No one else in the book of Judges has either been called servant
by the narrator or called himself that term. Samson’s self-designation as such is therefore unique. As a matter of fact, in the books that precede Judges (Genesis to Joshua), it is Moses who is the main recipient of the term servant of the Lord
(designated as such three times by the narrator (Exodus 14:31; Deuteronomy 34:5; Joshua 1:1), three times by the Lord (Numbers 12:7, Numbers 12:8; Joshua 1:2), three times by himself (Exodus 4:10; Numbers 11:11; Deuteronomy 23:2), and once by the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:24)). That totals ten times. Only four others are thus designated: Abraham, Isaac (Genesis 24:14), and Jacob (Genesis 32:11), once altogether (Deuteronomy 9:27). At one occasion the Lord refers to the people of Israel as his servants (Leviticus 25:55). Therefore, Samson is placing himself in a rather exalted company. Perhaps otherwise we would not make much of this. But in context, this strikes us as another witness to Samson’s pride.1
18 And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the LORD and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”