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Samson

Samson Sam"son, n. An Israelite of Bible record (see --Judges xiii.), distinguished for his great strength; hence, a man of extraordinary physical strength. [1913 Webster]

{Samson post}. (a) (Naut.) A strong post resting on the keelson, and supporting a beam of the deck; also, a temporary or movable pillar carrying a leading block or pulley for various purposes. --Brande & C. (b) In deep-well boring, the post which supports the walking beam of the apparatus. [1913 Webster]

Bible Dictionary

Samson
(like the sun), son of Manoah, a man of the town of Zorah inthe tribe of Dan, on the border of Judah. (joshua 15:33; 19:41)(b.c. 1161). The miraculous circumstances of his birth arerecorded in Judges 13; and the three following chapters aredevoted to the history of his life and exploits. Samson takeshis place in Scripture, (1) as a judge--an office which hefilled for twenty years, (judges 15:20; 16:31) (2) as aNazarite, (judges 13:5; 16:17) and (3) as one endowed withsupernatural power by the Spirit of the Lord. (judges 13:25;14:6,19; 15:14) As a judge his authority seems to have beenlimited to the district bordering upon the country of thePhilistines. The divine inspiration which Samson shared withOthniel, Gideon and Jephthah assumed in him the unique form ofvast personal strength, inseparably connected with theobservance of his vow as a Nazarite: "his strength was in hishair." He married a Philistine woman whom he had seen atTimnath. One day, on his way to that city, he was attacked by alion, which he killed; and again passing that way he saw aswarm of bees in the carcass of the lion, and he ate of thehoney, but still he told no one. He availed himself of thiscircumstance, and of the custom of proposing riddles atmarriage feasts, to lay a snare for the Philistines. But Samsontold the riddle to his wife and she told it to the men of thecity, whereupon Samson slew thirty men of the city. Returningto his own house, he found his wife married to another, and wasrefused permission to see her. Samson revenged himself bytaking 300 foxes (or rather jackals) and tying them togethertwo by two by the tails, with a firebrand between every pair oftails, and so he let them loose into the standing corn of thePhilistines, which was ready for harvest, The Philistines tookvengeance by burning Samson s wife and her father; but he fellhip upon them in return, and smote them with a greatslaughter," after which he took refuge on the top of the rockof Etam, in the territory of Judah. The Philistines gathered anarmy to revenge themselves when the men of Judah hastened tomake peace by giving up Samson, who was hound with cords,these, however, he broke like burnt flax and finding a jawboneof an ass at hand, he slew with it a thousand of thePhilistines. The supernatural character of this exploit wasconfirmed by the miraculous bursting out of a spring of waterto revive the champion as he was ready to die of thirst. Thisachievement raised Samson to the position of a judge, which heheld for twenty years. After a time he began to fall into thetemptations which addressed themselves to his strong animalnature; but he broke through every snare in which he was caughtso long as he kept his Nazarite vow. While he was visiting aharlot in Gaza, the Philistines shut the gates of the city,intending to kill him in the morning; but at midnight he wentout and tore away the gates, with the posts and bar and carriedthem to the top of a hill looking toward Hebron. Next he formedhis fatal connection with Delilah, a woman who lived in thevalley of Sorek. Thrice he suffered himself to be bound withgreen withes, with new ropes, but released himself untilfinally, wearied out with her importunity, he "told her all hisheart," and while he was asleep she had him shaven of his sevenlocks of hair. His enemies put out his eyes, and led him downto Gaza, bound in brazen fetters, and made him grind in theprison. Then they held a great festival in the temple of Dagon,to celebrate their victory over Samson. They brought forth theblind champion to make sport for them, end placed him betweenthe two chief pillars which supported the roof that surroundedthe court. Samson asked the lad who guided him to let him feelthe pillars, to lean upon them. Then, with a fervent prayerthat God would strengthen him only this once, to be avenged onthe Philistines, he bore with all his might upon the twopillars; they yielded, and the house fell upon the lords andall the people. So the dead which he slew at his death weremore than they which he slew in his life." In (hebrews 11:32)his name is enrolled among the worthies of the Jewish Church.