To utter those words . . .

Samson was one of those "saviors." A divinely-inspired warrior to liberate the apostasy-crazed Israelites from harsh oppression and to lead them in a period "of rest."

The Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible identifies twelve of these saviors. Some of them were good. Some not so good.

In general, the stories are violent and horrific.

Samson was one of the "not-so-good" exemplars. As far as being a successful judge, i.e. military leader was concerned, he was a dismal failure.

His personal life got in the way.

Samson was bred and raised as a "nazirite." One who takes a consecrated vow and adheres to a rigorous code of personal behavior. The rules for this engagement are identified in the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 1 - 21.

Paramount are the strict avoidance of ethanol, anything from the vine, and the not-cutting of one's hair.

And in the case of Samson, it is his hair through which "the spirit of the Lord" is infused into him to accomplish those Samsonic feats of physical strength.

But it is his personal life that gets in the way.

Perhaps I am forgetting a story or two, but it seems to me that the only other case of marriage that I recall up to this point in the Hebrew Bible and its chronology, is the story of Jacob that actually involves "love." For Jacob "loved" Rachel and wanted her as his wife.

Yes, there is a lot of "lying-with" someone, a lot of taking and being taken in marriage, a lot of business deals, property transfers, and inheritance-assurance transactions . . . but actually loving someone and forming a "traditional marriage" based on that love was indeed a rare thing.

And now we have Samson, headed down to the big city, and there falling in love.

The nameless lady is cheesecake. Eye-candy. And she pleases Samson.

And if Samson was honest with her or not, it is difficult to tell, but he was using this marriage as a ruse to get to the Philistines . . . the hated oppressors.

And when the clash occurs, she weeps and wails "You hate me, you do not really love me . . . " And "nagged" him for seven whole days.

The story gets messy. Samson huffs off. The bride's father thinks Samson divorced his daughter. Daughter then given to best man. Samson subsequently shows up. The old man and his daughter get burned up by their own Philistines because of what Samson did in revenge.

But somewhere, back in that story, there was a component of love. At least the perception of love.

And later, as an addendum, the story morphs into the second verse. Samson loves again.

And there is another conversation of love.

Delilah is doing the talking. "How can you say 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me?"

Those words . . .

"I love you."

"Your heart."

"With me."

So Samson has said "I love you."

The primal emotion that dwells within one's heart . . . love.

A man . . . has said "I love you."

When the first part of the story of Samson was documented in the time of King Josiah, the story was of a nameless woman and the implication of love.

When the story was added to by the post-Babylonian exile church fathers, the next story gives the lady a name . . . and a quotation "I love you."

And at least one of those post-exilic editorial redactors had the cajones to let the strongest-man-to-ever-live actually utter the tender, caring, emotionally-charged words "I love you."

And I am not certain if that says more about Samson, or the subsequent narrator that allowed an expression of genuine tenderness to infuse into one of the grossest, inhumane collections of stories in the entire Bible . . . the stories of the judges in the Book of Judges.

And as those post-exilic narrators compiled those written and oral traditions, they came as close as they dared in letting two other men say, "I love you."

For Jonathan love David. And David love Jonathan.

And also for two women.

For Ruth loved Naomi. And Naomi loved Ruth.

And it is OK for a man to say "I love you."

Even to another man.

And for a woman to say "I love you."

To another woman.

For my Bible has told me so.

The Refectory Manager