Samson Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Samson
Samson's Fight with the Lion (1525) by Lucas Cranach the Elder
Resting place	Tel Tzora, Brook of Sorek
Predecessor	Abdon
Successor	Eli
Parents	Manoah (father) not named (mother)

Samson redirects here. For other uses, please see Samson (disambiguation)

Samson was a famous leader of the ancient Israelites. He is known for his amazing strength. His story is told in the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible.

Samson was given great power by God. He used this strength to fight against those who were enemies of his people. He did many incredible things that normal people could not do. For example, he killed a lion with his bare hands. He also defeated a whole army using only a donkey's jawbone. His most famous act was making a large temple fall down.

People believe Samson was buried in Tel Tzora, Israel. This spot is above the Sorek valley. There are two large gravestones there for Samson and his father, Manoah. Manoah’s altar is also nearby. This area is located between the cities of Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson's Life Story
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Samson's Life Story

His Early Years

Samson's parents, Manoah and his wife, had wanted a baby for many years. One day, an angel appeared to them. The angel told them they would have a son. This son was to be a Nazarite. This meant he could never cut his hair. He also could not drink wine or touch a dead person. Samson was born later and followed these special rules.

First Marriage and a Lion Fight

One day, Samson saw a pretty Philistine woman in Timnah. The Philistines were enemies of the Israelites. Samson decided he wanted to marry her. He went to ask her father for permission.

On his way home, a lion attacked him. Samson used his incredible strength to kill the lion with his bare hands. Later, at his wedding, Samson told the Philistine guests a riddle about the lion. His wife was threatened by the men. She told them the answer to the riddle. Samson realized he could not trust her. After the wedding, she was given to another man. Later, Samson's wife and her father died in a fire.

Delilah and the Secret

After his first wife died, Samson met another Philistine woman named Delilah. Samson did not know that she would betray him. Delilah tried many times to find out the secret to his great strength. This made Samson very annoyed.

After a long time, Samson finally told Delilah his secret. He explained that he would become weak if his hair was cut. His strength came from his long hair, which was part of his Nazarite promise.

Samson's Capture

Once Delilah knew Samson's secret, she told the Philistine army. She sang him to sleep on her lap. Then, she called a man to shave Samson's head. When his hair was gone, Samson was tied up while he was still asleep.

He woke up and tried to break free. But he was weak and could not escape the ropes. The Philistines grabbed him. They hurt his eyes and took him to Gaza. There, he was put in prison.

Samson's Final Act

In prison, Samson was forced to work on a treadmill. This machine was used to grind grain. He worked there for a few months. During this time, his hair grew long again.

Later, the Philistines took him to a temple. This temple honored their god, Dagon. Samson was made to perform for the people. While on stage, Samson asked a young boy to guide him. He wanted to stand between two main pillars.

Samson pushed the pillars apart with all his might. This caused the temple's roof to fall down. It crashed on top of him and all the Philistine people inside. Samson died doing this. But he also killed many of his enemies. He defeated more Philistines in his death than he had during his life.

Meaning of His Name

The name Samson comes from the Hebrew word "Shimshon" (Hebrew: שמשון). It means "of the sun." This might suggest he was very strong, or that he served God.