The theophanic story will, however, only reinforce the negative characterization of Samson. Even with his special, miraculous birth and Nazirite status, Samson will prove to be the judge who is least interested in being a deliverer. He is portrayed as a “self-gratifying brute,” “a prankish womanizer” “whose acts of deliverance are rarely better than by-products of his spiteful nature.”40 The last hope of Israel in Judges is, then, a “judge/ deliverer” “who chases women instead of enemies and who avenges personal grievances instead of delivering his nation from the oppression.”41
