Was Shimshon the father of Goliath?

Was Shimshon the father of Goliath?

There indeed exists a tradition that Shimshon fathered Goliath, the infamous Philistine enemy of the Jewish people who was later famously killed by King David. The tradition is as follows: It states in the book of Judges chapter 16, that when Shimshon was captured by the Philistines, he was brought to prison and forced to work in the grinding mill. Now, the Talmud states that the intent of this grinding is that he was used as a male concubine to impregnate the Philistine women so they have children as strong as he. It is here that the tradition of Goliath comes in. The Chasam Sofer in his Drashos states in the name of the Midrash [unknown] that Arpah, the former daughter-in-law of Naomi, was also brought into the prison for the above purpose to be impregnated by Shimshon, and indeed she became pregnant and had Goliath. The source for this statement is seemingly the Tosefta to Targum which states that Goliath was a descendent of Shimshon. Another connection between Shimshon and Goliath can be found in the Midrash Raba of Bamidbar that there were two warriors who entered the world, one from the Jewish people who was Shimshon and one from the Gentiles who was Goliath. However, no mention is made of any biological relationship between them. On a separate note, the question is raised as to whether Goliath was considered Jewish as some Mefareshim state that his mother Arpah had originally converted to Judaism when she married the son of Naomi. If this is correct, then it would end up that Goliath had both a Jewish father and Jewish mother!

Sources: See Sefer Shoftim Chapter 16; Sotah 10a; Chasam Sofer Drashos Vayechi “Lishuasecha Kol Hayom”; Toras Moshe Kama Haftorah for Parshas Naso; Limchseh Atik 17 of Rav Chaim Kanievsky on Melachim 1:17 in name of Tosefta Letargum; Midrash Bamidbar Raba 26 ; Midrash Tanchuma Vayikra; Meiam Loez Rus p. 20 in name of Igeres Shmuel and Yayin Rokieach that Arpah converted before the marriage and hence the marriage was Kosher!

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