Samson was not merely a person with superior intelligence.
The judges were the Torah luminaries of their day, who had Torah
transmitted to them and were the spiritual leaders. After Joshua
came the Elders and Judges. Some of these were also prophets.
Rashi in Samuel 1:1 says "Moses transmitted the Torah to Joshua,
Joshua to the Zekenim, and one Shofet to another Shofet until Eli,
and from Eli to Samuel, as we learned (Avos 1:1). And the Zekenim
transmitted it to the Nevi'im
The names of the Judges and leaders of Israel from the time of their
entry into the land in 2488 until the establishment of the dynasty of
David, 396 years later were:
Joshua ben Nun, Osniel ben Kenaz, Ehud ben Gera, Shamgar ben Anas,
Devorah and Barak ben Avinoam, Gideon (Yerubaal), Avimelech ben
Gideon, Tolah ben Puah, Yair HaGiladi, Yiftach HaGiladi, Ivtzan
(Boaz), Elon HaZevuloni, Avdon ben Hillel, SAMSON, Eli, Samuel, King
Saul, King David
Samson's dates are 2813 - 2832 (Judges 15:20)
The prophets and Prophetesses during this period who are mentioned
in Tanach were:
Joshua, Pinchas ben Elazar, Devorah, Elkanah and Chana (parents of
Shmuel), Eli, the Cohen Gadol, Samuel, King David, Gad HaChozeh,
Asaph, Yedusun, Heman, Eisan, Nasan HaNavi
Not all of the judges were of the same spiritual stature. Samson is
referred to as one of the "lesser judges" (Rosh Hashana 25a);
nevertheless the Sages state that he attained Ruach HaKodesh - Divine
inspiration - a level just below prophecy (Judges 13:25 and Sotah
9b). The Sages also remark that he "judged Israel righteously like
the Almighty Himself (Sotah 10a)
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