שִׁמְשׁוֹן (shim.shon)
shim.shon
Samson
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 37 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Shimshon, rendered in English as Samson, derives from a root meaning "sun" or "like the sun." This etymology suggests a connection to light or brilliance, though the biblical narrative itself does not explicitly develop this imagery. The name identifies a specific historical figure, a Danite judge who served Israel for twenty years during the period before the monarchy.
Samson is introduced in Judges 13:24 as the son of Manoah and was set apart as a Nazirite from birth. His story occupies a significant portion of the Book of Judges, where he is celebrated for supernatural physical strength granted by the Spirit of the Lord. The sources note that while the Greek Septuagint translates his name as Sampsōn, ancient interpreters like Josephus attempted to link it to strength rather than its literal solar meaning.
His life is marked by a complex relationship with divine power and personal failure. He acted as a deliverer against the Philistines, yet his narrative also details his struggles with self-control and his eventual tragic end. The name Samson remains one of the most recognizable figures in the Old Testament, serving as a focal point for discussions on leadership, weakness, and redemption.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Samson means "sun," evoking images of light and strength. Yet his story in Judges shows how even great gifts can be misused when we rely on our own power instead of God’s guidance. He was set apart from birth, a Nazirite chosen to begin delivering Israel from the Philistines, yet he often acted impulsively, driven by personal desire rather than divine instruction.
His life reminds us that spiritual strength is not just physical might but faithfulness to God’s calling. Though he failed repeatedly, God still used him in his final moments to defeat the enemy. This shows that God’s purposes are not stopped by human weakness. We can trust that He works through our flaws when we turn back to Him.
Samson’s story invites us to examine where we place our confidence. Is it in our own abilities or in the Spirit who empowers us? His journey ends with a plea for strength one last time, showing that even at his lowest, he looked to God. We too can find hope in the fact that God’s grace covers our failures and renews our purpose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 37 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Samson31×
- O Samson4×
- <to>/ Samson2×
- to/ Samson1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן10×
- שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙5×
- שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹן5×
- שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן3×
- שִׁמְשֽׁוֹן\׃2×
- שִׁמְשׁ֤וֹן2×
- שִׁמְשׁ֛וֹן2×
- שִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן2×
- שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן2×
- שִׁמְשׁוֹן֮1×
- שִׁמְשׁ֥וֹן1×
- לְ/שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן1×
Key Verses
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Judges 13:24
The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
This verse marks the beginning of Samson’s life, showing that his strength and role as a judge were established by Yahweh’s blessing from birth.
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Judges 15:16
Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps on heaps; with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck a thousand men.”
Here Samson claims victory with the jawbone of a donkey, highlighting how God used an unlikely tool to deliver Israel despite Samson’s flawed character.
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Judges 16:3
Samson lay until midnight, then arose at midnight and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, with the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
Samson’s act of carrying the city gates demonstrates the supernatural strength granted by the Spirit, which he often displayed in moments of personal defiance rather than obedience.
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Judges 16:6
Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and what you might be bound to afflict you.”
Delilah’s question reveals the central conflict of Samson’s life: his failure to guard the secret of his strength, which came from God, against temptation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Samson mean?
Why is Samson considered a flawed leader?
How did Samson’s strength work?
Every Occurrence (37 verses across 1 books)
Judges 37 verses
The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him.
Judges 14:1Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
Judges 14:3Then his father and his mother said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among your brothers’ daughters, or among all my…
Judges 14:5Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a…
Judges 14:7He went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.
Judges 14:10His father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men used to do so.
Judges 14:12Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can tell me the answer within the seven days of the feast,…
Judges 14:15On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we…
Judges 14:16Samson’s wife wept before him, and said, “You just hate me, and don’t love me. You’ve told a riddle to the children of…
Judges 14:20But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.
Judges 15:1But after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, Samson visited his wife with a young goat. He said, “I will go in to…
Judges 15:3Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless in the case of the Philistines when I harm them.”
Judges 15:4Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle…
Judges 15:6Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” They said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken…
Judges 15:7Samson said to them, “If you behave like this, surely I will take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.”
Judges 15:10The men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as…
Judges 15:11Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in Etam’s rock, and said to Samson, “Don’t you know that the…
Judges 15:12They said to him, “We have come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines.” Samson…
Judges 15:16Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps on heaps; with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck a thousand men.”
Judges 16:1Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a prostitute, and went in to her.
Judges 16:2The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They surrounded him and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city,…
Judges 16:3Samson lay until midnight, then arose at midnight and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city, with the two…
Judges 16:6Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and what you might be bound to afflict you.”
Judges 16:7Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as…
Judges 16:9Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner room. She said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He broke the…
Judges 16:10Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies. Now please tell me how you might be bound.”
Judges 16:12So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them, then said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush…
Judges 16:13Delilah said to Samson, “Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what you might be bound.” He said…
Judges 16:14She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He awakened out of his sleep, and…
Judges 16:20She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other…
Judges 16:23The lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they…
Judges 16:25When their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may entertain us.” They called for Samson out of the…
Judges 16:26and Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, “Allow me to feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may…
Judges 16:27Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were on the roof…
Judges 16:28Samson called to Yahweh, and said, “Lord Yahweh, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God,…
Judges 16:29Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested and leaned on them, the one with his right hand…
Judges 16:30Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell on the lords,…