Judges 16:29
in Judges 16And Samson reached out for the two central pillars supporting the temple. Bracing himself against them with his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on the other,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Judges 16
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe two middle pillars upon which the house stood - Much learned labor has been lost on the attempt to prove that a building like this might stand on two pillars. But what need of this? There might have been as many pillars here as were in the temple of Diana at Ephesus, and yet the two center pillars be the key of the building; these being once pulled down, the whole house would necessarily fall.
This site's exposition
O Lord GOD, please remember me
on Judges 16:28-30
This is Samson's second recorded prayer, after his cry for water at 15:18, and he asks to pay back the Philistines “for my two eyes”, the only reason given. Verse 30 says “in his death he killed more than he had killed in his life”, and the book passes no judgment on the act. Augustine took the question up in The City of God, book one, chapter twenty-one.
This site's exposition
Samson reached out for the two central pillars
Clarke answers the long debate over how two pillars could hold up such a temple, allowing that it may have had many pillars with these two central ones as the key. Caesarius of Arles saw the cross in it. The two pillars were to him the two beams of the cross.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Now that splendor which was restored in Samson and was covered at his death I think fits every servant of Christ. If someone is overtaken by some sin and in a salutary manner has recourse to the remedies of repentance, with the restoration of grace …
Then he shook the columns with great force, and broke them in pieces, whereon followed the downfall of the upper roof, crushing Samson himself and casting down all those who were looking on from above. Thus were a great number of men and women slain together, and by an end not unworthy or disgraceful, but excelling all his former victories, the dying Samson obtained a triumph.
"Therefore his enemies brought him to play the buffoon before them." Notice here an image of the cross. Samson extends his hands spread out to the two columns as to the two beams of the cross. Moreover, by his death he overcame his adversaries, because …
Furthermore, the fact that after Samson's hair grew again he recovered his former strength and seizing the pillars destroyed the house of his enemies together with its builders, is also seen today in the case of some sinners. If they destroy their vices by repentance …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
1 Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her. 2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:98%@v1-2
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars, upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up,....
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּלְפֹּ֨ת | vaiyilpot | and he grasped | H3943 → | |
| שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן | shimshon | Samson | H8123 → | 38 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁנֵ֣י׀ | shenei | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| עַמּוּדֵ֣י | ʾamudei | [the] pillars of | H5982 → | 111 times |
| הַתָּ֗וֶךְ | hatavekh | the middle | H8432 → | 418 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הַבַּ֙יִת֙ | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| נָכ֣וֹן | nakhon | [was] established | H3559 → | 217 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַיִּסָּמֵ֖ךְ | vaiyisamekh | and he supported himself | H5564 → | |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶחָ֥ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בִּימִינ֖וֹ | bimino | in right [hand] his | H3225 → | 140 times |
| וְאֶחָ֥ד | veechad | and one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בִּשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ | bismolo | in left [hand] his | H8040 → | 54 times |
וַיִּלְפֹּ֨תand he grasped
vaiyilpotH3943 →
שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹןSamson
shimshonH8123 →38 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁנֵ֣י׀[the] two
sheneiH8147 →768 times
עַמּוּדֵ֣י[the] pillars of
ʾamudeiH5982 →111 times
הַתָּ֗וֶךְthe middle
hatavekhH8432 →418 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הַבַּ֙יִת֙the house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
נָכ֣וֹן[was] established
nakhonH3559 →217 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֔םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
וַיִּסָּמֵ֖ךְand he supported himself
vaiyisamekhH5564 →
עֲלֵיהֶ֑םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
אֶחָ֥דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בִּימִינ֖וֹin right [hand] his
biminoH3225 →140 times
וְאֶחָ֥דand one
veechadH259 →971 times
בִּשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃in left [hand] his
bismoloH8040 →54 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, Letter 19; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 118; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 119.3; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 118.6; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 119.5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.