Bound, Shaved, and Raped: Reading ענה in Judges 16:19 as Delilah’s Rape of Samson.

Abstract

This thesis argues that the verb ענה in Judges 16:19 is best understood as Delilah raping Samson. I demonstrate this using a semantic analysis, which makes evident that the story bears linguistic and thematic parallels to other rape narratives in the Hebrew Bible. Further, by reading the narrative through a queer lens, I show how the text narrates the total deconstruction of Samson’s exaggerated masculinity. Subverting the ancient Israelite binary gender categories, Delilah deals the ultimate blow to Samson’s masculinity by raping him. Finally, I discuss why a reading of rape, a view contested by other scholars, is not only historically justified, but also important for contemporary translators to take into account, as male rape should not be ignored or downplayed.