Did Samson believe that his super strength lies in his hair?

[TonyChanYT]

Judges 16:

17 Samson told [Delilah] all that was in his heart:

Samson did not lie. He told the truth. He believed:

“My hair has never been cut, because I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I will become as weak as any other man.”

Being a Nazirite did not automatically give anyone super-strength. God might have told him this bonus condition.

Did Samson believe that his super strength lies in his hair?

Yes, it was a belief from his very heart. It was the sign of the covenant/agreement with God.

When Samson awoke from his sleep, he thought, “I will escape as I did before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.

Why does Samson think that he still possesses super strength?

He had just woken up from his sleep. His thinking was hazy. He remembered his previous occasions when he shook himself free. He did not know that the LORD had departed from him this time because he had betrayed the covenant/agreement with God. He revealed to Delilah the secret sign of the agreement with God.