She made him sleep on her knees (וַתִּשְׁכִּיבִהוּ עַל־בִּרְכֶּיהָ) and called for a man to shave off the seven locks of his head. And his strength left him (וַיַּחַל לַעֲנוֹתוֹ וְסָרָה כֹּחוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ) — the scene is tender yet terrible: Samson rests in the intimate posture of his lover's lap while she orchestrates his destruction. The image of his head resting on her knees (בִּרְכֶּיהָ) is vulnerable and trusting, contrasting sharply with the act of betrayal occurring. The shaving of his seven locks (shearing off the תַּעַר, nazirite locks) is a physical violation of the covenant; as his hair falls, his strength departs simultaneously (וְסָרָה כֹּחוֹ). The narrative does not explain the mechanism; it is simply stated as fact. The loss of strength is absolute and immediate, suggesting that the Nazirite status and uncut hair were not merely symbolic but somehow constitutive of his divine empowerment. Samson moves from divine champion to dependent human, unable to resist.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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