Judges 16:28Samson called to Yahweh, and said, "Lord Yahweh, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."
The setting
Gaza, Palestine, ~1100 BC. Between two massive stone pillars in a Philistine temple. Samson, eyeless sockets where his eyes once were, offers his final prayer before the ultimate sacrifice.
The emotion here: desperate determination mixed with genuine repentance for his failures
The original word
nāqam (נִקָּם) — vengeance/justice, not personal revenge but covenant justice for Israel's humiliation
Why it matters
Samson specifically mentions his 'two eyes' - the Philistines had gouged them out as the ultimate humiliation for Israel's champion
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 16:28
Samson asks to be avenged 'for' his two eyes - not because of them, but as representative of all Israel's suffering
Common misconceptionMany think this is selfish revenge, but Samson is asking for covenant justice - he represents all of Israel's humiliation, and his 'two eyes' symbolize the nation's blindness and defeat.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 16:28
Bible Genome reading
Judges 16:28 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 16:28 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Samson. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 60% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include final prayer, divine appeal, last request. Notable phrases: Lord Yahweh remember me; strengthen me only this once. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Judges 16:28 mean to you, today?
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