Original Word: שִׁמְשׁון
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Shimshown
Pronunciation: shim-SHONE
Phonetic Spelling: (shim-shone')
KJV: Samson
NASB: Samson, Samson's
Word Origin: [from H8121 (שֶׁמֶשׁ - sun)]

1. sunlight
2. Shimshon, an Israelite

Samson

From shemesh; sunlight; Shimshon, an Israelite -- Samson.

see HEBREW shemesh

Word Origin
from the same as shemesh
Definition
a deliverer of Isr.
NASB Translation
Samson (35), Samson's (3).

שִׁמְשׁוֺן₃₈ proper name, masculine Samson (Assyrian proper name Šamšânu, Hilpr^{Murâshu 27. 70}; on שמש in Arabic proper name, of a tribe compare Nö^{ZMG x1 (1886), 166}); — Σαμψων: Judges 13:24; Judges 14:1,335t. Judges 14; Judges 15; 16

Name and Meaning

שִׁמְשׁוֹן (Shimshon) means “sun-like” or “little sun,” hinting at radiance and strength. The name appears about thirty-eight times, all in the Book of Judges except for one retrospective mention in Psalm 146:3 LXX and the summary in Hebrews 11:32 (Greek Sampsōn). Samson stands among the judges raised up by God to deliver Israel from Philistine oppression.

Historical Context

Samson ministered “in the days of the Philistines” (Judges 14:4) during a forty-year domination of Israel (Judges 13:1). His home territory was the borderland between Dan and Philistia, a fault line of continual conflict. God employed Samson’s personal clashes with the Philistines as a strategic wedge to weaken their control and to remind Israel that “salvation belongs to the LORD” (Jonah 2:9).

Birth and Nazarite Consecration

Samson’s account begins with divine initiative. To Manoah and his barren wife the Angel of the LORD announced, “Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. Now therefore be careful not to drink wine or strong drink… for the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb” (Judges 13:3–5). The lifelong Nazirite vow—unusual in its permanence—set Samson apart:

• Abstinence from grape products (Numbers 6:3; Judges 13:4)
• No cutting of hair (Numbers 6:5; Judges 13:5)
• Avoidance of corpses (Numbers 6:6; Judges 13:7)

His consecration anticipated the Spirit’s empowerment: “And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan” (Judges 13:25).

Acts of Deliverance

Samson judged Israel twenty years (Judges 15:20; 16:31). Scripture groups his exploits into distinct cycles:

1. Timnah Episode (Judges 14)

– Kills a lion with bare hands (14:6).

– Slaughters thirty Philistines for their garments (14:19).

– Burns Philistine fields using foxes tied to torches (15:4–5).

2. Jawbone Victory (Judges 15)

– After being handed over by Judah, “the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him” and he struck down a thousand men with a fresh donkey’s jawbone (15:14–15).

– Names the place Ramath-lehi (15:17) and prays for water; God miraculously provides (15:18–19).

3. Gaza and the Gates (Judges 16:1–3)

– Removes the city gates of Gaza, carrying them to the hill facing Hebron, a symbolic humiliation of Philistine security.

4. Valley of Sorek and Delilah (Judges 16:4–21)

– Betrayed when his uncut hair—the final outward sign of his Nazirite vow—is shaved.

– Philistines gouge out his eyes and imprison him.

5. Temple of Dagon (Judges 16:22–30)

– Hair begins to grow (16:22), hinting at restored favor.

– While mocked in Dagon’s temple, Samson prays, “O Lord GOD, remember me, please strengthen me just once more” (16:28).

– Pulls down the pillars, killing himself and about three thousand Philistines. “So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life” (16:30).

Moral Failures and Divine Mercy

Samson’s life showcases striking contrasts:

• Consecration vs. compromise: Though set apart, he frequented vineyards (14:5), touched a carcass (14:8–9), and pursued foreign women (14:1–3; 16:1, 4).
• Strength vs. weakness: Supernatural power coexisted with moral vulnerability, illustrating that deliverance depends on God, not human merit.
• Judgment vs. grace: Even in discipline—blindness and captivity—God heard Samson’s final prayer and fulfilled His redemptive purpose.

Final Victory and Death

Samson’s self-sacrifice prefigures the biblical motif of victory through death. His outstretched arms between two pillars evoke a faint, imperfect shadow of the ultimate Deliverer who would stretch out His arms on the cross, conquering principalities (Colossians 2:15). Yet Samson remains distinct: a flawed judge whose death checked Philistine dominance but did not remove Israel’s deeper cycle of sin.

Samson in Later Scripture

Hebrews 11:32 lists Samson among the heroes of faith who “through faith conquered kingdoms… and obtained promises.” The epistle highlights faith rather than perfection, encouraging believers that God “is not ashamed to be called their God” (Hebrews 11:16) even when their records are mixed.

Theological Themes

1. The sovereignty of God: The LORD “was seeking an occasion against the Philistines” (Judges 14:4), orchestrating events through Samson’s flaws and strengths alike.
2. The Spirit’s empowerment: Four times the text states, “the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him” (Judges 14:6, 14:19; 15:14; implicit in 16:28), underscoring that charismatic gifting does not guarantee holiness.
3. Covenant faithfulness: Though Israel did evil (Judges 13:1), God raised a deliverer, foreshadowing the enduring covenant that culminates in Jesus Christ.
4. Consecration and compromise: Samson embodies the tension between calling and conduct, warning believers not to “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30).

Lessons for Today

• Personal gifting must be matched by personal holiness; otherwise, gifting becomes self-destructive.
• Failures, even grievous ones, need not be final; repentance calls forth renewed strength.
• God can advance His redemptive plan through unexpected means, assuring believers that no circumstance is beyond His reach.

Samson, the sun-named judge, burned brightly and briefly. His story, preserved in approximately thirty-eight Old Testament references, invites readers to marvel at divine strength, soberly heed moral warning, and trust the God who brings salvation out of weakness.

לְשִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן לְשִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן לְשִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן לשמשון שִׁמְשֽׁוֹן׃ שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן שִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן שִׁמְשׁ֛וֹן שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן שִׁמְשׁ֤וֹן שִׁמְשׁ֥וֹן שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ שִׁמְשׁוֹן֮ שמשון שמשון׃ lə·šim·šō·wn leshimShon ləšimšōwn shimShon šim·šō·wn šimšōwnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts