Samson in the Bible
Meaning: his sun; his service; there the second time
Exact Match
Manoah's wife gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The child grew and the Lord empowered him.
Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye.
But his father and mother said to him, "Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines." But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, because she is the right one for me."
But Samson retorted to his father, "Get her for me, since she looks fine to me." Meanwhile, his father and mother did not know that she was from the LORD, because he had been seeking a favorable opportunity concerning the Philistines, since the Philistines were dominating Israel at that time.
Samson went down to Timnah. When he approached the vineyards of Timnah, he saw a roaring young lion attacking him.
Samson continued on down to Timnah and spoke to the girl. In his opinion, she was just the right one.
Then Samson's father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. Samson hosted a party there, for this was customary for bridegrooms to do.
Samson said to them, "I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.
On the fourth day they said to Samson's bride, "Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. If you refuse, we will burn up you and your father's family. Did you invite us here to make us poor?"
So Samson's bride cried on his shoulder and said, "You must hate me; you do not love me! You told the young men a riddle, but you have not told me the solution." He said to her, "Look, I have not even told my father or mother. Do you really expect me to tell you?"
However Samson’s wife wept before him seven days while their [wedding] feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. Then she told the [answer to the] riddle to her countrymen.
So the men of the city said to Samson on the seventh day before sundown,
What is stronger than a lion?”
And he said to them,
You would not have solved my riddle.”
The Spirit of the Lord took control of him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed 30 of their men. He stripped them and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. In a rage, Samson returned to his father’s house,
Samson's bride was then given to his best man.
Sometime later, during the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat as a gift and went to visit his bride. He said to her father, "I want to have sex with my bride in her bedroom!" But her father would not let him enter.
Samson said to them, "This time I am justified in doing the Philistines harm!"
Samson went and captured three hundred jackals and got some torches. He tied the jackals in pairs by their tails and then tied a torch to each pair.
The Philistines asked, "Who did this?" They were told, "Samson, the Timnite's son-in-law, because the Timnite took Samson's bride and gave her to his best man." So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father.
Samson said to them, "Because you did this, I will get revenge against you before I quit fighting."
The men of Judah said, "Why are you attacking us?" The Philistines said, "We have come up to take Samson prisoner so we can do to him what he has done to us."
Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the cliff of Etam and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why have you done this to us?" He said to them, "I have only done to them what they have done to me."
They said to him, "We have come down to take you prisoner so we can hand you over to the Philistines." Samson said to them, "Promise me you will not kill me."
When Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, so that the ropes that bound him were like flax that's been burned by fire, and his bonds dissolved.
Samson then said, "With the jawbone of a donkey I have left them in heaps; with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck down a thousand men!"
Then Samson was very thirsty, and he called out to the Lord and said, “You have given this great victory through the hand of Your servant, and now am I to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised (pagans)?”
So God split a hollow place in the ground at Lehi, and water came out of it. After Samson drank, his strength returned, and he revived.
Samson led Israel for twenty years during the days of Philistine prominence.
Samson went to Gaza. There he saw a prostitute and went in to have sex with her.
The Gazites were told, "Samson has come here!" So they surrounded the town and hid all night at the city gate, waiting for him to leave. They relaxed all night, thinking, "He will not leave until morning comes; then we will kill him!"
Samson spent half the night with the prostitute; then he got up in the middle of the night and left. He grabbed the doors of the city gate, as well as the two posts, and pulled them right off, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill east of Hebron.
After this Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley.
So Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me what makes you so strong and how you can be subdued and humiliated."
Samson said to her, "If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become weak and be just like any other man."
They hid in the bedroom and then she said to him, "The Philistines are here, Samson!" He snapped the bowstrings as easily as a thread of yarn snaps when it is put close to fire. The secret of his strength was not discovered.
Delilah said to Samson, "Look, you deceived me and told me lies! Now tell me how you can be subdued."
So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them and said to him, "The Philistines are here, Samson!" (The Philistines were hiding in the bedroom.) But he tore the ropes from his arms as if they were a piece of thread.
Delilah said to Samson, "Up to now you have deceived me and told me lies. Tell me how you can be subdued." He said to her, "If you weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on the loom and secure it with the pin, I will become weak and be like any other man."
So she made him go to sleep, wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric on the loom, fastened it with the pin, and said to him, "The Philistines are here, Samson!" He woke up and tore away the pin of the loom and the fabric.
She made Samson sleep on her knees, and she called a man and had him shave off the seven braids of his head. Then she began to abuse Samson, and his strength left him.
She said, "The Philistines are here, Samson!" He woke up and thought, "I will do as I did before and shake myself free." But he did not realize that the Lord had left him.
The rulers of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate. They said, "Our god has handed Samson, our enemy, over to us."
When the people saw Samson, they praised their god, for they said,
The ravager of our country,
Who has killed many of us.”
When they really started celebrating, they said, "Call for Samson so he can entertain us!" So they summoned Samson from the prison and he entertained them. They made him stand between two pillars.
Samson said to the young man who held his hand, "Position me so I can touch the pillars that support the temple. Then I can lean on them."
Now the temple was filled with men and women, and all the rulers of the Philistines were there. There were three thousand men and women on the roof watching Samson entertain.
Samson called to the Lord, "O Master, Lord, remember me! Strengthen me just one more time, O God, so I can get swift revenge against the Philistines for my two eyes!"
Samson took hold of the two middle pillars that supported the temple and he leaned against them, with his right hand on one and his left hand on the other.
Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" He pushed hard and the temple collapsed on the rulers and all the people in it. He killed many more people in his death than he had killed during his life.
Thematic Bible
Total abstinence » Instances of » Samson
Adultery » Instances of » Samson
Beard » Samson
Children » Dedicated to God in infancy » Samson
Children » Instances of » Samson
Holy spirit » Examples of men receiving the gift of, under the old dispensation » Samson
Holy spirit » Old testament reference to » Samson
Holy spirit » Inspiration of » The judges » Samson
Holy spirit » Instances of » Samson
Israel » Under the judges » Led » Samson » 20 years
Israel » Names of the rulers before saul was anointed king » Samson
Judge » Samson
Judge » Samson » Samuel as the leader (judge)
Judge » Samson » The sons of samuel
And all the elders of Israel gathered themselves and came to Samuel to Ramah. And they said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
Judge » Samson » Eli led israel
Judges of israel » Names of the rulers before saul was anointed king » Samson
extraordinary Judges » Names of » Samson
Lions » Killed by » Samson
And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the dead body of the lion. And behold! A swarm of bees and honey was in the dead body of the lion. And he took some of it in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother. And he gave to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the dead body of the lion.
Lions » Slain by » Samson
Lying » Exemplified » Samson
Manoah » A danite » Of zorah » Father of » Samson
For lo, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. And the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and His face was like the face of an Angel of God, very terrifying. But I did not ask Him where He came from, neither did He tell me His name. But He said to me, Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death. And Manoah prayed to Jehovah and said, O, my Lord, let the Man of God, whom You sent, come again to us and teach us what we shall do to the boy that shall be born. And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. And the woman hurried and ran, and told her husband, and said to him, Behold, the Man has appeared to me, the one who came to me the other day. And Manoah arose and went after his wife, and came to the Man, and said to Him, Are You the Man who spoke to the woman? And He said, I am. And Manoah said, Now let Your words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and what shall we do to him? And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. She may not eat of all that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. Let her do all that I commanded her. And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah, I pray You, let us keep You until we have made a kid ready for You. And the Angel of Jehovah said to Manoah, Though you keep Me, I will not eat of your bread. And if you will offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to Jehovah. For Manoah did not know that He was the Angel of Jehovah. And Manoah said to the Angel of Jehovah, What is Your name, so that when Your sayings come to pass we may do You honor? And the Angel of Jehovah said to him, Why do you ask after My name in this way? Yea, it is Wonderful. And Manoah took a kid with a food offering, and offered it upon a rock to Jehovah, and did wonderfully. And Manoah and his wife looked on. For it happened when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, the Angel of Jehovah went up in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it and fell on their faces to the ground. But the Angel of Jehovah did not appear any more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that He was an Angel of Jehovah. And Manoah said to his wife, We shall surely die because we have seen God. But his wife said to him, If Jehovah were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a food offering at our hands, neither would He have showed us all these things, nor have told us such things as these at this time. And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and Jehovah blessed him.
Miracles wrought through servants of God » Samson » Philistines killed
Miracles wrought through servants of God » Samson » Dagon's house pulled down
Miracles wrought through servants of God » Samson » The gates of gaza carried away
Miracles wrought through servants of God » Samson » A lion killed
Nazarite » Instances of » Samson
Philistines » Samson » Intermarried with
Philistines » Samson » Pulled down the house of dagon and destroyed immense numbers of
Philistines » Samson » Slew a thousand with the jawbone of an ass
Philistines » Samson » Slew many for burning his wife
Philistines » Samson » Burned vineyards, &c of
Philistines » Samson » Slew thirty, near askelon
Philistines » Samson » Blinded and imprisoned by
Philistines » Samson » Promised as a deliverer from
Power » Of the holy spirit examples of men receiving the gift of, under the old dispensation » Samson
Prayer, answers to » Samson
Samson » A life of contrasts » Mighty in physical strength
Samson » A life of contrasts » Spiritual at times
Samson » A life of contrasts » Separated as a nazarite
Samson » Blinded » By philistines » Pillars
And the people saw him and praised their god. For they said, Our god has delivered our enemy into our hand, and the destroyer of our country, who killed many of us. And when their hearts were merry, it happened that they said, Call for Samson and he will make sport for us. And they called for Samson out of the prison house. And he made sport for them, and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, Allow me to feel the pillars upon which the house stands, so that I may lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women. And all the lords of the Philistines were there. And on the roof were about three thousand men and women who watched while Samson made sport. And Samson called to Jehovah and said, O, Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me, I pray You, only this once, O God, so that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was held up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself mightily, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those he killed in his life. Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
Samson » His great strength
And the men of Judah said, Why have you come up against us? And they answered, We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us? And he said to them, As they have done to me, so I have done to them. And they said to him, We have come to bind you so that we may deliver you into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them, Swear to me that you will not fall upon me yourselves. And they spoke to him, saying, No, but we will tie you up and deliver you into their hand. But surely we will not kill you. And they bound him with two new cords and brought him up from the rock. He came to Lehi, and the Philistines shouted against him. And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and the cords on his arms became as flax that has been burned with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
Samson » Wife of, estranged
Samson » A life of contrasts » Yet weak in resisting temptation
Samson » A life of contrasts » Yet courageous in battle
He came to Lehi, and the Philistines shouted against him. And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and the cords on his arms became as flax that has been burned with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
Samson » A danite » son of manoah
For lo, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head. For the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. And the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came to me, and His face was like the face of an Angel of God, very terrifying. But I did not ask Him where He came from, neither did He tell me His name. But He said to me, Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.
Samson » A life of contrasts » Yet under the power of carnal appetites
And it happened afterwards, he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
Samson » A life of contrasts » Yet tampering with evil associations
Samson » A life of contrasts » His sad end
Samson » A life of contrasts » Childish in his plans
Samson » Kills one-thousand philistines with the jawbone of a donkey
And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of an ass I have killed a thousand men. And it happened when he had made an end of speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Hill of the Jawbone.
Samson » Miraculously supplied with water
Samson » Cohabits with delilah, a prostitute; her machinations with the philistines to overcome him
And it happened afterwards, he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, Lure him and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, so that we may tie him to afflict him. And each one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. And Delilah said to Samson, Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you. And Samson said to her, If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then I shall be weak and be as another man. Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. And the ambush was sitting for her in the inner room. And she said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he broke the cords like a thread of tow when it smells fire. And his strength was not known. And Delilah said to Samson, Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please, tell me with what you may be bound. And he said to her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall be weak and be as another man. And Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And the ambush was sitting for her in the inner room. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread. And Delilah said to Samson, You have mocked me until now, and told me lies. Tell me with what you may be bound. And he said to her, If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web. And she fastened it with the pin, and said to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And He awakened out of his sleep, and pulled out the pin, the hand-loom and the web. And she said to him, How can you say, I love you, and your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me in what your great strength lies. And it happened because she distressed him with her words daily, and urged him; and his soul was grieved to death. And he told her all his heart, and said to her, A razor has not come on my hair, for I am a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I will become weak and be like any man. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come this once, for he has showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought silver in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees. And she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head. And she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he did not know that Jehovah had departed from him.
Samson » His marriage feast and the riddle propounded
And it happened when they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. And Samson said to them, I will now put forth a riddle to you. If you certainly tell it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen blouses and thirty changes of garments. But if you cannot tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen blouses and thirty changes of garments. And they said to him, Put forth your riddle so that we may hear it. And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And in three days they were not able to declare the riddle. And it happened on the seventh day they said to Samson's wife, Lure your husband so that he may tell the riddle to us, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you called us to take what we have? Is it not so? And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, You only hate me, and do not love me. You have put forth a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not told my father nor to my mother, and shall I tell you? And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day, he told her, because she pressed hard upon him. And she told the riddle to the sons of her people. And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey, and what stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave changes of garments to them who told what the riddle meant. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
Samson » Desires a philistine woman for his wife; kills a lion
But his father and his mother did not know that it was from Jehovah, that He was looking for an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had the rule over Israel. And Samson and his father and his mother went down to Timnath. And they came to the vineyards of Timnath. And, behold, a young lion roared to meet him. And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and he tore it as he would have torn a kid; and nothing was in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. And he went down and talked with the woman. And she pleased Samson very much.
Samson » Is avenged for the estrangement of his wife
And the Philistines said, Who has done this? And they answered, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire. And Samson said to them, Though you have done this, yet I will be avenged of you, and after that I will stop. And he struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter. And he went down and lived in the top of the rock Etam.