Judges 16:22-31

Judges 16:22-31

[22] Howbeit the hair  of his head  began  to grow again  after  he was shaven.  [23] Then the lords  of the Philistines  gathered them together  for to offer  a great  sacrifice  unto Dagon  their god,  and to rejoice:  for they said,  Our god  hath delivered  Samson  our enemy  into our hand.  [24] And when the people  saw  him, they praised  their god:  for they said,  Our god  hath delivered  into our hands  our enemy,  and the destroyer  of our country,  which slew  many  [25] And it came to pass, when their hearts  were merry,  that they said,  Call  for Samson,  that he may make us sport.  And they called  for Samson  house;  and he made them  sport:  and they set  him between the pillars.  [26] And Samson  said  unto the lad  that held  him by the hand,  Suffer  the pillars  whereupon the house  standeth,  that I may lean  upon them. [27] Now the house  was full  of men  and women;  and all the lords  of the Philistines  were there; and there were upon the roof  about three  thousand  men  and women,  that beheld  while Samson  made sport.  [28] And Samson  called  unto the LORD,  and said,  O Lord  GOD,  remember  me, I pray thee, and strengthen  me, I pray thee, only this once,  O God,  that I may be at once  avenged  of the Philistines  for my two  eyes.  [29] And Samson  took hold  of the two  middle  pillars  upon which the house  stood,  and on which it was borne up,  of the one  with his right hand,  and of the other  with his left.  [30] And Samson  said,  Let me die  with the Philistines.  And he bowed  himself with all his might;  and the house  fell  upon the lords,  and upon all the people  that were therein. So the dead  at his death  were more  than they which he slew  in his life.  [31] Then his brethren  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 buryingplace  of Manoah  his father.  And he judged  Israel  twenty  years. 

What does Judges 16:22-31 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

A spark of hope flickered in the darkness of Samson"s prison cell. His hair began to grow back ( Judges 16:22). In grace God permitted Samson"s hair to return, symbolizing the possibility of his renewed commitment to Yahweh. However, God did not restore Samson"s eyesight. God always gives opportunity for divine service after failure, but we may not be able to serve Him as we could in the past.
We might suppose that the Philistines would have been careful to keep their captive"s hair cropped. Whether because they considered their blind slave incapable of escaping, or because they failed to recognize the importance of his hair, they did not. They were in their own way as blind as Samson. Along with his hair, Samson"s dedication to Yahweh, which his hair symbolized, began to return (cf. Judges 16:28). This was the real reason his strength returned.
As mentioned previously, the Philistines were very religious. They thanked Dagon, their chief god, for Samson"s capture ( Judges 16:23). The Philistines were singing songs that the Israelites should have been singing for Yahweh"s deliverance of them, but they had not trusted and obeyed Him. Samson had given the enemies of Yahweh opportunity to blaspheme Him (cf. 2 Samuel 12:14). Perhaps the writer recorded so much of their praise here because it turned out to be totally without basis very soon.
Samson, who, as we have seen, was fond of riddles, tricks, and entertainment, became the object of sport for those he had previously taunted ( Judges 16:25). He became the tragic clown, but he finally "brought the house down."
"A number of sites of ancient heathen temples have been recently discovered, and since they show certain common characteristics it is likely that the temple of Gaza was of a similar pattern. In all probability the officials and dignitaries were in a covered portion looking out upon a courtyard where Samson was made a spectacle, but separated from it by a series of wooden pillars set on stone bases, supporting the roof, on which the crowd gathered. It may be conjectured that the spectators on the roof, pressing forward to gain a good vantage-point, had made the whole structure unstable. Samson must have been aware of the form of construction and of the possibilities in such a situation. The performance over, or temporarily halted, Samson was brought between the pillars (25b), just under the shelter of the roof, so that the dignitaries within the portico could have a closer look at him." [1]
Samson"s humiliation was even greater because a young boy now led the former "Philistine terror" around as easily as a goat ( Judges 16:26). His weakness appears greatest at this point in the story. Sensing his opportunity, Samson prayed to God for strength (cf. Judges 15:18).
"This is the only time we ever read of Samson praying before he used his strength. Now his strength was disciplined by faith, but it took failure to teach him this response." [2]
"The theological message toward which each of the cycles [3] moves centers on prayer and divine response, and the position of answered prayer at the end of each cycle is emphatic. In xv18-19 Samson asks for life.... In xvi28-30 he prays first for vindication, then for death. In both cases he is dependent wholly upon Yhwh, who alone holds the power to grant life and death and who acts in response to human supplication." [4]
The fact that Samson addressed God as "Adonai Yahweh ... Elohim" ( Judges 16:28; Master, covenant keeping God of Israel, Strong One) is significant. It definitely suggests that during the lonely hours of darkness in his cell Samson had repented. He apparently had confessed his lack of appreciation for God"s grace, calling, and power in his life and had rededicated himself to the Lord. He begged God, from whom He had departed, to remember him and to strengthen him supernaturally one more time. Samson desired to return to his calling as God"s deliverer of His people and to take vengeance on his enemies for robbing him of his eyes. God graciously heard and answered His servant. His prayer was for the glory of God and in harmony with God"s will. Nevertheless personal vengeance still motivated Samson too.
"Even Samson"s turn back to God is marked more by his desire for personal revenge against the Philistines than for deliverance for his people. In essence, Samson remains, to the very end, selfish, just as he remained until nearly the very end, clueless (see Judges 16:20). That both Samson and the Israelites demonstrate such persistent unfaithfulness and self-assertion, thus thwarting God"s purpose to deliver them from Philistine oppression, means that Judges 13-16 functions as a call to repentance, as does all the prophetic literature." [5]
"The fact that Samson took hold (AV, RV lit. grasped, RSV) of the two central pillars indicates that, exerting his strength, he pushed forward either directly towards or directly away from the open courtyard. Had he pushed sideways he would not have "grasped" the pillars. Aided by the weight of the crowd above, who would be pressing forward since Samson was now out of their sight, the main supporting pillars were now displaced, causing them to slide off their stone bases. When the roof collapsed many would be killed instantly; others would be crushed in the ensuing panic." [6]
We should not regard Samson"s death as suicide but as martyrdom (cf. Hebrews 11:32). He died in battle.
""Samson"s deed ... was not suicide, but the act of a hero, who sees that it is necessary for him to plunge into the midst of his enemies with the inevitable certainty of death, in order to effect the deliverance of his people and decide the victory which he has still to achieve."" [5]4
In his death Samson vindicated Yahweh over Dagon. He also killed more of Israel"s enemies than he had slain in his20 years of previous ministry ( Judges 16:30). While this is a complementary note, it also reminds us of the tragedy of Samson"s failure as a judge. He could have routed many more Philistines if he had walked with God. The "brothers" who buried him ( Judges 16:31) could have been members of his tribe or extended family, not necessarily members of his immediate family.
"The Philistines" hatred of Samson must have been mitigated by respect for his achievements and they made no apparent effort to abuse his corpse or to refuse him burial in his family tomb (cf. the dishonoring of Saul"s body, 1 Samuel 31:9-10). The treatment of a body after death was a matter of importance in the ancient world..." [6]
Some writers have commented on what they call the "Samson syndrome."
"One of the greatest values I see in the story of Samson is its demonstration of the Samson Syndrome. This is the tendency among some church leaders to operate from a personal power model and not understand its consequences. And for others it is a tendency to ignore our physical, emotional and spiritual limits-to not realize that when "our hair has been shorn" we cannot go out and beat up on Philistines, even though we want to." [4]
"The essence of the Samson syndrome lies right here: the presumption that one can indulge the flesh and at the same time know the Spirit"s fulness [10]." [11]
Samson"s life is one of the greatest tragedies in history and literature, and it should be a warning to every believer. Samson had many advantages. God chose him even before his birth ( Judges 13:7; cf. Ephesians 1:14). He received excellent training from godly parents who encouraged him to maintain his dedication to Yahweh ( Judges 13:8; Judges 13:12; Judges 14:3). He enjoyed God"s blessings ( Judges 13:24). Moreover the Holy Spirit empowered him with supernatural might ( Judges 13:25; Judges 14:6; Judges 14:19). Nevertheless Samson chose to yield to his physical passions rather than maintain his dedication to the Lord (cf. Esau).
""The man who carried the gates of Gaza up to the top of the mountain was the slave of a woman, to whom he frivolously betrayed the strength of his Nazirite locks."" [1]
""Samson, when strong and brave, strangled a lion; but he could not strangle his own love. He burst the fetters of his foes, but not the cords of his own lusts. He burned up the crops of others, and lost the fruit of his own virtue when burning with the flame enkindled by a single woman."" [13]
"His life which promised so much, was blighted and ultimately destroyed by his sensual passions and lack of true separation to the Lord." [6]
Samson"s unwillingness to discipline himself physically was a symptom of his unwillingness to discipline himself spiritually. This lack of discipline in serving the Lord as He required resulted in Samson"s enslavement and finally in his premature death.
Still Samson"s life should also be an encouragement to all believers. The record of Samson"s experiences teaches us that God will use people who are far from perfect. God is patient with His sinning servants even though His patience has an end. There is hope that God may yet again use His servants whom He may have had to set aside because of their sins. It all depends on whether they truly repent and rededicate themselves to Him. [15]
"The prophetic books-including the book of Judges (and especially the book of Judges at its lowest point with Samson and the aftermath in chaps17-21)-are powerful statements of hope; not hope in "culture heroes" like Samson, but rather hope in a God whose grace is greater than our ability to comprehend and whose commitment to justice, righteousness, and peace surpasses our understanding." [16]
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