‘And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” And he bowed himself with all his might, and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people who were in it.'
It was an act of war and revenge. He gave his life to destroy the Philistine power. For by dragging the pillars off their bases, with part of the roof, already unstable because of the hundreds of people on it, collapsing on those below, the weight of the people would bring down further parts of the roof, especially as many desperately tried to scramble for safety before falling to their deaths, crushing also those hopelessly seeking safety below.
‘So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.'
The writer does not exaggerate by claiming too much, for he did not have the statistics. He merely stated the obvious that a large number died, certainly more than those slain by Samson in his lifetime. And many others were badly injured. It may or may not have included all the Tyrants, and their heirs. In such disasters some do escape, seemingly almost miraculously. But it was certainly devastating for the future of their military power and they would certainly take a long time to recover from the disaster. It would ease the pressure on Israel for years to come.