Samson and Delilah

To all things, there is a purpose.

It was the time of the judges.

The Lord had punished the children

of Israel for their sins against him.

He had delivered them

into the hands of the Philistines.

Conquerors of the people of Israel...

... they exploited their empire

with cruel efficiency.

But they were also

an advanced people.

In a world of bronze,

they had discovered the secret of iron.

And with this, they crushed any

disobedience swiftly and without mercy.

God's punishment

of the people of Israel was severe...

... but he did not abandon them.

And their faith grew in their struggle

against their Philistine oppressors.

Do not fear, woman.

The Lord of life has not forgotten you

in your barrenness.

I am the messenger come to tell you

that your womb will bear fruit.

You will conceive a son,

a Nazarite dedicated to God.

He will eat no unclean food

and drink no strong drink.

And he will grow stronger

than a hundred men.

He is the Lord's gift,

chosen to begin the liberation...

... of your people from the Philistine.

Look through me, and you will see

where his future lies.

As a mark of obedience to the Lord...

... his hair shall never be cut.

This shall be the symbol

of his alliance with God...

... and of his consecration to him.

His strength resides in the Lord.

This secret is his and yours alone.

Do not break this pact

with the almighty.

Manoah!

A man back there at the well...

A strange man. Listen to me.

He appeared to me at the well.

- A Philistine?

- No.

No. A stranger.

- What are you talking about?

- Listen to me.

"The Lord of life, " he said.

He said...

... I would conceive

and give birth to a son.

And if he said we were rich,

would you believe that too?

He was an apparition. It was...

It was like a miracle.

Mara...

... you are barren.

You know that.

I have lain...

... with no one but you, Manoah.

The child will be ours.

And a gift to our people.

And the land yielded its harvest.

And upon it, God began to sow

the seeds of justice for his people.

For they did not bow down

their heads...

... or worship the false idols

of their masters.

But after 40 long years...

... deliverance was at hand

for the children of Israel.

Their prayers had been heard

by the God with no face...

... and a name that is never spoken.

The one true God.

Do you...

... want to hold him?

But he's so small.

I might drop him.

- Amen.

- Amen.

Samson.

Father...

... how will I know when it is time

to fulfill my destiny?

The Lord will tell you.

- When?

- When the time is right.

- A sign?

- Perhaps.

What kind of a sign?

I don't know.

He gave you strength.

He will also give you understanding.

I am but one man. One.

A Nazarite bonded to the Lord.

There's no need to search for signs.

Your birth was the sign.

The stranger said,

"Chosen to deliver his people"?

Those were his words.

To deliver his people.

It will be hard.

Every gift is also a burden.

- Father says he's lazy.

- And slow-witted.

Samson.

Put them in the net!

- Samson.

- Let me down.

- Samson, no.

- Let me out of this net now.

Samson, get us down.

Samson, get us out of here.

Stop, Samson. Stop.

- Let me out.

- Samson, stop now.

- Let me down out of this net.

- Samson.

- Samson.

- Let us down.

Let us down now!

Samson was gentle,

good, thoughtful...

... and unsure, as all men are,

of the purpose of his life.

He began to walk the long road

to understanding and faith.

A journey which must be made

by every man alone.

That's it, Your Highness. That's it.

Watch your guard.

In the palace of the king

of the Philistines...

... another young man

was learning the skills of life...

... through the games he played.

Watch your guard.

Intelligence, attention, concentration.

I watch you.

You're like a butterfly.

You're here, you're there, you're gone.

Focus your attention.

Your Highness...

... focus your mind completely.

Yes. Yes, I know.

Try again, general?

As you wish, Your Highness.

Never underestimate your enemy.

No, Father.

- Good day, Delilah.

- General Tariq.

You may rise.

I wonder what her father would

think of her now, eh, commander?

A true friend and a fine soldier.

Who, I'm told, never underestimated

his enemy.

Here, use this one, commander.

- An Israelite sword.

- What's an Israelite sword?

Bronze.

They're a very primitive people.

Who have only ever found

a single god to worship.

Attack.

Even a broken sword will kill you...

... if you let down your guard,

Your Highness.

You remind us every day

of the reasons why my father...

... values you so highly, commander.

He's possessed

of a soldier's most powerful weapon:

His intelligence.

My name is Yoram.

I was more than 10 years younger

than Samson.

I loved him as a brother.

We were both Nazarites,

dedicated to God at birth.

Did I know even then...

... that within him

lay the destiny of our people?

Perhaps I knew only that I would be

with him until the end.

There was no warning?

The Philistines came

from over there...

... out of the sunset.

There was no time to run.

And we had no arms.

My father...

... my mother...

... and my brothers.

They killed them all.

I was not spared but overlooked.

The only one who escaped.

Naomi...

... I'm sorry.

Sorry?

For bringing back that memory.

It never leaves.

Come with me. You will hear.

You will learn.

Please, Samson. Come with me.

For me.

For you, anything.

Except one of those meetings.

I have to go.

Naomi...

... you are far too gentle

for the harsh words of rebellion.

And you can hardly even lift a sword.

- It is you who has been chosen.

- I doubt it.

- Your mother refuses...

- Naomi, stop this.

If I am to be called,

God will call me.

Not you and your rabble.

I am a Nazarite.

I pray. I try.

But there is a great absence.

Seas can open, Samson.

Bushes can burn.

For Moses and for you.

I am one man. How can one man

destroy the Philistines? Tell me.

- Our army will...

- Your army has wooden clubs...

... and swords of bronze.

- And righteousness.

Why is it that every people think

they alone are the righteous ones?

You doubt it?

Anyway, righteousness never stopped

the Philistine spear that killed your mother.

Righteousness did not give them

weapons of iron.

Do not make me beg.

Open your eyes.

I have seen nothing.

I have heard nothing.

- I am nothing.

- A man is what he chooses to be.

And I choose nothing.

Why?

Tell me, Samson.

What are you frightened of?

Nothing.

- Then what do you want?

- I want...

... everything.

Come, come.

How is it, Ira...

... that we are still bent

beneath the heel of these Philistines?

It's God's punishment.

When our people

abandoned his ways...

... he brought them down on us

that we might atone for our sins.

But things are better than they were.

No more burned villages...

... no more young people

taken into slavery.

And the fruit of suffering...

... is wisdom.

Then we must be

the wisest people on earth.

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