שופטים, פרק י״ד, פסוק י״ט

Provoked by the deceitful resolution of his riddle, a spirit of heroism from God rests upon Samson [רש"י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Fueled by this divine power, he travels to Ashkelon, a major Philistine city. Instead of purchasing the garments he owes, he strikes down thirty men to seize the lost payment by force [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This act of killing raises a question regarding Samson's status as a Nazirite, who is typically forbidden from coming into contact with the dead. Some explain that because his Nazirite status stemmed from an angel's command rather than a personal vow, he was only restricted from wine and cutting his hair, but not from corpse impurity [רד"ק]. Others suggest he avoided direct contact entirely by throwing stones from a distance, stripping the men before they died, or forcing another Philistine to remove their clothes for him [רד"ק]. A third perspective argues that fighting the Philistines and bringing salvation to Israel was a commandment from God, which permitted him to become impure in the same way one is required to tend to an unattended corpse [רד"ק].

After defeating the men, Samson strips them of their outer garments and weapons [רש"י, מצודת ציון, רד"ק, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He then delivers these outfits to the men who solved the riddle. Notably, there is no mention of the linen sheets he had originally promised. Some commentators believe Samson paid the debt in full, including the sheets, and the narrative simply provides a shortened account [רד"ק, אברבנאל בשם מפרשים אחרים]. Others contend that he only handed over the outer garments. Having discovered that the men solved the riddle through deceit, a dispute erupted, leading to a compromise where they received only a portion of the payment [רד"ק, אברבנאל].

Following the exchange, Samson is consumed by anger. This fury is directed entirely at his wife for her disloyalty and poor character, as she was the only person entrusted with his secret and the one who betrayed it to his companions [מצודת דוד, רלב"ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Adding a psychological layer, some suggest that Samson expected his wife to step forward and confess her role in revealing the answer. When she remained silent, his anger deepened into a suspicion that she had been unfaithful with the Philistine men [מלבי"ם]. Consumed by rage and mistrust, Samson abandons her and returns to his father's house, an abrupt departure that ultimately prompts her father to give her away to another man [רלב"ג].