Samson’s Vengeance and Death
The Philistine rulers gather to honor Dagon and celebrate Samson’s capture as their god’s triumph. In the middle of their feast they bring the blinded Samson out for display and place him between the temple pillars before a vast crowd.
N23ow the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands.” 24And when the people saw him, they praised their god, saying: 25And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars. 26Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them.” 27Now the temple was full of men and women; all the lords of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them.
Samson calls on the LORD to remember him and grant strength once more so he may strike the Philistines for his eyes. Grasping the central pillars, he brings the temple down and dies with them.
28Then Samson called out to the LORD: “O Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, O God, just once more, so that with one vengeful blow I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29And Samson reached out for the two central pillars supporting the temple. Bracing himself against them with his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on the other, 30Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.”
Samson’s brothers and father’s family retrieve his body and bury him between Zorah and Eshtaol in Manoah’s tomb. The chapter closes by recalling that he judged Israel for twenty years.
31Then Samson’s brothers and his father’s family came down, carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. And he had judged Israel twenty years.