Judges 13

In Western society, the stereotype is that girls are obsessed with their hair. In second grade, I distinctly remember sitting on the classroom rug behind a pair of girls, watching as they braided each other's hair and thinking to myself, "What planet is this fascinating alien race from? Has anyone performed an extensive, peer-reviewed study and written a monograph on their behavior?" (OK, maybe not that second question, but you get the point.) On the other hand, your stereotypical boy doesn't care too much about how his hair looks. I was--and still am--one of those people. Others can twiddle around with their coiffure as much (or as little) as they want as far as I'm concerned, but I couldn't really be bothered about those little strands sticking out of my scalp. When I wake up in the morning, I check to see that I don't have any unruly sprigs or cowlicks sticking out like miniature wings; if I do, I just splash water on them until they decide to regain their composure. And I consider the act of shaving my facial hair as a necessary chore, like brushing my teeth.

Because a Nazirite couldn't cut the hair on his head, I wonder if that made him care more or less about how his that hair actually appeared. Maybe it was different for each individual; perhaps some just let their mane flow to all points of the compass while others molded it into elaborate topiaries. In any case, although Numbers 6 introduced the requirements for the Nazirites, I believe this is the first mention of an actual Nazirite in the Bible (unless I forgot, which may very well be the case.) Not being able to cut one's hair could get inconvenient, and I guess a Nazirite couldn't be an undertaker (because he couldn't touch anything unclean). But I di wonder how difficult it was to be abstemious regarding alcohol. I know many people today, including me, do just fine without alcohol. But back in the days of yore, fermenting beverages kept them from spoiling; yes, I know water wasn't some ultra-rare commodity, but just how prevalent was wine back then? I imagine one would have had to possess a bit more willpower to remain a teetotaler back then.

Anyway, before Samson's birth, his parents (Manoah and his unnamed wife) meet the angel of the Lord, but they somehow mistake him for a prophet. Which doesn't make a whole lot of sense at first brush, as the Samson's mother says that he "looked like the angel of God, very awesome" (verse 6). (I assume the formal definition of "awesome" is being used here, though I suppose the informal definition wouldn't be out of place.) You know the saying, "If it looks like a duck…." I don't want to judge Manoah and his wife, though; I'm sure the author left out some subtleties of the situation that would make their misapprehension more credible. What is important is that they follow the angel's directions and treat him with hospitality, preparing to kill a young goat to feed to him. Of course, the goat also makes for a perfect burnt offering through which the angel reveals his true nature by using the offering's flame as an impromptu elevator (verse 20). Being an angel does have its perks, including being fireproof.