Judges Chapter 16
Samson’s Disgrace and Death
A. Samson and Delilah.
(Judges 16:1-3) Samson and the harlot at Gaza.
Now Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her. When the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him.” And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
a. Saw a harlot there, and went in to her: Here we see a clear and grievous fall into sin. Samson, a man set apart from birth as a Nazirite to deliver Israel, instead indulges in gross immorality. This is a sobering example of how a man might be greatly empowered and used by God in one area, yet be enslaved by sin in another.
i. Samson desired to be used by God, but he simultaneously yielded to the deceitfulness of sin. His Nazirite vow had certain outward requirements, and he kept some of those external signs with great zeal, yet he disregarded God’s moral commands. This shows the dangerous compartmentalization that many fall into—assuming that some parts of life are “off-limits” to God’s authority. The truth is that God claims lordship over the whole life, not just selected areas (Romans 12:1-2).
ii. His actions in Gaza were not merely personal sin, but a public disgrace that weakened his testimony and emboldened the enemies of Israel. The record here serves as a warning that unconfessed sin tolerated in the heart will eventually manifest in open actions.
b. Put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill: The city gates of Gaza were massive, heavy structures designed for defense. In the dead of night, Samson uprooted them entirely, carrying them nearly forty miles to a hill facing Hebron. This was a supernatural display of strength granted by God, not a result of Samson’s physical prowess alone.
i. God gave this strength despite Samson’s sin, because His sovereign purposes for delivering Israel from the Philistines were greater than Samson’s personal worthiness. This demonstrates that God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable (Romans 11:29), but it also reminds us that such grace is not an endorsement of sin. Samson’s continued moral compromise was eroding the very foundation of his calling, and the eventual consequences would be severe.
ii. This act also shamed the Philistines, symbolizing that their city’s defenses could not restrain the man whom God had empowered. Yet instead of repenting and using this opportunity to turn fully to the LORD, Samson continued in his reckless course—a tragic foreshadowing of his eventual downfall.
(Judges 16:4-5) Delilah agrees to betray Samson.
Afterward it happened that 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, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”
a. He loved a woman… whose name was Delilah: Samson once again allowed his affections to blind his discernment. The Valley of Sorek lay near the border between Israelite and Philistine territory, making Delilah’s background and loyalties suspect from the outset. Just as before, Samson’s downfall began not on the battlefield, but in the private choices of the heart. Instead of seeking a godly woman from among his own people, Samson continued his pattern of being drawn to women from the enemy’s camp, showing that he had not learned from his past failures with the Timnite woman or the prostitute in Gaza.
i. Scripture warns in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Samson did not guard his heart, and so his passions led him repeatedly into compromise. His greatest defeats were not due to the Philistines’ strength, but to his own lack of self-control.
ii. Delilah’s name means “delicate” or “dainty,” yet her influence would prove anything but gentle. She would be the instrument of Samson’s final downfall, not through force, but through persistence and manipulation.
b. Every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver: This was an enormous bribe. Eleven hundred shekels from each Philistine lord would total a fortune—more than 140 pounds (63 kilograms) of silver in all. Her motive was clear: she loved wealth, not Samson.
i. The Philistine leaders had failed to subdue Samson by direct confrontation, so they resorted to cunning and bribery. The offer to Delilah shows their determination; they were willing to pay a king’s ransom to discover the secret of Samson’s strength.
ii. The danger for Samson was not merely that Delilah could be bribed, but that he had already given her his heart. This made him vulnerable to the oldest tactic of the enemy—using those closest to us to accomplish betrayal. Just as Balaam taught Balak to corrupt Israel through seduction (Numbers 31:16), so the Philistines sought to destroy Samson by exploiting his weakness for ungodly women.
(Judges 16:6-9) Samson lies to Delilah about the source of his strength.
So 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 fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” So the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she bound him with them. Now men were lying in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.
a. Please tell me where your great strength lies: The fact that Delilah had to ask means that the source of Samson’s strength was not physically obvious. Samson likely did not appear as an unusually large or heavily muscled man in the way we might picture a modern bodybuilder or strongman. This is consistent with the biblical truth that his power came from the Spirit of the LORD (Judges 14:6, 15:14), not from natural human strength. God’s choice of an ordinary-looking vessel made it clear that the glory for Samson’s victories belonged to God alone.
i. This is a reminder that God often works through those the world would least expect. First Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” Samson’s appearance may have been unimpressive, but the Spirit’s power in his life was undeniable.
b. And with what you may be bound to afflict you: Delilah’s wording is chilling—she was not asking so she could playfully test Samson’s strength, but so she could “afflict” him. Her intentions were clear, and Samson should have recognized the danger immediately. In reality, the thing that truly bound him was not bowstrings, but his willingness to remain in a compromising relationship with an ungodly woman.
i. Spiritually, many believers are “bound” in similar ways—not by ropes, but by sinful attachments, unhealthy relationships, or unwise affections that compromise their obedience to God. Samson’s real weakness was not physical—it was moral and spiritual.
c. And she bound him: The speed with which Delilah acted should have removed all doubt from Samson’s mind regarding her loyalty. He lied to her about the true source of his strength, which proves he already suspected her intentions. Yet, instead of fleeing temptation as Joseph did when Potiphar’s wife pursued him (Genesis 39:12), Samson stayed in Delilah’s house and allowed the game to continue.
i. This is the tragic pattern of Samson’s life—flirting with danger instead of fleeing from it. James 1:14-15 warns that temptation, when entertained, leads to sin, and sin ultimately brings death. Samson thought he could manage the temptation, but he underestimated its power over time.
ii. The Philistines were literally lying in wait in the same room, hidden and ready to attack. This physical reality mirrors the spiritual reality of the believer’s life: the enemy lies in wait, looking for any opportunity to bind and afflict God’s people. First Peter 5:8 warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
d. But he broke the bowstrings… so the secret of his strength was not known: This initial failure did not deter Delilah or the Philistines. Instead, it emboldened them to keep pressing. Likewise, when the enemy’s first attempt to ensnare a believer fails, he often returns with renewed persistence, knowing that repeated assaults can wear down resistance over time. Samson’s refusal to flee set the stage for his eventual defeat.
(Judges 16:10-12) Samson lies to Delilah about the source of his strength a second time.
Then Delilah said to Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with.” So he said to her, “If they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” Therefore Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But he broke them off his arms like a thread.
a. Now, please tell me what you may be bound with: By this point, any man thinking clearly would have fled from Delilah. Her persistence, coupled with the fact that each test involved Philistines hidden in the room ready to attack, left no doubt about her intentions. Yet Samson continued to entertain her questions. Romantic attraction and fleshly desire blinded him to the obvious danger, clouding his judgment and dulling his discernment. This is a vivid example of how sin, especially in the form of an ungodly relationship, can warp thinking and suppress wisdom.
i. Proverbs 6:27 asks, “Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” Samson thought he could handle the temptation without consequence, but in reality, every interaction was bringing him closer to destruction.
b. If they bind me securely with new ropes: Samson continued to treat the situation as a game, giving false answers while still remaining in a compromising environment. His willingness to toy with temptation shows the dangerous arrogance of assuming one can control sin. Galatians 6:7 warns, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
c. Delilah took new ropes and bound him: Here Samson repeated the same mistake as before—allowing himself to be put in literal bondage within the very situation he should have fled. His physical strength gave him a false sense of security. He thought, “I can break out whenever I want,” not realizing that repeated compromise erodes spiritual strength and resolves over time.
i. Many today remain in spiritual or moral bondage for the same reason—they refuse to escape. They justify staying in sinful patterns, thinking they can “handle it,” when in reality the enemy is tightening the cords with every test.
d. But he broke them off his arms like a thread: Once again, Samson’s supernatural strength delivered him from the trap. However, each escape was another step toward the ultimate betrayal, because each time he stayed, he allowed Delilah to come closer to the truth. Temporary victories over temptation are not the same as long-term faithfulness, and without repentance and separation from sin, eventual defeat is inevitable.
(Judges 16:13-15) Samson lies to Delilah about the source of his strength for the third time.
Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom”; so she wove it tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and the web from the loom. Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.”
a. Tell me what you may be bound with: Delilah obviously cared nothing for Samson’s well-being or life. Every attempt to extract the secret of his strength was followed by an immediate attempt to betray him to his enemies. That Samson remained with her after two such betrayals is a remarkable testimony to the blinding and irrational power of sin when fueled by lust and misplaced affection. This kind of “love” was not the selfless, covenant love God calls for, but a carnal infatuation that enslaves the heart. Proverbs 6:26 warns, “For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.”
b. If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom: Here, Samson dangerously edges closer to the truth. This is the first time he mentions his hair—the outward sign of his Nazirite vow. It is a pattern often seen in spiritual compromise: the sinner does not give up all at once, but step by step draws nearer to total defeat, growing desensitized to danger. Samson’s words here reveal how lingering in the presence of temptation can weaken one’s resolve and blur spiritual boundaries.
c. How can you say, “I love you,” when your heart is not with me: Tragically, Samson’s heart was fully with Delilah, yet she accused him of withholding it. Her words were a calculated manipulation, projecting her own lack of love onto him. She loved money, not Samson, as proven by her agreement with the Philistines. Nevertheless, her feigned hurt preyed upon his emotions and wore down his defenses. Proverbs 7:21 says, “With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him.”
d. You have mocked me these three times: Delilah framed herself as the victim, twisting the situation so that Samson felt guilt for not revealing his secret. This is the strategy of the deceiver—turning the truth upside down so that sin appears to be faithfulness and faithfulness appears to be betrayal. Many are drawn deeper into compromise because they allow guilt from a manipulative source to outweigh conviction from God.
(Judges 16:16-19) Samson finally betrays the source of his strength.
And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.
a. When she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart: The relentless persistence of Delilah mirrors the tactic of Samson’s Philistine wife earlier in Judges 14:15-18. In both cases, the continual nagging broke his resolve. The issue was not merely Delilah’s sin in manipulating Samson—it was Samson’s sin in yielding to that manipulation. Temptation often works this way, not by overpowering a believer in one sudden blow, but by wearing down resistance over time. Proverbs 7:21 reminds us, “With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him.”
i. Delilah’s earlier claim that Samson’s love was empty was hollow and hypocritical. She demanded that he prove his love for her by betraying his calling and consecration to God. This is the very essence of manipulation—demanding disobedience to God as the price of relationship.
b. He told her all his heart: These words mark the tragic climax of Samson’s spiritual decline. His vow as a Nazirite was the outward sign of a deeper inward consecration to God, yet now he willingly surrendered that symbol for the sake of maintaining an ungodly relationship. The choice was clear: remain faithful to God or cling to Delilah. Samson chose wrongly.
i. Here the strongest man in the world was rendered powerless, not by an army, but by the charms of a single ungodly woman. His physical strength may have been unmatched, but his moral and spiritual strength was weak. Many make the same mistake—assuming that strength in one area of life guarantees strength in all others. Proverbs 16:32 warns, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
c. Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees: Delilah’s pretense of affection was the perfect cover for betrayal. The irony is striking—Samson, who had been raised up to deliver Israel from the Philistines, now rests his head in the lap of the enemy’s agent. Her soothing touch disguised a heart fixed on his destruction, much like Satan’s deceptive tactics to lure believers into spiritual slumber before striking.
i. As Charles Spurgeon observed, “As long as he is consecrated he is strong; break that, he is weak as water. Now there are a thousand razors with which the devil can shave off the locks of a consecrated man without his knowing it… The devil is cleverer far than even the skillful barber; he can shave the believer’s locks while he scarcely knows it.”
d. Then she began to torment him: This was not the beginning of Samson’s torment—it had begun long before, the moment he allowed himself to be ensnared in this ungodly relationship. His physical pain now mirrored the spiritual bondage he had already been in for some time.
e. And his strength left him: The power of Samson was never in the hair itself. The hair was a symbol of his Nazirite vow, and therefore the outward pledge of his separation unto God. Once the hair was cut, the vow was broken, the consecration was ended, and the Lord’s empowering presence departed.
i. Spurgeon rightly noted, “Not that his hair made him strong, but that his hair was the symbol of his consecration, and was the pledge of God’s favor to him. While his hair was untouched he was a consecrated man; as soon as that was cut away, he was no longer perfectly consecrated, and then his strength departed from him.”
ii. There is also a sobering warning here for churches and believers. As Spurgeon further said, “In the opinion of some persons Samson looked much improved when his matted hair was gone. He was more presentable; more fit for good society. And so in the case of churches, the notion is that they are all the better for getting rid of their peculiarities.” In other words, when God’s people strip away the marks of their separation from the world in order to fit in, they may appear more acceptable, but they lose the very power of God’s presence.
B. Samson’s arrest and death.
(Judges 16:20) Samson is seized by the Philistines.
And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
a. I will go out as before: Samson awoke with the same confidence he had always possessed, expecting to overcome the Philistines as in previous encounters. However, he was living in the deception that nothing had changed, even though his consecration had been broken and his vow to God forsaken. This is one of the great dangers of spiritual compromise—it dulls discernment to the point where a person believes that disobedience will carry no lasting consequence. Samson’s words reveal a man relying on past victories rather than present obedience.
i. G. Campbell Morgan insightfully warns, “The story is one to fill the soul with holy fear. The possibility of going on in an attempt to do the work of God after God has withdrawn Himself, is an appalling one.” This speaks directly to the danger of ministering, serving, or fighting spiritual battles in the flesh after the Spirit’s power is gone.
ii. Samson’s attitude reflects a tragic misunderstanding of God’s mercy. The delay in judgment he experienced was not approval of his conduct. As Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Samson mistook God’s patience as indifference, presuming that the blessings he had enjoyed in the past would continue regardless of his rebellion.
b. He did not know that the LORD had departed from him: This statement is one of the most sobering in all of Scripture. The departure of the Lord’s empowering presence was not a sudden reaction to one single act, but the final stage of a long process of spiritual erosion. The cutting of Samson’s hair was the outward sign of a deeper inward breach—his separation unto God had already been eroded by years of compromise.
i. The strength of Samson was never in the hair itself, but in the Spirit of the Lord resting upon him (Judges 14:6, 15:14). Once his consecration was broken, the Spirit’s empowering presence was withdrawn. As Isaiah 59:2 declares, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
ii. The tragedy is that Samson “did not know” the Lord had departed. Spiritual decline often works this way—there is no dramatic announcement when the power is gone, only the slow realization in the moment of battle that one is fighting alone. This truth should serve as a warning to every believer that ongoing intimacy with God, not past experiences or past victories, is the true source of spiritual strength.
(Judges 16:21-22) Samson’s Philistine imprisonment.
Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison. However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven.
a. Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes: The first act of the Philistines after capturing Samson was to blind him. This was both a brutal punishment and a symbolic act of judgment. Samson’s downfall had begun through his eyes—his attraction to the beauty of ungodly women (Judges 14:1-3; Judges 16:1) repeatedly led him into sin. He lived by sight rather than by faith, and now his physical eyes were removed, making visible the blindness that had already taken root in his heart. The one who had “seen” so much that pleased his flesh was now condemned to darkness.
b. They bound him with bronze fetters: Samson had lived under the illusion of freedom, doing whatever pleased him without restraint. Yet true freedom is found only in obedience to God. His insistence on self-will led to complete loss of liberty, as Jesus said in John 8:34, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” Bronze fetters—heavy and unyielding—symbolize the inescapable bondage of sin.
i. Morgan observes, “There is nothing perhaps in the sacred writings at once more pathetic and tragic than the vision of Samson with his eyes put out, grinding in the prison house of the Philistines. It is a picture and a parable needing no enforcement of exposition to make it powerful.” This image of the once-mighty deliverer now reduced to forced labor is a vivid reminder that sin will always take more than it gives.
ii. The wages of sin are not merely spiritual—they eventually become outward and undeniable. Before this, Samson’s blindness, bondage, and servitude were inward, hidden beneath the appearance of strength. Now, they became physical realities for all to see. Sin often works this way, progressing from inward corruption to outward ruin.
c. However, the hair of his head began to grow again: This small detail carries profound spiritual significance. The return of Samson’s hair signaled the possibility of restored strength, not because the hair itself held mystical power, but because it was the outward symbol of his Nazirite consecration to God (Numbers 6:5). The regrowth of his hair hinted that God was not finished with Samson, and that even in the darkness of a Philistine dungeon, restoration was possible.
i. Spurgeon notes, “I wonder why these Philistines did not take care to keep his hair from growing to any length. If cutting his hair once had proved so effectual, I wonder that they did not send in the barber every morning, to make sure that not a hair grew upon his scalp or chin. But wicked men are not in all matters wise men: indeed, they so conspicuously fail in one point or another that Scripture calls them fools.” God, in His providence, allowed the Philistines to neglect this, paving the way for Samson’s final act of deliverance.
ii. Spurgeon also writes, “When Samson’s hair began to grow, what did it prophesy? Well, first, it prophesied hope for Samson. I will be bound to say that he put his hand to his head, and felt that it was getting bristly, and then he put his hand to his beard, and found it rough. Yes, yes, yes, it was coming, and he thought within himself, ‘It will be all right soon. I shall not get my eyes back. They will not grow again. I am an awful loser by my sin, but I shall get my strength back again, for my hair is growing. I shall be able to strike a blow for my people and for my God yet.’” This captures the truth that while sin leaves lasting scars, God can still use a repentant servant for His purposes.
(Judges 16:23-25) Samson is mocked by his enemies.
Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said:
“Our god has delivered into our hands
Samson our enemy!”
When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said:
“Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy,
The destroyer of our land,
And the one who multiplied our dead.”
So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars.
a. Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy: This is the tragic outcome of Samson’s sin. What began as personal compromise in his private life now became a public dishonor to the Lord. By violating his Nazirite vow, following his lusts, and ignoring God’s warnings, Samson provided Israel’s enemies with an opportunity to boast in their false god. He became a living trophy of Dagon’s supposed power, paraded as evidence that the god of the Philistines had triumphed over the God of Israel. The reality, of course, was not that Dagon had prevailed, but that Samson’s own disobedience had removed him from the covering of God’s blessing.
i. This scene reminds us that sin is never contained to the sinner alone. When a believer falls—especially a leader—the damage extends beyond their personal life. As Proverbs 25:26 warns, “A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.” Samson’s failure polluted the testimony of God’s power before a watching pagan world.
b. When the people saw him, they praised their god: The Philistines’ interpretation of Samson’s downfall was that Dagon had proven superior to the Lord. This was the same kind of blasphemous thinking Goliath would later display when he mocked the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17:45). It was also the same lie that Nebuchadnezzar believed when he attributed his power to himself rather than to the sovereignty of God (Daniel 4:30).
i. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that Samson was meant to be an instrument of God’s deliverance for Israel (Judges 13:5), yet his life at this point preached the opposite message. Instead of demonstrating that the Lord is mighty to save, his defeat made it appear as though the God of Israel was weak.
ii. Leaders today must remember that when they live in unrepentant sin, they can unintentionally provide ammunition to the enemies of God. As Romans 2:24 warns, “For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’” Samson’s humiliation became a national shame, not merely a personal one.
c. Call for Samson, that he may perform for us: The phrase “perform” implies that Samson was brought out for their amusement, likely mocked, jeered at, and perhaps forced to carry out humiliating tasks for entertainment. The mighty deliverer of Israel, who once struck down a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey, was now reduced to a spectacle for the Philistine elite.
i. His enemies celebrated his defeat as a political and religious victory, but they did not realize that God was not finished with Samson. While they placed him between the pillars, thinking they were displaying total dominance, they were unknowingly positioning him for the final act of his God-given mission.
(Judges 16:26–31) Samson’s bittersweet death
Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. And his brothers and all his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had judged Israel twenty years.
a. Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand: The Philistines’ use of a boy to guide and guard Samson speaks volumes about how far he had fallen in their eyes. They no longer feared his strength, for in their minds, his defeat was final. Yet in God’s providence, this act of mockery placed Samson exactly where he needed to be for his final mission.
i. The fact that a mere lad could lead him further confirms that Samson’s physical strength was never a natural trait but the result of God’s supernatural empowerment. When that empowerment was gone, Samson was as weak and vulnerable as any other man.
b. That I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines: Samson’s request is both tragic and triumphant. It is tragic in that it reflects a man whose life was marked more by personal vendetta than by a pure devotion to God’s glory. Yet it is triumphant because in this final moment, Samson turns back to the Lord in prayer—a rare event in his recorded life—and God answers.
i. This is the paradox of Samson’s end: God used him mightily, but Samson himself derived little personal blessing from that use. His life ended in tragedy, shadowed by the reality of what could have been had he walked in consistent obedience.
ii. Samson’s death also prefigures the reality that victory in God’s service often comes through self-sacrifice. Though his motive was mixed, the principle is clear—God’s power is most greatly displayed when the servant has been stripped of self-reliance (2 Corinthians 12:9).
c. Let me die with the Philistines: While this act technically involved Samson taking his own life, it differs from what Scripture would normally classify as suicide. His purpose was not self-destruction but the destruction of God’s enemies. The act was more akin to a soldier knowingly giving his life in battle to ensure the enemy’s defeat.
i. Samson’s end should not be confused with the glorification of self-destruction that we see in the world today. Unlike modern suicide bombers—who kill indiscriminately and are celebrated for their destruction—Samson’s act was divinely empowered, divinely purposed, and a direct judgment upon the Philistine leaders.
ii. Suicide itself is indeed sin, for it violates the commandment “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). However, it is not the unforgivable sin. The blood of Christ is sufficient to cleanse all who repent and believe, even those who, in weakness or deception, end their own life (1 John 1:9).
d. And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it: This was an act that could only happen through God’s supernatural enabling. Though Samson had forfeited so much through sin, God had not utterly forsaken him. His mercies reached into the Philistine prison and answered the cry of a humbled man.
i. This final victory came only after Samson had been stripped of all pride, humiliated, blinded, and broken. He could no longer lean on his own cunning or physical ability. For the first time in the narrative, we see him wholly dependent on God, humbly praying for strength.
ii. The contrast is stark: earlier, Samson acted independently, rarely seeking God’s guidance; now, he cannot act at all without it. His reliance on a young boy for guidance is symbolic—his self-sufficiency has been crushed, and his dependence on God is complete.
iii. Samson’s life is a warning against underestimating the danger of sin. His lust for Philistine women continually drew him into compromise until it destroyed him. Unlike Joseph, who fled from temptation (Genesis 39:12), Samson walked into it repeatedly. As 2 Timothy 2:22 commands, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
iv. Samson also stands as a cautionary tale against isolated leadership. For twenty years he judged Israel, yet we never read of him leading an army or training successors. His ministry was solitary, and his falls were solitary. God’s design for leadership in both Old and New Testaments includes counsel, accountability, and shared burdens (Proverbs 11:14; Ecclesiastes 4:9–10).
v. Above all, Samson’s story is one of wasted potential. He could have been one of the greatest deliverers in Israel’s history, yet he squandered his calling through self-indulgence. His inclusion in Hebrews 11:32 shows that God’s grace can still redeem the most flawed of servants, but his life reminds us that being used by God is not the same as living in daily fellowship with Him.
vi. As Spurgeon noted, the record of Samson is not given for our imitation but for our instruction. His flaws and failures reveal both the danger of compromise and the wonder of grace—that God can still accomplish His purposes through imperfect vessels, and that faith, however flawed, is still faith when placed in the living God.
