Who Was Samson — In Biblical Context
Samson was an Israelite judge with supernatural strength given by God, whose life of great potential was marred by moral compromise but ended in a final act of faith.
Samson was an Israelite judge with supernatural strength given by God, whose life of great potential was marred by moral compromise but ended in a final act of faith.
"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." — Judges 16:28 (KJV)
The Biblical Context
Samson's birth was announced by an angel to his parents, and he was set apart as a Nazirite from the womb — dedicated to God with specific vows including never cutting his hair. God gave Samson extraordinary physical strength to deliver Israel from the Philistines. He killed a lion with his bare hands, slew 1,000 Philistines with a donkey's jawbone, and carried the gates of Gaza on his shoulders. However, Samson repeatedly compromised his calling through relationships with Philistine women. His affair with Delilah proved fatal — she discovered the secret of his strength (his uncut hair) and betrayed him. The Philistines captured him, gouged out his eyes, and made him grind grain in prison. But in his final moments, as his hair grew back and God restored his strength, Samson pushed apart the pillars of a Philistine temple, killing more enemies in his death than in his life. Hebrews 11:32 includes him among the heroes of faith, showing that God can still use broken people.
Where It Sits in Scripture
The core passage for this question, Judges 16:28, sits inside Judges 16. To grasp the full meaning, read the surrounding paragraph — the verses before set up the thought, the verses after carry it forward.
"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."
Supporting Passages
"And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand."
"And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms."
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