Judges 16:26-31

26 And Samson said to the boy that governed his steps, Suffer thou me, that I touch the pillars on which all the house standeth (Allow me to touch the pillars on which the whole house standeth), (so) that I (may) be bowed upon those, and rest a little.
27 And the house was full of men and of women, and (all) the princes of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand of men and of women (and also about three thousand men and women), beholding from the roof, and from the solar, (while) Samson (was) playing.
28 And he called inwardly the Lord, and said, My Lord God, have mind on me, and my God, yield thou now to me the former strength, that I venge me of mine enemies, and that I take one vengeance for the loss of my two eyes. (And he inwardly called upon the Lord, and said, Lord my God, remember me, and my God, yield thou now to me the former strength, so that I can avenge myself on my enemies, and so that I can now take one vengeance for the loss of my two eyes.)
29 And he took both [the] pillars, on which the house stood, and he held the one of those in his right hand, and the tother in his left hand; (And he took hold of both of the pillars, on which the house stood, and he held onto one of them with his right hand, and the other one with his left hand;)
30 and he said, My life die with the(se) Philistines! And when the pillars were shaken (al)together strongly, the house felled upon all the princes, and upon the multitude that was there; and Samson dying killed many more, than he alive had slain before. (and he said, Let me die with these Philistines! And when the pillars were altogether strongly shaken, the house fell on all the rulers, and on all the multitude of people who were there; and in dying, Samson killed many more than he had killed when he was alive.)
31 And his brethren and all his kindred came down, and took his body, and they buried it betwixt Zorah and Eshtaol, in the sepulchre of Manoah, his father; and he deemed Israel twenty years. (And his brothers and all his kindred came down, and took away his body, and they buried it between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the tomb of his father Manoah; and he had ruled Israel for twenty years.)

Judges 16:26-31 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.