SAMSON

SAMSON (Shimshon), son of Manoah from the tribe of Dan, “judge” (ruler) of the ancient Israelites, whose exploits are described in the biblical book of Judges (13-16). The story about him is more rich in legends than the stories about other “judges”.

The story of Samson's birth is a typical motif about God's miraculous gift of a son to a barren woman. An angel sent by God announced to the mother that she would give birth to a son, who should be a Nazarite already in the mother’s womb, and therefore she was forbidden to drink wine or eat anything unclean, and when the child was born, he was not allowed to cut his hair. The angel also announced that the boy was destined to begin the deliverance of Israel from the yoke of the Philistines.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn. Sacrifice of Manoah. 1641
Art gallery, Dresden.

The stories of Samson, which are told in the book of Judges, are associated with three Philistine women. The first lived in the Philistine city of Timna, or Timnata. Samson performed his first feat on the way to Timnata, killing a lion that attacked him with his bare hands.

Peter Paul Rubens. Samson tearing the lion's mouth. 1615-16.
Villar Mir Collection, Madrid

In Timnath, at his wedding, Samson asked the Philistines a riddle based on the incident with the lion, which they could not solve, and they persuaded the bride to extract the answer from Samson. When Samson realized that he had been deceived, he angrily attacked Ashkelon and, having killed 30 Philistines, returned to his parental home. When Samson came to see his wife a few days later, it turned out that her father, believing that Samson had abandoned her, had married her off to Samson’s “marriage friend.”

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn. Samson threatens his father-in-law. 1635

In retaliation, Samson burned the fields of the Philistines, releasing 300 foxes with torches tied to their tails. Having learned the reason for Samson's anger, the Philistines burned his unfaithful wife and her father, but Samson considered this insufficient and inflicted severe injuries on many. The Philistines marched into Judea to catch and punish Samson. The frightened Israelites sent a delegation of three thousand people to Samson demanding that he surrender himself into the hands of the Philistines. Samson agreed to have the Israelites tie him up and hand him over to the Philistines. However, when he was brought to the Philistine camp, he easily broke the ropes and, grabbing the jawbone of a donkey, killed a thousand Philistines with it.

Gustave Dore. Samson crushes the Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey

The second story involves the Philistine harlot in Gaza. The Philistines surrounded her house in order to capture Samson in the morning, but he got up in the middle of the night, tore out the city gates and took them to the mountain, “which is on the way to Hebron.”

The third Philistine woman, because of whom Samson died, was Dlila (in the Russian tradition Delilah, later Delilah), who promised the Philistine rulers for a reward to find out what Samson’s strength was.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn. Betrayal of Delilah. 1629-30
State Museums of Berlin

After three unsuccessful attempts, she finally managed to find out the secret: the source of Samson’s strength was his uncut hair.

Francesco Morone. Samson and Delilah

Having put Samson to sleep, Dlila ordered to cut off “the seven braids of his head.”

Peter Paul Rubens. Samson and Delilah.

Fragment

Having lost his strength, Samson was captured by the Philistines, blinded, chained and thrown into prison.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn. Blinding of Samson.

Fragment. 1636

Soon the Philistines held a festival at which they thanked their god Dagon for delivering Samson into their hands, and then brought Samson to the temple to amuse them. Meanwhile, Samson's hair managed to grow back, and his strength began to return to him.

Peter Paul Rubens. Death of Samson. 1605
Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Having offered a prayer to God, Samson moved the columns from their places, the temple collapsed, and the Philistines and Samson who had gathered there died under the ruins. “And the dead whom Samson slew at his death were more than he slew in his life.” The biblical account of Samson ends with the message of Samson's funeral in the family tomb between Tzor'a and Eshtaol.

Samson's tomb today

The Book of Judges reports that Samson “judged” Israel for 20 years. Samson was different from the other “judges”: he was the only one who, even in his mother’s womb, was destined to become the deliverer of Israel; the only “judge” endowed with superhuman strength, performing unprecedented feats in battles with the enemy; finally, Samson is the only “judge” who fell into the hands of the enemy and died in captivity.

Schnorr von Carolsfeld.Death of Samson

However, despite its folkloric overtones, the image of Samson fits into the galaxy of “judges” of Israel, who acted under the guidance of the “spirit of God” that descended on them and gave them the power to “save” Israel. The biblical story of Samson reveals a combination of heroic-mythological and fairy-tale elements with a historical narrative.

Slate bas-relief "Samson tears the lion's mouth"

XI-XII centuries

The historical image of the “judge”, which was Samson, is enriched with folklore and mythological motifs, which, according to a number of researchers, go back to astral myths, in particular to the mythology of the Sun (the name “Samson” - literally “solar”, “the braids of his head” - the sun's rays, without which the sun loses its power).

"Samson tearing the lion's mouth" - central fountain

Peterhof palace and park ensemble A. ( 1736)

The biblical story about Samson is one of the favorite topics in art and literature, starting from the Renaissance (the tragedy of Hans Sachs “Samson”, 1556, and a number of other plays). The topic has gained particular popularity at 17 at., especially among Protestants, who used the image of Samson as a symbol of their struggle against the power of the Pope. The most significant work created in this century is the drama of J. Milton “Samson the Wrestler” (1671; Russian translation 1911).

Among the works 18 in. It should be noted: the poem by W. Blake (1783), the poetic play by M. H. Luzzatto “Shimshon ve-ha-plishtim” (“Samson and the Philistines”), better known as “Ma’aseh Shimshon” (“The Acts of Samson”; 1727). IN 19 V. this topic was addressed by A. Carino (around 1820), Mihai Tempa (1863), A. de Vigny (1864); at 20 in. F. Wedekind, S. Lange, L. Andreev and others, as well as Jewish writers: V. Jabotinsky (“Samson of Nazareth”, 1927, in Russian; republished by the “Biblioteka-Aliya” publishing house, Jeremiah, 1990); Leah Goldberg (“Ahavat Shimshon” - “Samson’s Love”, 1951-52) and others.

In fine arts Episodes from the life of Samson are depicted on marble bas-reliefs of the 4th century. in the Naples Cathedral. In the Middle Ages, scenes from Samson's exploits are often found in book miniatures. Paintings on the theme of the story of Samson were painted by artists A. Mantegna, Tintoretto, L. Cranach, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens and others.

In music Samson's plot is reflected in a number of oratorios by composers in Italy (Veracini, 1695; A. Scarlatti, 1696, and others), France (J. F. Rameau, opera based on a libretto by Voltaire, 1732), Germany (G. F. Handel based on the drama by J. Milton wrote the oratorio Samson; premiered at the Covent Garden Theater in 1744). The most popular is the opera of the French composer C. Saint-Saëns “Samson and Delilah” (premiere in 1877).

Court. 16:1-3. What is described here testifies to Samson’s incredible physical strength, which is comparable only to his moral imperfection. This latter is also evidenced by the fact that, once finding himself in Gaza, a coastal city located almost 50 km from his native Tsora, Samson decided to have fun with a harlot. The Philistines, having learned that he was in the city, planned to guard him all night, so that in the morning, when he began to leave the house of the harlot, they would kill him.

But, having deceived their “vigilance,” Samson rose at midnight and, leaving Gaza, removed the doors of the city gates from their hinges, placing them along with the lock... on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the mountain, which is on the way to Hebron. According to local legend, this was Mount El Montar, located east of Gaza. There is another version: we are talking about a mountain located half an hour’s walk from Gaza, to the north of it; it is supposedly called Samson's Mountain.

5) Once in the hands of Delilah, Samson loses his strength (16:4-22).

Court. 16:4-14. After this, Samson fell in love with a woman from the Sorek Valley. Her name was Dalida. Probably a Philistine, she bore a Semitic name meaning “dedicated”; this may indicate that she was a temple prostitute.

Owners The Philistines who came to Delilah to involve her in a conspiracy against Samson could be the mayors of the five largest Philistine cities. Each of them offered the woman huge money (one thousand and one hundred shekels of silver) for agreeing to find out what Samson’s great strength was and how it was possible to defeat him. Delilah's first three attempts to get Samson to reveal his secret were unsuccessful. He only teased her, coming up with “means” that supposedly could weaken him and make him like other people.

Either he proposed to tie himself with seven raw bowstrings (made from the intestines of animals), or with new ropes (the unsuitability of which in his case had already been demonstrated; 15:13). Then he declared that he would become powerless if the seven braids of his head were woven into fabric and nailed to a loom. In the presence of the Philistine "representative" hidden in her bedroom, Delilah tried all three methods (apparently while Samson was fast asleep; compare 16:13), but none of them "worked." The insidious mistress seemed to be playing with Samson and teasing him, each time waking up the sleeping man with a cry: The Philistines are coming at you! In fact, this was a sign for the Philistine hidden with her - to be convinced of the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the next method.

Court. 16:15-17. In the end, unable to bear her reproaches and pestering, Samson told Delilah the truth about the source of his strength, which did not come from witchcraft, as the Philistines probably thought, but was given to him from above, from the Spirit of God (13:25; 14:6 ,19; 15:14). This supernatural action of a higher power in him was, however, made dependent on the special role assigned to Samson in the fulfillment of God's plans; his “separation” was clothed in the form of Nazarite status (for I am a Nazarite of God from my mother’s womb, Samson says to Delilah), the inviolable symbol of which for Samson was to be the hair on his head - a razor could not touch them throughout his entire life (13 :5). (Although it was not in the hair, of course, that Samson’s strength lay.) Violation of this condition would indicate Samson’s final and irreparable disobedience to the Lord, and this disobedience began at the moment when he revealed his secret to his mistress, whom he had no confidence in trusting. grounds.

Court. 16:18-22. So, Samson fell into the hands of the Philistines due to his foolishness. Delilah put him to sleep... and ordered... to cut off the seven braids of his head... and his strength departed from him. Waking up this time to the cry of Delilah: The Philistines are coming at you, Samson! - He tried, as in previous cases, to use his strength. And he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. The Spirit of the Lord left him, and Samson became a captive of the Philistines and ceased to be a judge of Israel.

Philistines they blinded Samson, who had lost his strength, and brought him to Gaza (most likely in revenge for the insult that he inflicted on Gaza, carrying away its city gates on his shoulders, like a toy). There they chained him and forced him to grind grain in the prison where they put him, that is, to perform a woman’s work that is humiliating for a man. (It is quite possible that Samson grinded in a small hand mill, since it is not certain that large mills, in which work was done by the power of domestic animals, already existed at that time.)

After a short stay in prison, the hair on Samson's head began to grow back. The days of the Philistine festival arrived, and then Samson turned to the Lord with a prayer (verse 28) to give him strength for the final vengeance on the Philistines (verses 29-30).

6) Samson's revenge on the Philistines.

Court. 16:23-30. The nobles of the Philistines gathered to make a great sacrifice to Dagon, their god. Dagon was a West Semitic grain harvest deity (1 Samuel 5:2-7; 1 Chronicles 10:10), adopted by the Philistines from the Amorites. Thinking that it was Dagon who delivered them from Samson, betraying him into their hands, they glorified their god and had fun, and for greater joy they summoned their all-powerful enemy from prison recently to entertain them (perhaps by his very appearance, i.e. . demonstration of one's helplessness).

Philistine temples were usually a long room, the roof of which was supported from the inside by two powerful pillars. Many Philistines gathered in the temple of Dagon (including three thousand people on its roof) and, probably, in the courtyard, and they all rejoiced and were glad to see blind Samson. And then he asked the boy who was driving him to take him to the pillars of the temple in order to lean against them and rest.

It was then that Samson appealed to the Lord with a prayer to remember him and return him to his former strength only for the shortest time, in order to take revenge on the enemies of his people for the last time, and then die with them. And God heard Samson's last prayer. And so Samson moved the two middle pillars on which the temple of the pagan god was built, and it fell on all the people who were in it. So, at his death... Samson killed more Philistines than during his lifetime. Before this last “slaughter” of the Philistines by Samson, he killed at least 1030 of them: 30 in Ashkelon (14:19) and 1000 in Ramath-Lehi (5:14-17).

7) Burial of Samson.

Court. 16:31. And Samson's brothers (until now they have not been mentioned) and all his relatives came to Gaza and, taking his body, went and buried him between Zorah (where he was born; 13:2) and Estaol (13:25; 18:2 ,8,11) in the tomb of Manoah his father. Thus ended the twenty-year reign of Samson, the twelfth judge of Israel (15:20).

Although Samson was given the power to act at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and his incredible physical strength came from Him, the last judge of Israel repeatedly fell into temptation, as a result of which he suffered. His life sounds from the pages of the Bible as a warning to all those who do not know how to restrain themselves from satisfying their carnal impulses and passions.

III. Epilogue: General Situation in the Days of the Judges (Chapters 17-21)

Theologically, chapters 17-21 form an epilogue illustrating the state of religious apostasy and social degradation so characteristic of the period of the judges. In the eyes of the author (probably writing in the early years of the king's reign), this atmosphere indicated that anarchy reigned in "Israel, which had no king" (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).

In terms of history, the events described in chapters 17-21 form a kind of appendix to the book of Judges, since they all took place in previous and even quite ancient times. Their early dates are indicated by the fact that Aaron's grandson was still alive in the days in which they occurred (20:28), as well as by the reference to the ark at Bethel (20:27-28). It is possible that the events here related took place in the days of Othniel, the first judge.

The epilogue consists of two main sections: 1) Chapters 17-18, in which the story of the making of idols for home worship by Micah the Ephraimite and his mother and how Micah hired a certain Levite named Jonathan as a priest (18:30) is intertwined with an account of the migration of the tribe of Dan and its idolatry. 2) Chapters 19-21, which tell of the disgusting cruelty committed at Gibeah against the concubine of another Levite and the subsequent civil war against the tribe of Benjamin, cruel and rebellious; This war was a prelude to the disappearance of the tribe of Benjamin.

Literature lesson in 8th grade:

"Who is to blame for the tragic fate of Samson Vyrin"

It is known that in works of fiction one can find answers to many questions. But the authors do not give direct answers, but allow readers to think for themselves about important moral problems: good and evil, about serving the Motherland, about honor and betrayal, about a sense of duty, about love and respect for parents, about mercy and compassion for those who love you. surrounds.

Russian literature has always been distinguished by its special attention to the spiritual world of man.

After students read A.S. Pushkin’s story “The Station Agent,” students can easily identify one of the main problems of the story: the relationship between parents and children or the loneliness of parents with living children. They are ready to blame Dunya and Minsky for all the protagonist’s troubles, defending Samson Vyrin.

The purpose of this lesson is to show that Samson Vyrin was ruined not by Dunya’s act, but by her happiness and the protagonist’s reluctance to come to terms with this fact.

The purpose of the lesson:

improve the skills of problematic comparative analysis of text by penetrating into the artistic “fabric” of the work;

cultivate the ability to admit one’s mistakes;

cultivate the ability to understand and evaluate people’s actions;

continue work with the concept of “little man” in Russian literature.

During the classes:

Teacher: The tragedy plays out on the pages of the story by A.S. Pushkin. The main character Samson Vyrin could not withstand the blow of fate. He becomes an alcoholic and dies.

Who is to blame for the tragedy that occurred on the pages of A.S. Pushkin’s story “The Station Agent”?

Students: - Dunya and Minsky.

Teacher: Many researchers and readers of A.S. Pushkin’s work come to this conclusion. But there is another opinion. This is the opinion of M. Gershenzon (researcher of A.S. Pushkin):

"Samson Vyrin was killed not by some real misfortune, but by......"

This is the question we will answer at the end of the lesson, we will restore the phrase belonging to M. Gershenzon, and whether we agree or not with the opinion that, in addition to the act of Dunya and Minsky, there is another reason for the tragedy of Samson Vyrin.

Let's take a look into the "holy abode" of the stationmaster. Let's take a closer look at the house in which Samson Vyrin and Dunya live. Let's pay attention to a special detail in the room's furnishings. What do the pictures hanging in the place of honor tell? Why does A.S. Pushkin use this detail?

This block of questions was developed by the 1st group. Students answer questions, supporting their answers with text.

Students compare the parable and the plot of the story and come to the conclusion:

Parable

“Stationmaster"

The prodigal son himself leaves his home to live independently.

The father himself sends his daughter away from her home (accidentally, involuntarily), not expecting that he is parting with her forever.

Nobody is looking for him

A father is looking for his daughter in St. Petersburg to bring her home

The prodigal son's lifestyle after leaving his parents' home represents depraved behavior.

Dunya lives in St. Petersburg in luxury and wealth.

Joyful meeting between son and father

Years passed - the caretaker died in poverty and grief. Only after the death of her father, Dunya, already a rich lady, visits her native place.

The son returned home poor and hungry. He realized his sin, repented of it, realized that he was “unworthy to be called the son” of his father, and decided to return.

Avdotya Semyonovna didn't come back , A came in passing by.

Reconciliation with father

Impossibility of meeting and reconciliation. The caretaker has died, so repentance and reconciliation are impossible.

Teacher: How do these pictures reflect the main character’s view of life?

What role did they play in the life of Samson Vyrin?

Students:

The pictures reflect the worldview of Samson Vyrin. This is his idea of ​​life. He is convinced that everything in life will be fine, he will always live as he lived: with Dunya, in his little refuge.

He never thought that Dunya might be burdened by her existence, that she would happily leave this “holy monastery”, only she had nowhere to go, and no one with whom.

Vyrinu is calm, warm, comfortable, he does not think about any changes.

Samson Vyrin created his own little world, isolating himself from the outside world; he does not think that this cannot continue forever, that there will be any changes.

He is even afraid of any changes.

Pictures played a cruel joke in the life of Samson Vyrin.

Teacher: Vyrin is a former soldier. "Fresh, cheerful. There are three medals on his coat." What happened to the brave soldier, why did he become like this?

Students: (answers are confirmed with text).

After the war, he was an official of the fourteenth class, “a real martyr of the fourteenth class, exempt... only from beatings...”.

Samson Vyrin is easy to offend, since he has a low rank.

Our hero has no strength of character (weak-willed).

He had no purpose in life.

Samson Vyrin is not gifted with any abilities.

But he is kind and does no harm to anyone.

Teacher: Let's conclude: what could, besides Dunya's act, destroy Samson Vyrin?

Students:

Reluctance to change anything in your life and Dunina’s.

Go beyond the world he created.

Lack of desire to fight and live on.

Lack of strong character.

Teacher: Thus, in Russian literature, along with the story “The Station Agent,” the concept of “little man” and its personification - Samson Vyrin. Let's define "little man".

Students:

low social status;

without outstanding abilities;

not distinguished by strength of character;

without a goal, but at the same time doing no harm to anyone, harmless;

the most important thing that makes a person “small” is the reluctance to change anything in this life, the fear of life.

Teacher: Why does Dunya run away from home? Why does Samson Vyrin go in search of her? 1st (in Samson’s house in Vyrina) and 2nd (in a hotel room) meetings with Minsky. How do the heroes behave? What are they talking about? What arguments does each person give, explaining why Dunya should belong to him? What mistake does Minsky make? What do you think Minsky should have done to improve relations with the father of the woman he loved? Why didn't he do this?

This block of questions was developed by the 2nd group. Students answer questions, supporting their answers with text.

Teacher: 3rd meeting between Vyrin and Minsky. When and where does it happen? What does the maid’s phrase mean: “You can’t go to Avdotya Samsonovna, she has guests”? How did the father see his daughter? What does this mean? Why does the Author call Samson Vyrin “poor” at this moment? Why didn’t Dunya, when she saw her father, scream with joy and rush to meet him, but faint? How does Minsky behave? Why? Can he be justified?

This block of questions was developed by the 3rd group. Students answer questions, supporting their answers with text.

How do these scenes make us feel? (students' opinions were divided)

Students:

It is obvious that Samson Vyrin sees his daughter rich, happy, loved and loving. But he understands perfectly well that this position of his beloved daughter may not last long, because Minsky did not marry her (this is evidenced by the maid’s phrase) and is unlikely to marry, since Dunya is the daughter of a poor official, not a profitable party for Minsky. Vyrin is convinced that sooner or later Dunya will be thrown out onto the street, and the fate of the prodigal son from the biblical parable awaits her. As a father, he feels humiliated, dishonored, and honor for Samson Vyrin is above all, above wealth and money. It’s a pity for Vyrin: he was insulted all his life as a person, as an official, and Minsky hurt his fatherly feelings.

I also feel sorry for Vyrin. Fate beat this man more than once, but nothing could make him sink so low, so stop loving life, like the act of his beloved daughter. Material poverty for Samson Vyrin is nothing compared to what became of his soul.

It is difficult for him to compete with the rich and strong Minsky. Sorry for him.

There are such vyrins in our time, defenseless, naive, doing their small but necessary work. And there are many Minsk ones.

Vyrin sneaks into Minsky’s house and sees his daughter dressed up and happy. What does he understand? He understands that his daughter gets along just fine without him, that she doesn’t need him at this point in her life. Vyrin returns home and, because his daughter is happy (this is a misfortune for him), becomes an alcoholic and dies. I don't feel sorry for Vyrin.

And I don’t feel sorry for Vyrin either. He is ready to forgive Minsky for insulting his daughter’s honor. He is ready to take Dunya back, although she has dishonored their family. He doesn't even have a sense of self-esteem. When he receives money for Dunya, he throws it not in Minsky’s face, but on the ground. He is incapable of action.

In a conversation with Minsky, he thinks not about his daughter, but about himself, thereby demonstrating his attachment to a certain way of life, fearing change and unwillingness to change anything for the sake of his daughter’s happiness. "Little man" remains "little man" to the end.

For a long time he built an artificial little world, fenced it off from the outside world, but these walls collapsed from the very first wind of change. Vyrin turned out to be unable to either protect what was dear to him or adapt to his new life.

Teacher: And one of the critics said about Samson Vyrin: “Samson Vyrin himself is to blame for what happened.”

Let's go back to the beginning of the lesson: what killed Samson Vyrin? "

Samson Vyrin was killed not by some real misfortune, butDUNYA'S HAPPINESS ".

Homework: creative work “What bright sides do you see in what happened to Dunya? Are there any at all?” "Are the heroes to blame for each other? If so, for what?"

Joan of Arc, Samson and Russian history Gleb Vladimirovich Nosovsky

2.6. The tragic break in the fate of Samson-Zemshchina - first a hero, and then powerlessness and death

The Bible says that the hero Samson first defeated his enemies, but then, due to treacherous betrayal, he lost all his power and eventually died (Judges 15–16).

In the French version, Gilles de Rais also undergoes a tragic reversal of fate. First a marshal, second in command after the king, and then a fall, accusation of witchcraft, arrest, trial and death, see above and KhRON7, ch. 20.

The original of these events in the history of Rus'-Horde is the tragic fate of the zemshchina and its main leaders. The powerful party that opposed the tsar and the oprichnina was eventually broken. Its leaders were arrested, tried and executed.

Namely, the all-powerful equestrian Chelyadnin, the second person in the state, the head of the zemshchina, was exiled to the border church of Polotsk and to Kolomna, p. 132, 120. Then he was arrested, accused and executed.

Further, the tragic turning point in the fate of Metropolitan Philip Kolychev, a protege of the zemshchina, is also quite vivid. The all-powerful head of the Orthodox Church, who acquired enormous power, was eventually accused, arrested, convicted, sentenced to be burned, but instead was exiled to a monastery and then strangled by order of the tsar.

The fate of Khan Simeon Bekbulatovich, the head of the zemshchina, also follows this same line. First - the Tsar of All Rus', the ruler of the state, and then a turning point in life, resignation and, in fact, exile to Tver, p. 205.

And finally, the fate of Prince Simeon of Rostov, a supporter of the zemshchina, was tragically reversed. The ruler of Nizhny Novgorod, the almighty prince, after the fall of Chelyadnin, was arrested and executed, drowned by the guardsmen in the river, Prince. 3, vol. 9, ch. 2, column 59.

34. The biblical story of Samson is the struggle of the Zemshchina against the Oprichnina in Rus' under Ivan IV the Terrible Samson is an allegorical description of the Zemshchina in the person of its two main leaders and two other famous characters of the 16th century. The head of the zemstvo opposition to Ivan IV and the oprichnina becomes