*Sacred Scripture* Blinded Samson – Corinth

Artist Lovis Corinth painted this grim picture of the suffering Samson, blinded, shorn of hair and strength, and bound in chains by the Philistines.

Jgs 16:23-31

The Death of Samson.

23^f The lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon^* and to celebrate. They said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our power.”

24When the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has delivered into our power our enemy, the ravager of our land, the one who has multiplied our slain.”

25When their spirits were high, they said, “Call Samson that he may amuse us.” So they called Samson from the prison, and he provided amusement for them. They made him stand between the columns,

26and Samson said to the attendant who was holding his hand, “Put me where I may touch the columns that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.”

27The temple was full of men and women: all the lords of the Philistines were there, and from the roof about three thousand men and women looked on as Samson provided amusement.

28Samson cried out to the LORD and said, “Lord GOD, remember me! Strengthen me only this once that I may avenge myself on the Philistines at one blow for my two eyes.”

29Samson grasped the two middle columns on which the temple rested and braced himself against them, one at his right, the other at his left.

30Then saying, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Samson pushed hard, and the temple fell upon the lords and all the people who were in it. Those he killed by his dying were more than those he had killed during his lifetime.

31His kinsmen and all his father’s house went down and bore him up for burial in the grave of Manoah his father between Zorah and Eshtaol. He had judged Israel for twenty years.^g

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/judges/16

Saying the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always.