Judges 16:23-31

23 Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to ¹Dagon their god, and to rejoice, for they said, "Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands."

24 When the people saw him, ²they praised their god, for they said, "Our god has given our enemy into our hands, Even the destroyer of our country, Who has slain many of us."

25 It so happened when they were in high spirits, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may amuse us." So they called for Samson from the prison *, and he entertained * them. And they made him stand between the pillars.

26 Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, "Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them."

27 Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there. And about 3,000 * men and women were on the roof looking on while Samson was amusing them.

Samson Is Avenged

28 ³Then Samson called to the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me just this time, O God, that I may at once ⁴be avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

29 Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and braced himself against them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.

30 And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he bent with all his might so that the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he killed in his life.

31 Then his brothers and all his father's household came down, took him, brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. ⁵Thus he had judged Israel twenty years.

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Judges 16:23-31 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 16

In this chapter we have an account of Samson's too great familiarity with two harlots; by the one he was brought into great danger, and narrowly escaped, Jud 16:1-3, and by the other he was betrayed into the hands of the Philistines, having got the secret out of him wherein his great strength lay, Jud 16:4-20 who having him in their hands, put out his eyes, imprisoned him, and in their idol temple made sport of him, Jud 16:21-25, where praying for renewed strength from the Lord, he pulled down the temple, and destroyed multitudes with the loss of his own life, Jud 16:26-31.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 5

1. 1 Samuel 5:2
2. 1 Samuel 31:9; 1 Chronicles 10:9; Psalms 97:7
3. Judges 15:18
4. Jeremiah 15:15
5. Judges 15:20

Footnotes 4

[a]. Lit "their heart was pleasant"
[b]. Lit "made sport before them"
[c]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD
[d]. Lit "strength"