I would see it as something akin to baptism, confirmation, or holy orders. We don’t lose the “mark” of these sacraments on our souls even when we sin. A priest, once ordained, can still confect the Eucharist, absolve sin, and bless when in a state of sin… God works through even broken or tainted instruments.
PROVERBS
3 Give not thy strength unto women,
nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;
nor for princes strong drink:
5 Lest they drink, and forget the law,
and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
My understanding is that Samson was given his strength only when he had hair on his head and not on other specific conditions e.g. it would be removed when he sinned. Samson had freewill and like Solomon and many others in the bible who turned away from God, still retained his gifts. Samson only lost his temporarily when his head was shaved. I think twf summed it up neatly.
Sexual ethics are a part of natural law rather than Levitical or ecclesial law, so yes, it would objectively be sinful no matter what time period you’re in.
Prostitution was pretty widespread in the ancient world along with rudimentary means of avoiding or terminating pregnancies.
God saying that something should be doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen if mankind doesn’t cooperate.
For bodily exercise profiteth little:
but godliness is profitable unto all things,
having promise of the life that now is,
and of that which is to come.
Samson had sex with a woman who wasn’t his wife, and yes it was a sin.
But God doesn’t strike us down when we sin.
We have the option to repent.
Some sin has natural consequences (like, if you’re a liar, people don’t trust you anymore), but these consequences tend to erode the soul over time, rather than lightning-bolt Divine retribution.
I’m afraid I don’t know why his strength was in his hair. It may have had to do with his Nazarite vow, which part of it was not to cut ones hair.
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