First, there's the paradox that Samson was, from even before his birth, set as part to be holy and purely dedicated to the Lord. That's the meaning of his being a Nazirite.
Yet his whole career shows that he was ruled by his passions. You know the episodes of his wayward wilfulness, and his regular violation of the purity of his calling.
In the end, his act can be interpreted as the sheer passion of revenge. He says he wants to bring the pagan temple down, not to honor the God of Israel, not to discredit the pagan deities, not even to strike a blow for his people, but simply as revenge for having been blinded by the Philistines. He is --- as he says --- avenging his eyes.
But is this the whole story? If this is the case ---if he was a lifelong slave of his passions, desiring at the end only revenge and his own death --- it's hard to see why he'd be highlighted in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame, as a righteous man among the OT saints of God.
I propose the possibility that
(1) Samson implicitly intended the destruction of the Philistines' temple as a blow for Israel and for the true God --- in accordance with his calling as a set-apart holy Nazirite; and
(2) that his cry, "Let me die with the Philistines," might be understood to mean, "Give me the strength to do this even if it means I'll die with the Philistines."
Much as a young American soldier at Normandy might have prayed, "Here I go. God give me strength. I'll likely die. Let me die for my country!" Not because he desires his own death, but because he desires the strength to go forward even if his deathn is solidly probable.
Why do I make all these assumptions of virtue which do not appear in the text of Judges? Because the are implied in the text of Hebrews.
If Samson wanted to just get revenge against those who maimed him, and die, he was not acting as as a dedicated holy man, but was simply a slave of his self-destructive passions to the end. No hero, no saint, really, no Nazirite.
But if, despite his weaknesses, he was simply accepting (not desiring) his death for the sake of God and God's people --- then it's fitting he should be in the Hebrews Honor Roll. He exemplifies the heroism of self-sacrifice, not the sin of suicide.
Did I present it as if it was?
Yet it was still form of suicide, by even Samson's own words.
Nothing among the rest you touch upon is anything new to my understanding.
At one point you say;
Of course not, though perhaps there's too much to cover in forum comment comboxes. That much, and more is easy enough to grasp.
But if, if, if...
Except that ---it was still a suicide, nonetheless. He did not ask to live, but asked to die with them in setting and way whatever 'suicide' factor there was, was not clear cut-and-dried commentary about suicide, one way or another. I did not intend for it to be some kind of cut-and-dried example. That would have been impossibility. If any considered that I had -- or were concerned it would taken wrong by somebody -- not my problem, lady. Tell somebody else.
There was one poster on this thread who asked for example of suicide among the righteous. I posted comment to them.
Samson didn't exactly "exemplify the heroism of self-sacrifice" either, due to his own seeking of revenge (here again you get in the neighborhood, make some mention of that, but in doubling back, trying to have too many things both ways at once, didn't quite break the paper due to talking too much both sides of things) even though what Samson did, did serve as comeuppance for the Philistines, demonstrating too that the gifts and calling of the Lord are without repentance.
Being example used of the Lord is humbling. It seems like He makes certain there is always something of that in the mix -- lest men get too full of themselves, or else begin looking elsewhere than Him, trying to get to Him (or obtain something from Him) too fully second-hand, thus in ending result not be His own children, but someone else's.
That word-- hero. For myself, heroes are examples one may follow (even unto death), rather than paths taken by those be paths better avoided.
I get the impression that unless what is said to you conforms to your own preferred narrowization of possible meanings (which may appear so sophisticated and complete to yourself) -- you may not understand what was said to you at all.
Pulling temple of the world down on our own heads (in order to destroy it, and the occupants) I gather is not the Lord's preference ---or else He'd likely as not have smoked this entire place (mankind) by now & done so long ago.
He drowned them all, once. All but 8 souls...
Though I will tell you -- if all there was available to me was the mish-mash of what comes out of your mouth, and the mouths of your cohorts (with a few exceptions) I would possibly contemplate suicide just to get away from you people.