Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. Ver. 1. _Then went Samson to Gaza._] Not by a call from God, but of his own mind, as some think, presuming upon his strength, and therefore justly deserted and foiled. Or if by some weighty occasion, as others hold, yet not pu... [ Continue Reading ]
__ Judges 16:2 _[And it was told] the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed [him] in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him._ Ver. 2. _And they compassed him in._] See th... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put [them] upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that [is] before Hebron. Ver. 3. _And arose at midnight._] From the... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name [was] Delilah. Ver. 4. _And it came to pass afterward._] Not long afterwards, but before he had soundly repented of his former faultiness; the orifice of his lust being not yet stopped. So Lot committed incest t... [ Continue Reading ]
And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength [lieth], and by what [means] we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred [pieces] of silver. Ver. 5. _Entice... [ Continue Reading ]
And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength [lieth], and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. Ver. 6. _Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength._] It is likely that Samson at some time or other had given out that his great strength lay in someth... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Ver. 7. _And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs._] This he said for a put off, or as intending to make himself sport with her. But he should... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Ver. 8. _And she bound him with them._] So heathen histories tell us of Hercules, that he was miserably enslaved and abused by his mistress, Omphale Queen of Lydia. _Amantes... [ Continue Reading ]
Now [there were] men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known. Ver. 9. _Now there were men lying in wait._] But durst n... [ Continue Reading ]
And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. Ver. 10. _And told me lies._] Delilah may give Samson the lie: she may say anything, do anything to him: as Omphale or Jole might clap Hercules on the cheeks, or... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Ver. 11. _And he said unto her._] See Judges 16:7 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And [there were] liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread. Ver. 12. _And there were liers in wait._] This he little thought of. No mor... [ Continue Reading ]
And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. Ver. 13. _And told me lies._] See Judges 16:10 . _ The seven locks of my head._] Here he came neare... [ Continue Reading ]
_And she fastened [it] with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web._ Ver. 14:. And he awaked out of his sleep.] The Philistines durst not meddle with him though asleep: no more than... [ Continue Reading ]
And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart [is] not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength [lieth]. Ver. 15. _How canst thou say, I love thee?_] This was, it seems, a great word in Samson's mouth, "I love thee de... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, [so] that his soul was vexed unto death; Ver. 16. _When she pressed him daily with her words._] _Coarctaret, pene cogeret._ She gave him no rest or respite, _Ut anima eius tantum non enecaretur,_ so that he was even wear... [ Continue Reading ]
That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I [have been] a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any [other] man. Ver. 17. _There hath not come a razor u... [ Continue Reading ]
And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. Ver. 18. _And when Delilah saw that he... [ Continue Reading ]
And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. Ver. 19. _And she made him sleep upon her knees._] He sleepeth, but his enemies are waking and working against... [ Continue Reading ]
And she said, The Philistines [be] upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. Ver. 20. _That the Lord was departed from him._] After which, all miseries came rushing in up... [ Continue Reading ]
But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. Ver. 21. _Took him, and put out his eyes._] These eyes of his were the first offenders that betrayed him to lust; Jdg 16:1 and now they are fi... [ Continue Reading ]
Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. Ver. 22. _Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again._] By this time Samson was thoroughly humbled, and "accepting the chastisement of his iniquity," found God favourable, whose property it is to comfort the abject, 2Co 7:6... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. Ver. 23. _For to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god._] That is, To Triton, the idol af those... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. Ver. 24. _And when the people saw him, they praised their god._] _Magnates, magnetes; _ the multitude do as their rulers; and... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. Ver. 25. _Call for Samson, that he may make us sport._] At feasts they had... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. Ver. 26. _That I may lean upon them._] And so rest me, who am wearied out, either with grinding in the prison, or now making sport.... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines [were] there; and [there were] upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. Ver. 27. _Now the house._] Dagon's temple: that where they had sinned, there they might suffer. So Ahab... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. Ver. 28. _And Samson called unto the Lord._] This was a prayer of faith, and a fruit of his repen... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left._ Ver. 29. _And Samson took hold._] _Orat et laborat:_ the heathens could say, _Admota manu invocanda est Minerva._ Men must pray,... [ Continue Reading ]
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with [all his] might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that [were] therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than [they] which he slew in his life. Ver. 30. _Let me die with the Philisti... [ Continue Reading ]
Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought [him] up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years. Ver. 31. _Then his brethren._] An example of brotherly kindness.... [ Continue Reading ]