שופטים, פרק ט״ז, פסוק כ׳

Waking abruptly to the sound of danger, a hero prepares to face his enemies, completely unaware that his reality has drastically changed. As the trap springs, Samson rouses himself from sleep, fully expecting to fight off his attackers with the same overwhelming success he has always enjoyed. He thinks to himself [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ] that he will simply shake off his sleep and rise with his usual power and vigor [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Armed with this supreme confidence in his own strength, the thought of fleeing from the Philistines never even crosses his mind [מצודת דוד].

However, a bitter truth awaits him: God has departed from him. This tragic reality raises an obvious question. Samson himself had just revealed to Delilah that cutting his hair would drain his power. How could he possibly be unaware that his strength was gone?

To resolve this, two distinct perspectives are offered [רד״ק]. One approach suggests that in the sudden confusion of waking up, Samson is simply disoriented. Not yet fully alert to the chaos unfolding around him, he temporarily forgets the secret he shared. He assumes he can charge into battle just as before, not yet grasping that his head has been shaved and his power stripped away.

Another perspective offers a more spiritual explanation. According to this view, Samson is actually aware that his hair has been cut and his physical might is gone. However, he mistakenly believes that God will still stand by his side and protect him from falling into the hands of the Philistines, even without his unique strength. Tragically, he is wrong. Because his Nazirite vow has been broken, God has left him, and with Him, Samson's extraordinary power has completely vanished [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].