Judges 16:30
in Judges 16Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people in it. So in his death he killed more than he had killed in his life.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 that he slew at his death were more than they that he slew in his life.
KJV
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 which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
⋯
This verse in Judges 16
Commentary
12 notes on this verseThe Spirit, therefore, "asks" and "intercedes," but we "pray." And Joshua's words commanding the sun to stand over [Gibeon] seem to me to be an intercession also.… And in Judges, Samson in my opinion said in intercession: "Let me die with the foreigners—when he bent in his strength and the house fell upon the princes and all the people that were there."
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
Let me die with the Philistines
Wesley reads the prayer of verse 28 and its answer as God directing Samson to die with the Philistines. Origen classed the words as an intercession, and Henry saw Christ in the fall of the temple, a death that pulled down the kingdom of darkness. Henry hoped the portion of Samson lay elsewhere.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
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 …
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 …
"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 …
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.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
However, we have good reason to hope that though Samson died with the Philistines he had not his everlasting portion with them. The Lord knows those that are his. [4.] Christ was plainly typified. He pulled down the devil's kingdom, as Samson did Dagon's temple; and, when he died, he obtained the most glorious victory over the powers of darkness.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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
Moreover, Samson did this by Divine direction, as God's answer to his prayer manifests, and that he might be a type of Christ, who by voluntarily undergoing death, destroyed the enemies of God, and of his people.
And Samson said, let me die with the Philistines,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
So the dead which he slew - We are informed that the house was full of men and women, with about three thousand of both sexes on the top; now as the whole house was pulled down, consequently the principal part of all these were slain; and among them we find there were the lords of the Philistines.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן | shimshon | Samson | H8123 → | 38 times |
| תָּמ֣וֹת | tamot | let it die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| נַפְשִׁי֮ | nafshi | life my | H5315 → | 754 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| פְּלִשְׁתִּים֒ | pelishtim | [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| וַיֵּ֣ט | vaiyet | and he stretched out | H5186 → | 214 times |
| בְּכֹ֔חַ | bekhoach | with strength | H3581 → | 126 times |
| וַיִּפֹּ֤ל | vaiyipol | and it fell | H5307 → | 435 times |
| הַבַּ֙יִת֙ | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַסְּרָנִ֔ים | haseranim | the rulers | H5633 → | 22 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בּ֑וֹ | bo | [was] in <the> it | ||
| וַיִּהְי֤וּ | vaiyihyu | and they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַמֵּתִים֙ | hametim | the dead | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵמִ֣ית | hemit | he killed | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בְּמוֹת֔וֹ | bemoto | in death his | H4194 → | 156 times |
| רַבִּ֕ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר | measher | more than [those] whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵמִ֖ית | hemit | he had killed | H4191 → | 839 times |
| בְּחַיָּֽיו׃ | bechaiyav | in life his | H2416 → |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שִׁמְשׁ֗וֹןSamson
shimshonH8123 →38 times
תָּמ֣וֹתlet it die
tamotH4191 →839 times
נַפְשִׁי֮life my
nafshiH5315 →754 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
פְּלִשְׁתִּים֒[the] Philistines
pelishtimH6430 →287 times
וַיֵּ֣טand he stretched out
vaiyetH5186 →214 times
בְּכֹ֔חַwith strength
bekhoachH3581 →126 times
וַיִּפֹּ֤לand it fell
vaiyipolH5307 →435 times
הַבַּ֙יִת֙the house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַסְּרָנִ֔יםthe rulers
haseranimH5633 →22 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בּ֑וֹ[was] in <the> it
bo
וַיִּהְי֤וּand they were
vaiyihyuH1961 →3559 times
הַמֵּתִים֙the dead
hametimH4191 →839 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֵמִ֣יתhe killed
hemitH4191 →839 times
בְּמוֹת֔וֹin death his
bemotoH4194 →156 times
רַבִּ֕יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
מֵאֲשֶׁ֥רmore than [those] whom
measherH834 →5497 times
הֵמִ֖יתhe had killed
hemitH4191 →839 times
בְּחַיָּֽיו׃in life his
bechaiyavH2416 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 2:8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.
it leads to
- John 10:18
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received…
- Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand…
- John 10:18
Through
Matthew 16:25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
it leads to
- Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- Revelation 12:11
They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
- Mark 8:35
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.
- John 12:25
Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
- Luke 17:33
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
- Matthew 10:39
Through
Philippians 2:17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 4:6
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Timothy 4:6
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 11 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 119.5; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 119.3; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 118.6; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, ON PRAYER 14.5 and Origen of Alexandria, ON PRAYER.