What a change to him who had been the judge and champion of Israel!--now weak, blind, imprisoned, degraded to the most menial service! Little by little he had violated the conditions of his sacred calling. God had borne long with him; but when he had so yielded himself to the power of sin as to betray his secret, the Lord departed from him. There was no virtue in his long hair merely, but it was a token of his loyalty to God; and when the symbol was sacrificed in the indulgence of passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also forfeited.

Hvor var alting forandret nu! Israels tidligere dommer og helt var nu svag og blind og blev tvunget til at gøre det allerringeste arbejde i et fængsel. Han havde lidt efter lidt brudt de betingelser, der dannede grundlaget for hans høje kald. Gud havde båret over med ham længe, men da han faldt så dybt, at han røbede sin hemmelighed, forlod Herren ham. Kraften fandtes ikke i selve håret, men håret var et tegn på hans troskab over for Gud. Da dette symbol blev ofret på lidenskabernes alter, mistede han også den velsignelse, som det var et tegn på.