How did knocking down two pillars make the whole building collapse? (16:29–30)
How did knocking down two pillars make the whole building collapse? (16:29–30) 29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
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Asked July 18 2018
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Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
Tim Maas
Supporter
I'm not an architect, but I have always pictured the pagan temple in question as a building with sides that consisted of stone columns, each of which was held in place by a crossbeam connecting it to the two central pillars mentioned in the biblical account, with the crossbeams held in place by pressure between the outside columns and the central pillars. When Samson broke the two central pillars, there was no longer that pressure to hold the outside columns in place, and they collapsed, bringing down the rest of the structure with them.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
God answered that prayer. Samson was positioned in such a way as to be able to exert pressure on both main supports. When these two supporting columns gave way, the entire building collapsed. The roof and supporting beams, along with the 3,000 people standing on the roof, came crashing down upon those assembled below. While Samson sacrificed his life in order to destroy the building and its inhabitants, more Philistines were killed through Samson’s death than he killed during his life.
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