The judges
Samson's Last Victory and Death
Samson, blind and captured by the Philistines, asks God for strength one last time and brings down Dagon's temple, killing more enemies in his death than he did during his life.
Judges 16,21-31
21The Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze shackles and set him to grinding grain in the prison.
וַיֹּאחֲז֣וּהוּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וֽ͏ַיְנַקְּר֖וּ אֶת־עֵינָ֑יו וַיּוֹרִ֨ידוּ אוֹת֜וֹ עַזָּ֗תָה וַיַּאַסְר֙וּהוּ֙ בַּֽנְחֻשְׁתַּ֔יִם וַיְהִ֥י טוֹחֵ֖ן בְּבֵ֥ית *האסירים **הָאֲסוּרִֽים׃
22But the hair of his head began to grow back after it had been shaved.
וַיָּ֧חֶל שְׂעַר־רֹאשׁ֛וֹ לְצַמֵּ֖חַ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר גֻּלָּֽח׃ פ
23Now the rulers of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon and to celebrate, saying, "Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hands."
וְסַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים נֶֽאֱסְפוּ֙ לִזְבֹּ֧חַ זֶֽבַח־גָּד֛וֹל לְדָג֥וֹן אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם וּלְשִׂמְחָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ נָתַ֤ן אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ בְּיָדֵ֔נוּ אֵ֖ת שִׁמְשׁ֥וֹן אוֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃
24When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, "Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the one who ravaged our land and multiplied our dead."
וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ הָעָ֔ם וַֽיְהַלְל֖וּ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמְר֗וּ נָתַ֨ן אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ בְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־א֣וֹיְבֵ֔נוּ וְאֵת֙ מַחֲרִ֣יב אַרְצֵ֔נוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הִרְבָּ֖ה אֶת־חֲלָלֵֽינוּ׃
25And when their hearts were merry, they said, "Bring out Samson to entertain us." So they called Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. They stood him between the pillars.
וַֽיְהִי֙ *כי *טוב **כְּט֣וֹב לִבָּ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ קִרְא֥וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן וִישַֽׂחֶק־לָ֑נוּ וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן מִבֵּ֣ית *האסירים **הָאֲסוּרִ֗ים וַיְצַחֵק֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּעֲמִ֥ידוּ אוֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֥ין הָעַמּוּדִֽים׃
26Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, "Let go of me and let me feel the pillars that hold up the temple, so I can lean against them."
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן אֶל־הַנַּ֨עַר הַמַּחֲזִ֣יק בְּיָדוֹ֮ הַנִּ֣יחָה אוֹתִי֒ *והימשני **וַהֲמִשֵׁ֙נִי֙ אֶת־הָֽעַמֻּדִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הַבַּ֖יִת נָכ֣וֹן עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֶשָּׁעֵ֖ן עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
27The temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform.
וְהַבַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֤א הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ וְהַנָּשִׁ֔ים וְשָׁ֕מָּה כֹּ֖ל סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וְעַל־הַגָּ֗ג כִּשְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֔ה הָרֹאִ֖ים בִּשְׂח֥וֹק שִׁמְשֽׁוֹן׃
28Then Samson called out to the LORD: "Sovereign LORD, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow take revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes."
וַיִּקְרָ֥א שִׁמְשׁ֛וֹן אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֡ה זָכְרֵ֣נִי נָא֩ וְחַזְּקֵ֨נִי נָ֜א אַ֣ךְ הַפַּ֤עַם הַזֶּה֙ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים וְאִנָּקְמָ֧ה נְקַם־אַחַ֛ת מִשְּׁתֵ֥י עֵינַ֖י מִפְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃
29Then Samson braced himself against the two central pillars on which the temple stood, his right hand on one and his left hand on the other,
וַיִּלְפֹּ֨ת שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י ׀ עַמּוּדֵ֣י הַתָּ֗וֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הַבַּ֙יִת֙ נָכ֣וֹן עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּסָּמֵ֖ךְ עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם אֶחָ֥ד בִּימִינ֖וֹ וְאֶחָ֥ד בִּשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃
30And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" He pushed with all his might, and the temple came down on the rulers and all the people in it. So he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן תָּמ֣וֹת נַפְשִׁי֮ עִם־פְּלִשְׁתִּים֒ וַיֵּ֣ט בְּכֹ֔חַ וַיִּפֹּ֤ל הַבַּ֙יִת֙ עַל־הַסְּרָנִ֔ים וְעַל־כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־בּ֑וֹ וַיִּהְי֤וּ הַמֵּתִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵמִ֣ית בְּמוֹת֔וֹ רַבִּ֕ים מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵמִ֖ית בְּחַיָּֽיו׃
31Then his brothers and his father's whole family came down, took him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.
וַיֵּרְד֨וּ אֶחָ֜יו וְכָל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִיהוּ֮ וַיִּשְׂא֣וּ אֹתוֹ֒ וַֽיַּעֲל֣וּ ׀ וַיִּקְבְּר֣וּ אוֹת֗וֹ בֵּ֤ין צָרְעָה֙ וּבֵ֣ין אֶשְׁתָּאֹ֔ל בְּקֶ֖בֶר מָנ֣וֹחַ אָבִ֑יו וְה֛וּא שָׁפַ֥ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃ פ