Samson Bible Lesson for Kids

This free Children’s Church lesson plan was first written for elementary aged students. It covers the story of the ups and downs of Samson. This material could also be used as the Bible lesson plan for children’s Sunday school. Be sure to consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. Look for additional teaching ideas and resources linked at the bottom of this page.

Bible Story: The Story of Samson
Scripture: Judges 13:1-5, 24 & 16:4-6, 15-30
Target Age Group: Kindergarten – 5th grade
Learning Context: Children’s Church
Target Time Frame: 40 minutes
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Items Needed:

• Bible: Judges 13:1-5, 24 & 16:4-6, 15-30. There is a detailed explanation below to help bring out some of the important parts of the story.
• Blown up balloons – 1 per child
• 2 pieces of paper, 2 markers
• Bible Verse words written on individual index cards (2 sets)
• Optional: Printable Samson storybook

Worship: Use Samson Songs (extra print out) to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.

Samson Bible Lesson

Welcome Activity
Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class. These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition from their parents.

• Have balloons available for the children to play with.

Worship: Samson Songs
Bible Lesson Introduction: See if the children are strong enough to pop the balloons from the Welcome Activity.
Bible Lesson

• What part of the Bible is Judges in? The Old Testament
• What book of the Old Testament is Judges? #7

Read Judges 13:1-5, 24 & 16:4-6, 15-30 (NIRV) aloud to the children.
1 Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.
2 A certain man from Zorah was named Manoah. He was from the tribe of Dan. Manoah had a wife who wasn’t able to have children.
3 The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife. He said, “You are not able to have children. But you are going to become pregnant. You will have a baby boy. 4 Make sure you do not drink any kind of wine. Also make sure you do not eat anything that is ‘unclean.’
5 “You will become pregnant. You will have a son. He must not use a razor on his head. He must not cut his hair. That is because the boy will be a Nazirite. He will be set apart to God from the day he is born. He will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.”
24 Later, the woman had a baby boy. She named him Samson. As he grew up, the Lord blessed him.
4 Some time later, Samson fell in love again. The woman lived in the Valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah.
5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her. They said, “See if you can get him to tell you the secret of why he’s so strong. Find out how we can overpower him. Then we can tie him up. We can bring him under our control. Each of us will give you 28 pounds of silver.”
6 So Delilah spoke to Samson. She said, “Tell me the secret of why you are so strong. Tell me how you can be tied up and controlled.”
Summarize Judges 16:7-14 – Samson tells Delilah wrong ways of overpowering him: tying him with 7 new leather straps, tying him with new ropes, pin his 7 braids into a loom.

15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you’? You won’t even share your secret with me. This is the third time you have made me look foolish. And you still haven’t told me the secret of why you are so strong.”
16 She continued to pester him day after day. She nagged him until he was sick and tired of it.
17 So he told her everything. “I’ve never used a razor on my head,” he said. “I’ve never cut my hair. That’s because I’ve been a Nazirite since the day I was born. A Nazirite is set apart to God. If you shave my head, I won’t be strong anymore. I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
18 Delilah realized he had told her everything. So she sent a message to the Philistine rulers. She said, “Come back one more time. He has told me everything.” So the rulers returned. They brought the silver with them.
19 Delilah got Samson to go to sleep on her lap. Then she called for a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair. That’s how she began to bring him under her control. And he wasn’t strong anymore.
20 She called out, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!”
He woke up from his sleep. He thought, “I’ll go out just as I did before. I’ll shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that the Lord had left him.
21 Then the Philistines grabbed hold of him. They poked his eyes out. They took him down to Gaza. They put bronze chains around him. Then they made him grind grain in the prison. 22 His head had been shaved. But the hair on it began to grow again.
23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered together. They were going to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They were going to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed our enemy Samson over to us.”
24 When the people saw Samson, they praised their god. They said,
“Our god has handed our enemy over to us.
Our enemy has destroyed our land.
He has killed large numbers of our people.”
25 After they had drunk a lot of wine, they shouted, “Bring Samson out. Let him put on a show for us.” So they called Samson out of the prison. He put on a show for them.
They had him stand near the temple pillars. 26 Then he spoke to the servant who was holding his hand. He said, “Put me where I can feel the pillars. I’m talking about the ones that hold the temple up. I want to lean against them.”
27 The temple was crowded with men and women. All of the Philistine rulers were there. About 3,000 men and women were on the roof. They were watching Samson put on a show.
28 Then he prayed to the Lord. He said, “Lord and King, show me that you still have concern for me. God, please make me strong just one more time. Let me pay the Philistines back for what they did to my two eyes. Let me do it with only one blow.”
29 Then Samson reached toward the two pillars that were in the middle of the temple. They held the temple up. He put his right hand on one of them. He put his left hand on the other. He leaned hard against them.
30 Samson said, “Let me die together with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might. The temple came down on the rulers. It fell on all of the people who were in it. So Samson killed many more Philistines when he died than he did while he lived.
Discuss Bible Lesson
1 Once again the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.
2 A certain man from Zorah was named Manoah. He was from the tribe of Dan. Manoah had a wife who wasn’t able to have children.
3 The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife. He said, “You are not able to have children. But you are going to become pregnant. You will have a baby boy. 4 Make sure you do not drink any kind of wine. Also make sure you do not eat anything that is ‘unclean.’
5 “You will become pregnant. You will have a son. He must not use a razor on his head. He must not cut his hair. That is because the boy will be a Nazirite. He will be set apart to God from the day he is born. He will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.”
24 Later, the woman had a baby boy. She named him Samson. As he grew up, the Lord blessed him.
• Samson is born.
• He was never to have his hair cut.
• He was to save Israel.
4 Some time later, Samson fell in love again. The woman lived in the Valley of Sorek. Her name was Delilah.
5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her. They said, “See if you can get him to tell you the secret of why he’s so strong. Find out how we can overpower him. Then we can tie him up. We can bring him under our control. Each of us will give you 28 pounds of silver.”
6 So Delilah spoke to Samson. She said, “Tell me the secret of why you are so strong. Tell me how you can be tied up and controlled.”
• Samson falls in love with Delilah.
• She takes a bribe from the Philistines to find out what makes Samson so strong.
• How much did Delilah love Samson?
Summarize Judges 16:7-14 – Samson tells Delilah wrong ways of overpowering him: tying him with 7 new leather straps, tying him with new ropes, pin his 7 braids into a loom.
• Why do you think Samson would tell Delilah false reasons for his strength?
• What do you think Samson thought of Delilah during this whole time?
• What was going through his mind as she kept asking him about it?
15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you’? You won’t even share your secret with me. This is the third time you have made me look foolish. And you still haven’t told me the secret of why you are so strong.”
16 She continued to pester him day after day. She nagged him until he was sick and tired of it.
17 So he told her everything. “I’ve never used a razor on my head,” he said. “I’ve never cut my hair. That’s because I’ve been a Nazirite since the day I was born. A Nazirite is set apart to God. If you shave my head, I won’t be strong anymore. I’ll become as weak as any other man.”
• She is tired of him not telling her the truth…so she keeps bugging him about it.
• She uses his feelings for her to trick him.
• He ends up telling her everything.
18 Delilah realized he had told her everything. So she sent a message to the Philistine rulers. She said, “Come back one more time. He has told me everything.” So the rulers returned. They brought the silver with them.
19 Delilah got Samson to go to sleep on her lap. Then she called for a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair. That’s how she began to bring him under her control. And he wasn’t strong anymore.
20 She called out, “Samson! The Philistines are attacking you!”
He woke up from his sleep. He thought, “I’ll go out just as I did before. I’ll shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that the Lord had left him.
• Notice how it says that “the Lord had left him”.
• What really made Samson strong? God! God had been with him!
21 Then the Philistines grabbed hold of him. They poked his eyes out. They took him down to Gaza. They put bronze chains around him. Then they made him grind grain in the prison. 22 His head had been shaved. But the hair on it began to grow again.
23 The rulers of the Philistines gathered together. They were going to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They were going to celebrate. They said, “Our god has handed our enemy Samson over to us.”
24 When the people saw Samson, they praised their god. They said,
“Our god has handed our enemy over to us.
Our enemy has destroyed our land.
He has killed large numbers of our people.”
25 After they had drunk a lot of wine, they shouted, “Bring Samson out. Let him put on a show for us.” So they called Samson out of the prison. He put on a show for them.
• The Philistines took him captive.
• They poked his eyes out and threw him in prison.
• They were having a party and wanted Samson to put on a show for them…and he does it!!!
• He went from killing to being a court jester!
They had him stand near the temple pillars. 26 Then he spoke to the servant who was holding his hand. He said, “Put me where I can feel the pillars. I’m talking about the ones that hold the temple up. I want to lean against them.”
27 The temple was crowded with men and women. All of the Philistine rulers were there. About 3,000 men and women were on the roof. They were watching Samson put on a show.
28 Then he prayed to the Lord. He said, “Lord and King, show me that you still have concern for me. God, please make me strong just one more time. Let me pay the Philistines back for what they did to my two eyes. Let me do it with only one blow.”
29 Then Samson reached toward the two pillars that were in the middle of the temple. They held the temple up. He put his right hand on one of them. He put his left hand on the other. He leaned hard against them.
30 Samson said, “Let me die together with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might. The temple came down on the rulers. It fell on all of the people who were in it. So Samson killed many more Philistines when he died than he did while he lived.
• He got the servant to put him in between the 2 pillars that held up the entire temple.
• He prays to God to come back to him. He realizes where his strength comes from! God!
• He pushes on the pillars, they fall, and everyone (including Samson) dies!

Bible Lesson Activities
Activity: Strength Lists
• Split the class into 2 groups.
• Give each group a piece of paper and marker.
“In our Bible Story today, we talked about Samson. What was special about Samson? (allow for responses) Right, Samson was very strong. God gave Samson physical strength. Samson didn’t always use it for God and in the way God wanted him to. But, in the end, Samson leaned on God’s strength. God has given us all strengths. Strengths are things that we are good at. Some people are good at drawing, singing, speaking, etc. Every gift comes from God and should be used for God.
In your groups, make a list of things that the people of your group are good at. Then, write how those strengths can be used for God. When time is up, you’re going to share your lists with the rest of the class.”
• Let the children make and share their lists.
Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“If you shave my head, I won’t be strong anymore. I’ll become as weak as any other man.” Judges 16:17b (NIRV)
If you shave my head: act like you are shaving your head
I won’t be strong anymore: put your arms up as though showing muscles and shake your head “No”
I’ll become as weak: put your arms down showing you are not weak
As any other man: point to other people in the class
Judges 16: show ten fingers and then six fingers
17b: show ten fingers and then seven fingers
Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization.
Activity: Bible Verse Order
During class:

• Split the class into 2 teams.
• Give each team a set of cards.
• Have the teams put the Bible Verse in order.

Evaluation: Split the children into groups and have each group reenact the story.

For more ideas check out this Samson activity on from Children’s Ministry Magazine or read how one mother taught the book of Judges to her children.