‘ And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars, on which the house rested, and leaned on them, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.'
The pillars were probably wooden pillars on stone bases. Thus they could be slid off their bases and would then cease to satisfactorily fulfil their function of holding up the roof which was already overloaded and unstable, and on which were large numbers of excited people. Samson apparently took hold of both with the intention of dragging them off their bases.