2.16. Destruction of a large temple during the death of Samson the Zemshchina The Bible says that the hero Samson FALLED A BIG HOUSE, dying under its rubble and killing thousands of people with him (Judges 16:30). What really happened in Rus'-Horde of the 16th century? What is it telling us here?

It has gained fame and popularity in many Christian countries. unusual name Samson. Since biblical times, the exploits of a hero with this name have been known, defeating his enemies with the power of his hair. Many modern parents name boys this way, so it would not hurt them to study the meaning of the name Samson. What is the character of its owner, what fate awaits him, what patrons will he have? Let's follow all this in order.

Name Samson: meaning and origin

If we consider the word "Samson" in Hebrew, it means "sun". This gives reason for many interpreters to consider Samson a “solar hero,” whom the sun god humanized. By the way, this word originally sounded “Shimshon”.

When the biblical legend of Samson and Delilah appeared, the word acquired the meaning of “strong.” The Hebrew hero so named had an extraordinary physical strength, stored in his long beautiful hair. But one day the insidious Philistine Delilah, having fallen in love with the hero, killed the young man. She was able to cut off his hair, putting the hero to sleep. Then Samson was blinded and chained by Philistine soldiers. Time passed, with Samson's hair growing back, his strength returned, and he broke the chains. Since then, it has been believed that the owner of the name Samson is characterized by courage, honesty, ardor, and stubbornness.

Mystery of the name

The meaning of the name Samson for a boy deserves careful study. What is characteristic of this “solar” creature? As a child, he is affectionately called Monya, Samonya, Samokha. Today it's pretty rare name. The patron planet for him is the Sun. The most suitable color is yellow. Amber is suitable for stones. Lotus and pine are considered auspicious plants. The defender of the name is the white horse. Saturday is called a lucky day. The most suitable time of year is winter. Numerology has established the number 3 for Samson, indicating the sociability and energy of this person.

Samson's name days are January 12 and July 10. In January, on this day, the holy martyr Samson, who suffered for Christ, was born. And on July 10, a Roman doctor, the Venerable Receiver Samson, was born. Having received excellent knowledge, he treated people for free.

Characteristics of boys with this name

Speaking about the meaning of the name Samson, it should be noted that this person does not like publicity and hype, he is an introvert - he is often immersed in deep thoughts and is far from surrounding events. The young man rarely expresses his experiences. More often he lives in his own world, but sometimes he is able to take other people's troubles as his own.

It is quite difficult for parents to cope with a little boy. He is nimble, agile and requires a lot of attention. For entertainment, Samson chooses various extreme activities. This is why his peers like him, because there is never a dull moment with him. The boy cannot be called a diligent student, because he is restless. He often shows wit and observation, realistically parodies and jokes, which causes concern among many people.

The matured Samson is calmer and more balanced, he thinks about his every action and word. Equanimity and calmness help him out in the most extreme situations. Everything he dreams of, he tries to bring to life. Samson can support his friends morally and financially.

The man’s appearance is attractive, so people make contact with him. He finds it easily common language with women. Samson is a gallant and witty gentleman who showers the ladies with compliments. But often relationships with him end only in flirting. This man cannot be called a good family man, because he places the responsibility of raising his children on his wife. Samson most often chooses activities that bring immediate benefit, and as friends he chooses people with high social status and financial situation.

Health and skills of the owner of the name

As a child, Samson needs to be protected from fears; you shouldn’t tell him scary stories. He takes everything very seriously. Parents have to make efforts to teach him to live in society. The young man is in fairly good health, which allows him to play sports and participate in competitions.

The boy's favorite subject is mathematics. He devotes a lot of time to playing chess. Samson is a bright, versatile personality with excellent abilities in the exact sciences, but his explosive character forces him to frequently change jobs.

Professional success

Samson has many talents that make him stand out from the crowd. He makes a good programmer, prosecutor, artist, artist, dentist. Often he takes leadership positions, although it does not set such a goal. He is good at both the role of a subordinate and the role of a leader. Useful connections appear everywhere.

Samson’s professionalism can be learned; he deserves respect from those around him. He never enters into conflict and immerses himself in his work. Sometimes he becomes a reformer of established traditions in the team and takes risks. Although sometimes he shows excessive cruelty towards people. This explosive nature, as already mentioned, leads to frequent job changes.

Samsonov's personal life

Samson knows how to love, and is loved by others. He takes care of his family, respects his elders, and instructs his children. His children become participants in mathematical Olympiads and attend technical clubs. Household members take part in his scientific activities.

Samson is not very sociable, has few friends, almost never goes to visit, values ​​order and a stable lifestyle. Sometimes he retires from his wife and organizes his territory. Romantic relationships a man builds consistently, carefully and honestly.

Samson Vyrin: the meaning of the first and last name

Let's talk about literary heroes, bearing the described name. Thus, a very unusual image was introduced into the work of A. S. Pushkin “The Station Warden” little man", who suffers poverty and humiliation. This hero is Samson Vyrin. The meaning of the name and surname of this character is of interest to many readers. Being a stationmaster, he meekly and powerlessly bears his cross. The meaning of the name Vyrin - Samson - has already been described above. It is worth briefly talking about surnames But first, a little about the character.

Samson Vyrin (according to Pushkin) served at one postal station. Often he heard reproaches and insults from wealthy travelers. He was a widower and raised his daughter Dunya. She grew up to be a good helper and made her father happy. But one day trouble happened: a hussar drove past the station and took his daughter to St. Petersburg. Vyrin went on foot to the capital in search of Dunya. He found his daughter's kidnapper, but he kicked him out, trying to pay him off first. Vyrin returned home, and the harmony of his existence was disrupted. He started drinking and died. And the main thing that the hero could not come to terms with was how can one repay good with evil?

The surname Vyrin is quite rare in Russia. Most likely, it reflects the nickname, name, and profession of its owner’s distant ancestor. Ancient chronicles testify to the important persons of the Vyrins in the merchant environment of the 17th-19th centuries. They had power in Moscow and were respectable people. The first mention of the surname was recorded after the census during the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

Who is he - Samson Silych Bolshov?

The modern reader is familiar with Ostrovsky's play "Our People - We Will Be Numbered." The author ironically shows the merchant environment, its habits and aspirations. Money matters are above all else for the hero of the work, the merchant Samson Silych Bolshov. You have already been able to study the meaning of the name. How does Ostrovsky draw his hero? He displays selfish and ignorant qualities, and his companion is an uneducated wife who has a high opinion of herself. The reader also sees Bolshov’s ill-mannered daughter, Lipochka, who dreams of marrying a noble man.

All characters vividly reflect all the realities of merchant life. In relation to his daughter, Bolshov looks like an absolute tyrant. Ostrovsky showed the soulless world of people with their own laws, where grown-up children do the same as their parents.

Historical figures with this name

Many people who read the Bible know that Samson is the most romantic character there. Its history is described at the beginning of the article. God sent an angel to earth to announce to his mother the birth of her son, the conqueror of the Felistines. This young man was forbidden to drink grape juice and cut his hair, for his power was in it.

History also knows such a person as Makintsev Samson Yakovlevich. He became famous for being a sergeant in the Russian service. After one battle, he deserted to Persia (1821). Occupying a high position in the Persian army, he refused to fight with Russia and even pacified one of the uprisings against it.

Another famous owner of this name was Samson Ksenofontovich Sukhanov. He worked as a mason in St. Petersburg and created early XIX century, majestic buildings of the capital on the Neva.

The tragic fate of the “fourteenth grade martyr” Vyrin after Dostoevsky more than once attracted the attention of critics who noted Pushkin’s humanism and democracy and assessed “The Station Agent” as one of the first, since the 18th century, realistic stories about a poor official. Pushkin's choice of hero - stationmaster was not accidental. In the 20s of the 19th century. In Russian literature, as is known, many morally descriptive essays and stories appear, the heroes of which are people of the “lower class.” In addition, the genre of travel is being revived. In the mid-20s, poems, poems, and essays began to appear more and more often in magazines, in which attention was paid not only to descriptions of the region, but also to meetings and conversations with station guards. In the story, the narrator's three visits, separated from each other by several years, organize the course of the narrative, and in all three parts, as in the introduction, the narration is narrated by the narrator. But in the second, central part of the story we hear Vyrin himself.

It seemed that a decisive moment had come in a person’s life, when all the accumulated past grievances would raise him to revolt in the name of holy justice. But “...tears welled up in his eyes, and in a trembling voice he said only: “Your Honor!...Do such a divine favor!” Instead of protest, a plea came out, a pitiful request. Third picture: (two days later). Again in front of the important footman, who pushed him out of the hall with his chest and slammed the door in his face. Fourth scene: Again in front of Minsky: “Get out!” "- And, with a strong hand Grabbing the old man by the collar, he pushed him onto the stairs. And finally, after another two days, we returned from St. Petersburg to our station, obviously also on foot. And Samson Vyrin resigned himself. The narrator’s second visit - he sees that “grief has turned a kind man into a frail old man.” And the appearance of the room that did not escape the narrator’s attention (dilapidation and negligence), and Vyrin’s changed appearance (gray hair, deep wrinkles of a long-unshaven face, hunched back), and the surprised exclamation: “It was definitely Samson Vyrin, but how he has aged! “- all this indicates that the narrator sympathizes with the old caretaker.

SAMSON

SAMSON (Shimshon), son of Manoah from the tribe of Dan, “judge” (ruler) of the ancient Israelites, whose exploits are described in the biblical book of Judges (13-16). The story about him is more rich in legends than the stories about other “judges”.

The story of Samson's birth is a typical motif about God's miraculous gift of a son to a barren woman. An angel sent by God announced to the mother that she would give birth to a son, who should be a Nazirite already in the mother’s womb, and therefore she was forbidden to drink wine or eat anything unclean, and when the child was born, he was not allowed to cut his hair. The angel also announced that the boy was destined to begin the deliverance of Israel from the yoke of the Philistines.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn. Sacrifice of Manoah. 1641
Art gallery, Dresden.

The stories of Samson, which are told in the book of Judges, are associated with three Philistine women. The first lived in the Philistine city of Timna, or Timnata. Samson performed his first feat on the way to Timnata, killing bare hands the lion that attacked him.

Peter Paul Rubens. Samson tearing the lion's mouth. 1615-16.
Villar Mir Collection, Madrid

In Timnath, at his wedding, Samson asked the Philistines a riddle based on the incident with the lion, which they could not solve, and they persuaded the bride to extract the answer from Samson. When Samson realized that he had been deceived, he attacked Ashkelon in anger and, having killed 30 Philistines, returned to parents' house. When Samson came to see his wife a few days later, it turned out that her father, believing that Samson had abandoned her, had married her off to Samson’s “marriage friend.”

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn. Samson threatens his father-in-law. 1635

In retaliation, Samson burned the fields of the Philistines, releasing 300 foxes with torches tied to their tails. Having learned the reason for Samson's anger, the Philistines burned him unfaithful wife and her father, but Samson considered this insufficient and inflicted severe injuries on many. The Philistines marched into Judea to catch and punish Samson. The frightened Israelites sent a delegation of three thousand people to Samson demanding that he surrender himself into the hands of the Philistines. Samson agreed to have the Israelites tie him up and hand him over to the Philistines. However, when he was brought to the Philistine camp, he easily broke the ropes and, grabbing the jawbone of a donkey, killed a thousand Philistines with it.

Gustave Dore. Samson crushes the Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey

The second story involves the Philistine harlot in Gaza. The Philistines surrounded her house in order to capture Samson in the morning, but he got up in the middle of the night, tore out the city gates and took them to the mountain, “which is on the way to Hebron.”

The third Philistine woman, because of whom Samson died, was Dlila (in the Russian tradition Delilah, later Delilah), who promised the Philistine rulers for a reward to find out what Samson’s strength was.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn. Betrayal of Delilah. 1629-30
State Museums of Berlin

After three unsuccessful attempts, she finally managed to find out the secret: the source of Samson’s strength was his uncut hair.

Francesco Morone. Samson and Delilah

Having put Samson to sleep, Dlila ordered to cut off “the seven braids of his head.”

Peter Paul Rubens. Samson and Delilah.

Fragment

Having lost his strength, Samson was captured by the Philistines, blinded, chained and thrown into prison.

Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn. Blinding of Samson.

Fragment. 1636

Soon the Philistines held a festival at which they thanked their god Dagon for delivering Samson into their hands, and then brought Samson to the temple to amuse them. Meanwhile, Samson's hair managed to grow back, and his strength began to return to him.

Peter Paul Rubens. Death of Samson. 1605
Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Having offered a prayer to God, Samson moved the columns from their places, the temple collapsed, and the Philistines and Samson who had gathered there died under the ruins. “And the dead whom Samson slew at his death were more than he slew in his life.” The biblical account of Samson ends with the message of Samson's funeral in the family tomb between Tzor'a and Eshtaol.

Samson's tomb today

The Book of Judges reports that Samson “judged” Israel for 20 years. Samson was different from the other “judges”: he was the only one who, even in his mother’s womb, was destined to become the deliverer of Israel; the only “judge” endowed with superhuman strength, performing unprecedented feats in battles with the enemy; finally, Samson is the only “judge” who fell into the hands of the enemy and died in captivity.

Schnorr von Carolsfeld.Death of Samson

However, despite its folkloric overtones, the image of Samson fits into the galaxy of “judges” of Israel, who acted under the guidance of the “spirit of God” that descended on them and gave them the power to “save” Israel. The biblical story of Samson reveals a combination of heroic-mythological and fairy-tale elements with a historical narrative.

Slate bas-relief "Samson tears the lion's mouth"

XI-XII centuries

The historical image of the “judge”, which was Samson, is enriched with folklore and mythological motifs, which, according to a number of researchers, go back to astral myths, in particular to the mythology of the Sun (the name “Samson” - literally “solar”, “the braids of his head” - the sun's rays, without which the sun loses its power).

"Samson tearing the lion's mouth" - central fountain

Peterhof palace and park ensemble A. ( 1736)

The biblical story about Samson is one of the favorite topics in art and literature, starting from the Renaissance (the tragedy of Hans Sachs “Samson”, 1556, and a number of other plays). The topic has gained particular popularity at 17 at., especially among Protestants, who used the image of Samson as a symbol of their struggle against the power of the Pope. The most significant work created in this century is the drama of J. Milton “Samson the Wrestler” (1671; Russian translation 1911).

Among the works 18 in. It should be noted: the poem by W. Blake (1783), the poetic play by M. H. Luzzatto “Shimshon ve-ha-plishtim” (“Samson and the Philistines”), better known as “Ma’aseh Shimshon” (“The Acts of Samson”; 1727). IN 19 V. this topic was addressed by A. Carino (around 1820), Mihai Tempa (1863), A. de Vigny (1864); at 20 in. F. Wedekind, S. Lange, L. Andreev and others, as well as Jewish writers: V. Jabotinsky (“Samson of Nazareth”, 1927, in Russian; republished by the “Biblioteka-Aliya” publishing house, Jeremiah, 1990); Leah Goldberg (“Ahavat Shimshon” - “Samson’s Love”, 1951-52) and others.

IN fine arts Episodes from the life of Samson are depicted on marble bas-reliefs of the 4th century. in the Naples Cathedral. In the Middle Ages, scenes from Samson's exploits are often found in book miniatures. Paintings on the theme of the story of Samson were painted by artists A. Mantegna, Tintoretto, L. Cranach, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens and others.

In music Samson's plot is reflected in a number of oratorios by composers in Italy (Veracini, 1695; A. Scarlatti, 1696, and others), France (J. F. Rameau, opera based on a libretto by Voltaire, 1732), Germany (G. F. Handel based on the drama by J. Milton wrote the oratorio “Samson”; premiered at the Covent Garden Theater in 1744). The most popular is the opera of the French composer C. Saint-Saëns “Samson and Delilah” (premiere in 1877).

The main character of Pushkin's story “The Station Agent” is Samson Vyrin. Author, describing tragic life this man, managed to evoke in readers sympathy and empathy for the common man.

Here is the story described in the story. The poor stationmaster has a beautiful daughter, Dunya. Everyone who stopped at the station liked her; she was always cheerful and friendly. One day a passing hussar spent the night at the station. The next morning he called in sick and stayed for a few more days. All this time Dunya looked after him and served him drinks. When the hussar recovered and was about to leave, Dunya decided to visit the church. The hussar offered to give her a ride. Samson himself allowed his daughter to go with the young man, saying: “After all, his honor is not a wolf and will not eat you, just take a ride to the church.” Dunya left and never returned. Samson realized that the hussar had taken her with him, and his illness was false, he was pretending just to stay longer at the station. The poor old man fell ill with grief, and as soon as he recovered, he went to St. Petersburg to hiccup his daughter. He found Hussar Minsky, followed him and burst into Duna’s room. She was in beautiful dress, in richly furnished chambers. The old man asks Minsky to let him go with him

Dunya, but he kicked him out, ordering him never to appear again. Returning to the station, Samson only thought that the hussar would kill his daughter, get amused and drive her out into the street, and there she would completely disappear. Out of grief, he began to drink and soon died.

Trying to answer the question of who is to blame for his death, we find the answer in the story itself. At the beginning of the story, the narrator, having entered Vyrin’s house, looks at the pictures hanging on the wall. They talk about history prodigal son. At first we think they symbolize life path Duni. But, having read to the end, we understand that the pictures are consonant with the life of Samson Vyrin. The picture of the son leaving home suggests that Samson is “leaving” his daughter. He does not believe in her happiness, he suspects that the hussar will deceive her. He is unable to imagine that Minsky will marry Duna. In the second picture, the son is surrounded by false friends. So Samson was deceived by a doctor who came to treat a supposedly ill hussar. The doctor confirmed the illness and was afraid to tell Vyrin the truth. And he himself believed him, not realizing that the doctor had conspired with Minsky. The third picture shows a wandering son herding pigs. So Vyrin, left without a daughter, began to drink out of melancholy, turning from a cheerful man into an old man. The last picture speaks of the “return” of the father to his daughter after death. Dunya came to visit her father and found him in the cemetery. But Minsky married her, they had children, they lived in prosperity and love. So Samson Vyrin found himself to blame for his difficult fate. Not believing in his daughter’s happiness, he tormented himself with thoughts of her fall. Memories of Duna caused pain and bitterness in him, he reproached himself for allowing her to go to church with the hussar. Having drunk out of grief, he came to a disastrous end. And he could communicate with his daughter, and with her husband, and with his grandchildren.

Thus, the author, sympathizing with the experiences of the old man, makes it clear to readers that he condemns the limited thoughts of the “little man”, who is unable to believe and hope for the best. But at the same time, Pushkin does not despise Vyrin, but tries to understand the nature of these very thoughts.