Judges 16:31Then his brothers and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burial site of Manoah his father. He judged Israel twenty years.
The setting
Between Zorah and Eshtaol, Israel (modern central Israel, 20 miles west of Jerusalem). Family tomb of Manoah. Samson's relatives recover his body from the temple ruins...
The emotion here: solemnly recording the end of Israel's most paradoxical leader
The original word
vayiqberu (וַיִּקְבְּרוּ) — they buried with honor, despite his failures
Why it matters
Samson judged Israel for 20 years, longer than most judges, despite his personal failures
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 16:31
His family risked their lives to retrieve his body from enemy territory
Common misconceptionPeople think Samson was a failure, but he's listed in Hebrews 11 as a hero of faith — God used his flaws and all.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 16:31
Bible Genome reading
Judges 16:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 16:31 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 50% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include family honor, burial, closure. Notable phrases: brothers came down; buried him.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Judges 16:31 mean to you, today?
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