Samson and the Archers, why not? (page 2)

Pallbearer

I find this to be an interesting topic. Anybody else out there care to share their thoughts? Hey, VM44, What do you think about my comment above?

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VM44

Hi Pallbearer.

I think your suggestion that they wanted to take Samson alive is a good answer to my question.

Eventually the Philistines wanted to know the "secret" of Samsom strength and after discovering it and rendering him weak, they then wanted to make an "example" of him. ("Look! See how the once mighty have fallen!")

So having Samson eliminated by archers early on would not have resulted in the story that the writer wanted to tell.

--VM44

MissingLink

Apparently, the Philistines wanted to capture Samson alive, not dead. This is shown by the fact that when they finally did capture him they didn't kill him.

So - get the 20 archers to all shoot him in the leg.

Witness 007

How DUMB is Samson. If my girlfriend tried a number of times to steal my strength I would throw her down a well.....sooo long bitch!

Pallbearer

Apparently, the Philistines wanted to capture Samson alive, not dead. This is shown by the fact that when they finally did capture him they didn't kill him.
So - get the 20 archers to all shoot him in the leg.

Would shooting Samson in a leg with several arrows render him weak and helpless? Even after the Philistines bored his eyes out it is reported: "the dead that he put to death in his own death came to be more than those he had put to death during his lifetime."

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Open mind

VM44:

why didn't the Philistines simply get 20 or more archers, have them surround Samson, and then simultaneously let loose a volley of arrows?

Just don't try this idea with guns (or modern bows). Not good for the shooters.

OM

Pallbearer

How DUMB is Samson. If my girlfriend tried a number of times to steal my strength I would throw her down a well.....sooo long bitch!

Delilah wasn't simply Samson's "girlfriend". She was a woman that he 'had fallen in love with' (Judges 16:4). What's more is that she most likely was the daughter of an Israelite, and therefore worshipped the same God as he did. So Samson loved and trusted her.

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metatron

Obviously, you are all missing an important point about Samson's trust. Many people can read this account and say, "Why, this is pure

fiction! No person in their right mind could believe that Samson would be betrayed and fooled again and again by this woman."

Ah, but you forget: Samson was a Jehovah's Witness ....... and like all faithful Witnesses, no matter how many times they are lied

to or suckered into trust by empty promises, again and again, they still believe. As such, Samson is a wonderful example for the

organization today .... and it's endless broken promises that Armageddon is Soon. Imitate Samson!

metatron

LtCmd.Lore

I've always found the story of Samson to be particulary unbelievable.

In fact I recently made a thread detailing this:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/152399/1.ashx

How DUMB is Samson. If my girlfriend tried a number of times to steal my strength I would throw her down a well.....sooo long bitch!

Once apon a time there was a genocidal terrorist named Samson. He was super strong and killed a whole bunch of people based soley on their nationality. He had a girlfriend named Delilah that he loved VERY much.

The philistines pay her to tell them his weakness. Even though there is no particular reason that he should HAVE a weakness. That seems like a completely arbitrary part of the story that only exists to add to the plot. Sort of like Superman and krypronite, the comic would be boring without it.

She asks him for the secret to his strength. He lies to her (Not sure why he doesn't trust her the first time. And if he's going to lie, he may as well say: "I don't have a weakness baby.") . She calls the philistines, they surround him, it doesn't work and he kills them all.

She asks him for the secret again. He lies to her again. She calls the philistines again, they surround him, it still doesn't work and he kills them all again.

She asks him for the secret AGAIN. He lies to her AGAIN. She calls the philistines AGAIN, they surround him, it still doesn't work and he kills them all AGAIN.

She asks him for the secret a FOURTH TIME. And even though she's tried to have him killed three times already, because he is dumber than a sack of rocks, he tells her the truth. They surround him, it works and they capture him. And he gets his eyes bored out.

But it turns out the philistines are almost as dumb as he is, and they let his hair grow back. And he kills everyone in a 911-esque suicide stunt.

The end.

There is not a single intelligent person in that story:

Delilah is dumb for trying the same trick four times.

Samson is dumb for falling for it.

The Philistines are dumb for not killing him while they have a chance, or keeping him shaved.

And Yahweh is dumb for giving his hero an arbitrary weakness, and for having any part in this stupid tarradiddle.

How DUMB is Samson. If my girlfriend tried a number of times to steal my strength I would throw her down a well.....sooo long bitch!
Delilah wasn't simply Samson's "girlfriend". She was a woman that he 'had fallen in love with' (Judges 16:4). What's more is that she most likely was the daughter of an Israelite, and therefore worshipped the same God as he did. So Samson loved and trusted her.

Allowing yourself to be blinded by love IS dumb.

Lore- w.w.s.d?

belbab

Look at it this way,

Why couldn't the opponents of Mike Tyson, get some of their friends to shoot Mike before their champion lost the fight?

Look at the rules of warfare at the that time period of history.

Twenty archers shooting a man in "cold blood" would be considered murder even today. Why did Samson always seek an occasion to provoke a fight. There were rules of engagement back then just as there is today.

Look at the rules of warfare in out day. Why do nations make a declaration of war? It was only since the last two world wars that destruction of innocent civilians and children were blasted into oblivion. Look at the trial coming up of the the Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Why not just shoot them a few years ago. Why have a trial? Because if they were just eliminated, worldly outcry would condemn the US and would outdo the atrocities that the terroists committed.

belbab

Samson and the Archers, why not?

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