Samson – PB

Samson

SamsonSamsonSamson (means “Little Sun”), a member of the tribe of Dan, was the 13th Judge of Israel. He judged Israel for 20 years.  Samson’s mother received a visit from an angel (Jud 13:3-7) who told her she would give birth to an unusual son, a Nazirite, and not to cut his hair.  Samson had great strength, he killed a lion with his bare hands (Jud 14:5-7) and later killed 1,000 Philistines with a jawbone of a donkey (Jud 15:14-16).  He had romantic encounters with 3 Philistine women.

He fell in love with one of the women, Delilah (Jud 16:4).  The five leaders of the Philistine nation went to Delilah and demanded that she find out from Samson what made him so strong so they could subdue him (Jud 16:5).  She eventually convinced Samson to tell her where his strength came from (he was strong, but not smart, but that’s men for you, we are the brightest when it comes to women), she found out that it came from the length of his hair, it had never been cut.  While he slept, Samson’s hair was cut off and he was captured by the Philistines, who gouged out his eyes and made him grind grain in prison, yet, his hair began to grow back (Jud 16:19-22).

Later, the Philistines stood Samson in the center of a temple during a celebration; his hair had now grown back.  Samson was placed between the two main pillars of the temple.  He asked God to strengthen him one more time:

Oh Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes (Jud 16:28).

Then Samson pushed against the pillars with all his might:

And Samson said; Let me die with the Philistines.  And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein.  So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life (Jud 16:30).

His brothers brought him back home and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, where his father Manoah was buried.  The story of Samson is found in the book of Judges, chapters 13-16.

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