Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Samson"

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)

Samson
of the sun, the son of Manoah, born at Zorah. The narrative of
his life is given in Judg. 13-16. He was a "Nazarite unto God"
from his birth, the first Nazarite mentioned in Scripture (Judg.
13:3-5; comp. Num. 6:1-21). The first recorded event of his life
was his marriage with a Philistine woman of Timnath (Judg.
14:1-5). Such a marriage was not forbidden by the law of Moses,
as the Philistines did not form one of the seven doomed
Canaanite nations (Ex. 34:11-16; Deut. 7:1-4). It was, however,
an ill-assorted and unblessed marriage. His wife was soon taken
from him and given "to his companion" (Judg. 14:20). For this
Samson took revenge by burning the "standing corn of the
Philistines" (15:1-8), who, in their turn, in revenge "burnt her
and her father with fire." Her death he terribly avenged
(15:7-19). During the twenty years following this he judged
Israel; but we have no record of his life. Probably these twenty
years may have been simultaneous with the last twenty years of
Eli's life. After this we have an account of his exploits at
Gaza (16:1-3), and of his infatuation for Delilah, and her
treachery (16:4-20), and then of his melancholy death
(16:21-31). He perished in the last terrible destruction he
brought upon his enemies. "So the dead which he slew at his
death were more [in social and political importance=the elite of
the people] than they which he slew in his life."

"Straining all his nerves, he bowed:

As with the force of winds and waters pent,

When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars

With horrible convulsion to and fro

He tugged, he shook, till down they came, and drew

The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder

Upon the heads of all who sat beneath,

Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests,

Their choice nobility and flower."

Milton's Samson Agonistes.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Samson \Sam"son\, n.
An Israelite of Bible record (see --Judges xiii.),
distinguished for his great strength; hence, a man of
extraordinary physical strength.

{Samson post}.
(a) (Naut.) A strong post resting on the keelson, and
supporting a beam of the deck; also, a temporary or
movable pillar carrying a leading block or pulley for
various purposes. --Brande & C.
(b) In deep-well boring, the post which supports the walking
beam of the apparatus.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

Samson
n 1: (Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean
feats of strength against the Philistines until he was
betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah [syn: {Samson}]
2: a large and strong and heavyset man; "he was a bull of a
man"; "a thick-skinned bruiser ready to give as good as he
got" [syn: {bull}, {bruiser}, {strapper}, {Samson}]


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