Unity of the Text

The overall unity of the Samson narratives is debated. Some see Judg 13–16 as a conglomeration of smaller narratives, while others view it as a brilliant unity (Wong, Compositional Strategy, 1–26). Webb and Brettler suggest that the narrative’s seemingly abrupt or misplaced transitions between parts of the story (e.g., Judg 15:20; 16:1) indicate that it is composed of small, independent narratives compiled into a single account (Webb, Book of Judges, 392–93; Brettler, Book of Judges, 40–54). Brettler posits that the Samson narratives are composed of “at least three different blocks of material” that have been supplemented with new compositions to form the larger narrative (Brettler, Judges, 40). Frolov’s comments about the disjointed nature of the Samson narrative are typical for those assuming a fragmentary background to the Samson cycle: “There is no overall complication and, accordingly, no overall resolution, but also, apart from Samson’s birth (13:24), his appointment as a judge (15:20), and death (16:30), the recounted events even fail to progress in a meaningful fashion” (Frolov, Judges, 254–55).

Several commentators have suggested, based on the seemingly muddled structure of the material, that the Samson narratives originated as oral traditions. For example:

• Brettler suggests the written material originated as spoken stories that circulated in the ancient world (Brettler, Book of Judges, 49–50).

• Niditch asserts that the Samson narrative originated as orally communicated “epic bardic traditions” that told grand tales of heroes (Niditch, Judges, 9–10).

• Frolov proposes that the localized character of the Samson narrative suggests it has roots in a “family-based or itinerant oral storytelling” setting (Frolov, Judges, 256–63).

In contrast, Blenkinsopp and Exum, among others, see the Samson material as a highly polished literary composition and argue that the presence of linguistic and thematic threads create a complex, interlocking whole (Blenkinsopp, “Structure and Style,” 65–76; Exum, “Aspects of Symmetry,” 3–29). While acknowledging the apparently fragmented appearance of the material, Butler still argues that the narrative is a unit revolving around God’s divine purpose and Samson’s inability to comply (Butler, Judges, 318–22).