Judges 13–21

The second volume of Jack M. Sasson’s authoritative commentary on the book of Judges

The second half of Judges narrates the tale of Samson, the would-be liberator of the Israelites who comes to a violent end; the conquest of the land of Laish; and a vicious rape followed by a shocking dismemberment that ignites a war among Israelite tribes. In the second volume of his commentary, Jack M. Sasson invites his readers to ponder the many meanings of the Hebrew text through a careful survey of its contents, evolution, and reception.

By situating the text alongside its earliest translations into Greek, Aramaic, and Latin, Sasson offers compelling observations on the characters, action, pacing, and style of the narrative, focusing on the characterization of Samson as a resourceful avenger of Philistine cruelties and an instrument of God intended to humiliate false divinities. Sasson draws widely on comparative literature from Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia to enrich our understanding of how biblical writers adapted older regional sagas; and he derives insights from Hellenistic and rabbinic sources to re-create how Judges was understood by its earliest readers. Comprehensive and engagingly written, Judges 13–21 is an invitation to readers to rediscover these ancient stories and, in so doing, gain a greater appreciation for the art of Hebrew storytelling.