Samson is the Old Testament judge described as having extraordinary strength and uncut hair.
His story is told in Judges chapters 13–16. Before Samson’s birth, an angel tells his mother that the child will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite. The instructions include avoiding certain foods and keeping his hair uncut. His strength is linked symbolically and narratively to this dedication.
Samson fights the Philistines in a series of dramatic episodes, including the killing of a lion and the use of a donkey’s jawbone. Delilah later discovers the secret of his strength and arranges for his hair to be cut after he is captured.
Samson is sometimes called a king or prophet, but the Book of Judges identifies him as a judge. His account belongs to the period before Israel’s monarchy, when regional deliverers led the Israelites during conflicts.