Chapter 13
1. (v. 1) What was a possible reason for the barrenness of Manoah’?s wife? (Hint: See Deut. 28:15, 18) Why do you think the woman is not named?
2. (vv. 2-3) Why do you think that the he says that her son would “begin”? to save Israel from the Philistines?
3. (vv. 3-5)Read Numbers 6:1-8. Does this passage in Judges fit the description of a Nazirite? What is different?
4. (v. 16) Why do you think that the angel of the Lord would not eat the food?
Chapter 14
1. (v. 1) Do you think the original recipients of this book expected this after 13:25? What did you expect after 13:25?
2. (vv. 2-3) What was wrong with Samson’s request? (Hint: See Deut. 7:1-5) What should his parents have said to him?
3. (v. 4) What do you think the narrator meant by “?his father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines?” How can Samson’s desire for a Philistine woman be of the Lord? What do we learn about God’s sovereignty and man’?s responsibility from this passage? Since the narrator said that Samson’s actions were from the Lord, does this absolve Samson from the guilt of his disobedience to God’?s stated desire that Israel not intermarry with the surrounding nations?
4. (vv. 8-9) What was wrong with what Samson did? (Hint: See Numbers 6:6; 5:2) Why do you think he did not tell his parents?
chapter 15
1. (v. 8-13) What do we learn about the relationship between the Israel and the Philistines? Why would Judah turn their “?deliverer”? over to the Philistines? Why do you think they did not recognize that he was raised up by God to be their ruler? Why do you think they thought they would need 3,000 men to bind Samson?
2. (v. 14) What is the significance of the word “?fresh?”? (Hint: See Numbers 6:6)
3. (v. 15-17) There is no mention of the men of Judah helping him battle the Philistines. Why do you think they would not fight with him to overthrow their enemy as they did in the past with the other deliverers?
4. (v. 18) This is the first time that Samson has cried out to the Lord. What do we learn about him from his request (and don’t say, “He must have been really thirsty”?)? Do you think that Samson really was God’s servant? In what way?
5. (v. 19) Why do you think the Lord responds to Samson in action but is silent?
6. (v. 20) In what way do you think he judged Israel?
7. Remembering 13:5, do you think Samson is fulfilling his calling?
Chapter 16
1. (v. 4) Why do you think that Delilah is named when Samson’s mom, wife and prostitute are not?
2. (vv. 6-9) What is the significance of the “fresh bowstrings?”? (Hint: See Numbers 6:6)
3. (vv. 10-20) Why do you think Samson does not realize that she is serious about learning his secret? Why do you think that he would tell her his secret? What do we learn about Samson from this passage? How does it fit with what we have seen in chapter 15? Do you think that Samson’?s strength came from his uncut hair? Why do you think the Lord left him?
4. (v. 30) Why would he ask to die with the Philistines? What about what he said in 15:18?
5. (v. 31) What do you think is the significance of his family coming to get his body so that it could be buried with his people given the way Samson lived his life?
Tags: blogs4God, Samson, Delilah, Christianity, Theology, Reformed, Bible Study, Calvinism, Regeneration