023 Samson and the Philistines - A Bible Story for Children

Judges 13; 15-16

Now it happened that the Israelites again disobeyed the Lord, and he punished them by making the Philistines rule over them. At this time an angel appeared to an Israelite woman who had never been able to bear children. "You will soon have a son," he said, "and he will lead the fight to free the Israelites from the Philistines. But be sure that his hair is never cut, nor his beard shaved, for that is a sign that his life belongs to God."

The boy was born, and he was named Samson. Samson was a huge and powerful man, as brave as he was strong. Once, when a young lion threatened him Samson ripped the animal to pieces with his bare hands. Some time later, he passed the dead body of the lion and saw bees buzzing round it. He reached inside the body, took the honey, and ate it all the way home.

Samson was always fighting with the Philistines. One time, a Philistine cheated Samson and made him angry. So Samson went out and caught three hundred foxes. He tied their tails together, two foxes at a time, and attached a burning torch to each pair of animals. The foxes ran through the fields of the Philistines, burning all their crops. Furious, the Philistines sent their soldiers to the Israelites. "Where is Samson?" they asked.

The Israelites went to a cave where they knew Samson was hiding. "You are making trouble for us," they said. "We are going to tie you up and give you to the Philistines."

When the Philistines saw Samson all tied up, they shouted with joy. But the Lord sent a great burst of strength to Samson. He tore off the ropes that bound him and picked up the jawbone of an ass from the ground. With that for a weapon, he killed a thousand Philistines. After Samson destroyed the Philistine army, he became the leader of the Israelite people.

Samson led the Israelites for twenty years. The Philistines made many plans to kill him, but never caught him. Finally, when Samson fell in love with a beautiful woman named Delilah, the Philistine leaders saw their chance. "Find out what make Samson so strong and how we can capture him," they told Delilah, "and we will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver."

Delilah gladly accepted the Philistines' offer.

"What is the secret of your strength?" she asked Samson one day.

"Tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings, "Samson lied," and I will be as weak as any man."

After Samson fell asleep, Delilah tied him with the bowstrings and shouted, "The Philistines are coming!" But Samson snapped the bowstrings as if they were threads.

"You have made a fool of me," Delilah said. "Now tell me how I can really tie you up."

"Try new ropes that have never been used before," said Samson.

So that night Delilah tied new ropes around Samson and again shouted, "The Philistine are coming!" But Samson popped the ropes as if they were dry vines.

"How can you say you love me when you lie to me and make a fool of me?" asked Delilah.

Day after day Delilah asked the same question until Samson finally lost his patience. "Here is my secret," he said angrily. "I have never shaved or cut my hair. If I shave, I would lose all my strength."

Delilah knew she had Samson's secret at last. She sang softly to him and made him fall asleep with his head on her lap. Quickly she called for a barber, who cut off Samson's hair. This time, when Delilah shouted, "The Philistine are coming!" Samson could hardly move.

So the Philistines finally captured Samson, and they put out his eyes. Then they threw him into prison and made him grind corn, turning the great wheel at the mill like an animal.

Once in a while, the prison guards brought out the blind Samson so that the children could tease him and laugh at him. But all the time the guards never noticed that Samson's hair was growing back.

One day, the Philistines gathered in their temple to celebrate. "Bring out Samson," they shouted. And the Philistines laughed when they saw the blind Samson led into the temple. After a while, Samson said to the guards, "I feel tired. Could you lead me to the pillars that hold up the temple so I can rest against them?"

"O Lord," prayed Samson as he felt the pillars on both sides, "remember me, and make me strong this one last time, so I can pay the Philistines back for what they did to my eyes!"

Samson took hold of the two pillars, one with his right arm and other with his left, and pulled forward with all his strength. "Let me die with the Philistines," shouted Samson as the roof of the temple fell in, killing everyone in the building. So in his death Samson killed more Philistines than he had in his lifetime.

Category: Children's Bible Stories