26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.
But in process of time his hair began to grow again; and on the occasion of a great feast Samson is brought out of prison to the assembly of the Philistines, and set in sight of the people. There were nearly three thousand in number, men and women; and they insulted him with bitter reproaches, and carried him about in mockery, a trial harder to be borne than the very reality of captivity by a man conscious of innate power. For to live and die is natural, to be a laughing stock is counted a disgrace. Desirous therefore either of consoling himself by avenging so great an indignity, or of forestalling it for the future by death, he pretended that from the weakness of his limbs and the weight of his fetters he could not support himself, and desired the boy who guided his steps to bring him to the nearest pillars by which the whole house was supported. Being brought near, he grasped with both hands the props of the building, and while the Philistines were intent on the sacrificial feast which they were offering to Dagon their god, by whose help they deemed their adversary had been delivered into their power, reckoning a woman's perfidy as a gift from above, he called unto the Lord, and said, "O Lord God, remember me I pray Thee this once, that I may be avenged of the heathen for my two eyes, and that they give not glory to their gods as if by their help they had gotten me into their power. Let me die with the Philistines, that they may find my weakness to have been no less fatal to them than my strength."
Then he shook the columns with great force, and broke them in pieces, whereon followed the downfall of the upper roof, crushing Samson himself and casting down all those who were looking on from above. Thus were a great number of men and women slain together, and by an end not unworthy or disgraceful, but excelling all his former victories, the dying Samson obtained a triumph. For although to that point and thenceforward he was invincible, and incomparable during life among men versed in war, yet in death he conquered himself, and shewed an unconquerable soul, so as to despise and count for nothing that end of life which all men fear.
Thus it was through his valour that the last day of his life was also the sum of his victories, and that he met not a captive but a triumphant end. But to have been entrapped by a woman is to be ascribed to nature rather than to the man, because it was by the condition of his humanity more than through his own fault that he fell; for this is wont to be overcome, and yield to the allurements of wickedness. Wherefore, since Scripture bears witness that he slew more in his death than while in the light of life, it would seem that his captivity happened rather for the destruction of his adversaries than for his own fall and humiliation. For he whose burial was more efficacious than his living strength cannot be said to have found himself inferior. Lastly, he was overwhelmed and buried not by the weapons but by the bodies of his enemies, and thus, covered by his own triumph, he left a glorious memorial to posterity. For he judged his countrymen, whom he found enslaved, twenty years, and buried in his native soil, left them inheritors of liberty.
By this example then it is plain that alliances with strangers should be avoided, lest through love for our wife the snares of treachery should be successful.
Furthermore, the fact that after Samson’s hair grew again he recovered his former strength and seizing the pillars destroyed the house of his enemies together with its builders, is also seen today in the case of some sinners. If they destroy their vices by repentance and provide a place for virtue, the likeness and figure of Samson is fulfilled in them. Then is accomplished in them what is written concerning Samson: “Those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his lifetime.” It is true, brothers. A greater number of sins is destroyed by repentance than is known to be overcome at a time when one seems to be free from offenses. Now we should not notice with indifference that at the death of Samson all his enemies were killed. Thus, may our adversaries also be destroyed at our death. Brothers, the apostle says, “Mortify your members, which are on earth: lust, evil desire and covetousness (which is a form of idol worship).” Let drunkenness and pride die in us, envy be extinguished, anger appeased and malice rejected. If we endeavor to kill all these things with God’s help, like Samson we can destroy our adversaries by dying to sins and vices.
Now that splendor which was restored in Samson and was covered at his death I think fits every servant of Christ. If someone is overtaken by some sin and in a salutary manner has recourse to the remedies of repentance, with the restoration of grace there returns the face of a good conscience, like the hair which grew again. Thus, it becomes possible for the merits of faith like very strong muscles of courage to attack and overthrow the enemy’s pillars which support the hostile house. What are these pillars of the enemy’s house except our sins upon which the house of the devil rests, where he feasts as victor and mocks our minds if they have been captivated? Therefore, we eject this enemy from his house by the destruction and death of our flesh. Our enemy is enclosed within us; he daily wages an internal war inside. As long as we sometimes assent to him, in accord with the evil agreement of our will he gains power over us. With our vices against us as his accomplices within, he attacks our exterior ministry, so that when we hand over to him our members for works of iniquity we are killed by our own sword, as is usually said. However, we ought to remember the agreement which we promised in return for the grace of baptism, when we were buried together with Christ in the mystery of the cross: that we would renounce the devil, his ostentatious displays and his works. Let us no longer live in this world as we have been; in fact, let us no longer live to ourselves but let Christ live in us. When he has been restored to the honor of the head, the house of the devil will fall, and all our enemies will die with our sins in eternal destruction.
“Therefore his enemies brought him to play the buffoon before them.” Notice here an image of the cross. Samson extends his hands spread out to the two columns as to the two beams of the cross. Moreover, by his death he overcame his adversaries, because his sufferings became the death of his persecutors. For this reason Scripture concludes as follows: “Those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his lifetime.” This mystery was clearly fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, for at his death he completed our redemption which he had by no means publicly announced during his life: who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
[AD 397] Ambrose of Milan on Judges 16:23-30
Then he shook the columns with great force, and broke them in pieces, whereon followed the downfall of the upper roof, crushing Samson himself and casting down all those who were looking on from above. Thus were a great number of men and women slain together, and by an end not unworthy or disgraceful, but excelling all his former victories, the dying Samson obtained a triumph. For although to that point and thenceforward he was invincible, and incomparable during life among men versed in war, yet in death he conquered himself, and shewed an unconquerable soul, so as to despise and count for nothing that end of life which all men fear.
Thus it was through his valour that the last day of his life was also the sum of his victories, and that he met not a captive but a triumphant end. But to have been entrapped by a woman is to be ascribed to nature rather than to the man, because it was by the condition of his humanity more than through his own fault that he fell; for this is wont to be overcome, and yield to the allurements of wickedness. Wherefore, since Scripture bears witness that he slew more in his death than while in the light of life, it would seem that his captivity happened rather for the destruction of his adversaries than for his own fall and humiliation. For he whose burial was more efficacious than his living strength cannot be said to have found himself inferior. Lastly, he was overwhelmed and buried not by the weapons but by the bodies of his enemies, and thus, covered by his own triumph, he left a glorious memorial to posterity. For he judged his countrymen, whom he found enslaved, twenty years, and buried in his native soil, left them inheritors of liberty.
By this example then it is plain that alliances with strangers should be avoided, lest through love for our wife the snares of treachery should be successful.