Judges 16:20-27 - The Philistines are upon you

16:20-22

Yet again Delilah calls out “Samson, the Philistines are upon you”. Samson expects everything to work as before, but this time he finds that he has no more strength than any other human being. He was seized by the Philistines and his eyes were gouged out. The explanation is given that “the Lord had left him”. He was put in prison, and his hair began to grow again. Why didn’t the Philistines just kill him there and then? It was because they wanted to make a spectacle of him.

16:23,24

The Philistines put their success down to their god Dagon, though Dagon had nothing to do with it. However, they want to celebrate defeating Samson. It is interesting that it is a human trait to want to pay homage to something beyond ourselves in order to properly celebrate, whether that something be the Lord, some false god, or some ideology.

16:25-27

One can imagine that there was a significant amount of alcohol involved in the celebration, and while in high spirits that call for Samson to be brought out, so they can celebrate all the more, and humiliate their captured foe. Samson was led out and they stood him between the pillars of the building. Samson asked to be out placed so that he could feel the pillars and lean against them. Remember that he is now blind. The temple was crowded with many people, including all the rulers of the Philistines. Three thousand men and women in all. They were there to be entertained by Samson, they expected to be mocking Samson, but were in for a surprise.