history of Israel. This controversial account, referred to by some scholars as a "different species," has led to considerable debate concerning its purpose within the canon.
While scholars have made noteworthy contributions, a clear canonical purpose for the text remains elusive. The readings fall into one of two camps: either Samson serves as a political or religious polemic, or the text serves as a morality myth. Within this study, the unusual features of the pericope will be understood as largely serving to strengthen the parallelism between Samson and his nation, while differentiating the saga from other judgeship accounts.
