JUDGES CHAPTER 14 Samson desires to wife a daughter of the Philistines of Timnath; and this of the Lord, for an occasion against them, JUDGES 14:1. His parents go down with him to Timnath: a young lion meets him; he kills it, JUDGES 14:5; in his return he findeth honey in the carcass, JUDGES 14:8,9.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINES, with whom the Israelites were forbidden to marry, EXODUS 34:12, &c. And although the Philistines were not Canaanites in their original, GENESIS 10:14 DEUTERONOMY 2:23; yet they were so in their habitation, and concurrence with them in wickedness, and therefore were lia... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SOUGHT AN OCCASION AGAINST THE PHILISTINES; which he knew by very probable conjecture, if not by particular inspiration, that marriage would give him many ways.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER accompanied him, either because they were now acquainted with his design, or to order the circumstances of that action which they saw he was set upon, or to watch if they could find any occasion to take him off from his intention. CAME TO THE VINEYARDS OF TIMNATH, whither h... [ Continue Reading ]
CAME MIGHTILY UPON HIM; stirred up and increased his courage and bodily strength. AS HE WOULD HAVE RENT A KID; as soon and as safely. HE TOLD NOT HIS FATHER OR HIS MOTHER, lest by their means it should be publicly known; for he wisely considered that it was not yet a fit time to awaken the jealousie... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER A TIME, Heb. _after days_, i.e. either after some days; or rather, after a year, as that word oft signifies; as EXODUS 13:10 LEVITICUS 25:29 NUMBERS 9:22 JUDGES 17:10 1 SAMUEL 1:3, 1 SAMUEL 27:7; when the flesh of the lion, which by its strong smell is offensive to and avoided by bees, was who... [ Continue Reading ]
HE TOOK THEREOF IN HIS HANDS, out of the lion's carcass. QUEST. Did not Samson transgress in touching a carcass? ANSW. It was in itself a legal pollution; but some such pollutions were involuntary and unavoidable, as in one that hath an issue running in his sleep; and some were necessary duties, as... [ Continue Reading ]
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WHEN THEY SAW HIM, or, _observed or considered him_, his stature, and strength, and countenance, and carriage, which were extraordinary. THEY BROUGHT THIRTY COMPANIONS TO BE WITH HIM; partly in compliance with the custom of having bridemen; of which see MATTHEW 9:15 MARK 2:19 1 THESSALONIANS 3:29, t... [ Continue Reading ]
A RIDDLE, i.e. an obscure sentence for you to resolve and explain. THE SEVEN DAYS OF THE FEAST; for so long marriage-feasts lasted. See GENESIS 29:27. THIRTY SHEETS; fine linen clothes, which were used for many purposes in those parts. See MATTHEW 27:59 MARK 14:51. THIRTY CHANGE OF GARMENTS, i.e. ch... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. Out of that strong and devouring creature, the lion, came forth sweet meat, to wit, honey; withal it is covertly implied, that the Philistines, though now they had strength on their side, and dominion over Israel, whom they did devour upon all occasions, yet at last they should become meat to t... [ Continue Reading ]
ON THE SEVENTH DAY; they had doubtless spoken to her before this time, but with some remissness, supposing that they should find it out; but now their time being nigh slipped, they press her with more vehemency, and put her under a necessity of searching it out. TO TAKE THAT WE HAVE, i.e. to strip u... [ Continue Reading ]
Though I have had much more experience of their fidelity and taciturnity than of thine.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SEVEN DAYS, WHILE THEIR FEAST LASTED, i.e. on the residue of the seven days, to wit, after the third day. It is a familiar synecdoche. Or, _on the seventh of the days on which the feast was_; and then the following clause, _on the seventh day_, is only the noun repeated for the pronoun, _on that... [ Continue Reading ]
_ If you had not employed my wife to find it out_, as men plough up the ground with a heifer, thereby discovering its hidden parts: he calls her HEIFER, either because he now suspected her wantonness and too much familiarity with that friend which she afterwards married; or because she was joined wi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON HIM; though he had a constant habit of eminent strength and courage, yet that was exceedingly increased upon special occasions, by the extraordinary influences of God's Spirit. TO ASHKELON; either to the territory, which oft comes under the name of the city; or to th... [ Continue Reading ]
SAMSON'S WIFE WAS GIVEN, by her father, to the chief of the bridemen, to whom he had showed most respect and kindness.... [ Continue Reading ]