Judges 13:1 to Judges 16:31. _The story of Samson_ Samson's birth, 13; his marriage at Timnah and exploits against the Philistines, 14 15; his adventures at Gaza, followed by his intercourse with Delilah the cause of his ruin and death, 16. Unlike the preceding Chapter s, the present narrative is n... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samson's birth_ 1 _.the Philistines_ The Dtc. compiler treats the age of Samson on the principle of Judges 3:7 f., which has been illustrated in the foregoing narratives (Judges 3:7-15; Judges 4:1-3; Judges 6:1-7; Judges 10:6-8); but no hostile invasion is mentioned 13 16; while the Philistine dom... [ Continue Reading ]
_Zorah_ Judges 13:25; Judges 16:31; Judges 18:2; Judges 18:8; Judges 18:11, usually mentioned with Eshtaol; in Joshua 19:41 counted as Danite, in _ib._Joshua 15:33 as belonging to Judah, which later on absorbed the Danite settlements in the south; re-inhabited after the exile, Nehemiah 11:29. Zorah... [ Continue Reading ]
_the angel of the Lord_ i.e. Jehovah Himself in manifestation; see on Judges 2:1. The appearance of the Angel betokens the announcement of a deliverer, as in Judges 6:12; cf. Luke 1:11; Luke 1:15 ff., Luke 1:31 ff., Matthew 1:20 f.... [ Continue Reading ]
The mother during the time of pregnancy is to observe certain ceremonial restrictions (Judges 13:7_; Judges 13:14_); she is to live in a state of consecration, in order that her child may be consecrated from the very moment of conception. The two prohibitions are classed together, apparently on the... [ Continue Reading ]
_thou shalt conceive_ The present in Genesis 16:11 RV. and Isaiah 7:14 RVm.; the future is more suitable here. _a Nazirite unto God_ lit. _one separated unto God_; this, the full term, came to be abbreviated _nâzîr_, i.e. _separated, devoted_, a _Nazirite_. It is to be noticed that (1) the consecrat... [ Continue Reading ]
_A man of God_ An inspired man; the phrase is used of a prophet, Deuteronomy 33:1; 1Sa 2:27; 1 Samuel 9:6-8; 1 Kings 12:22 etc. Here the man of God seemed to be more than human. _and I asked him not_ A strange visitor is first asked whence he comes (hence LXX. cod. A and Vulgate omit the negative),... [ Continue Reading ]
_unto the woman_ In response to Manoah's prayer the divine Messenger comes not to him, but to his wife; the important thing is not -what we shall do unto the child," but what the mother shall do to ensure the consecration of her offspring. Hence no reply is given in Judges 13:14 to the latter part o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now let thy words come to pass_ The marg. is to be preferred; for a conditional clause without the conditional particle in Hebrew cf. Numbers 12:14, and see Driver, _Tenses_, § 155. To relieve the obscurity, it is proposed to read _-eth_for _-attah_, -at the time when" (König, _Syntax_, § 385 k), b... [ Continue Reading ]
_eat … of the vine_ i.e. fresh or dried grapes, Numbers 6:3; 1 Samuel 25:18; Jeremiah 31:29 f. etc. Not merely intoxicants, but anything to do with the vine is forbidden, for the reason suggested on Judges 13:4; cf. the prohibition laid upon the Roman Flamen Dialis, who was not allowed even to walk... [ Continue Reading ]
_that we may make ready a kid for thee_ The prep, has a pregnant sense: -prepare a meal and set it _before thee_"; cf. Judges 6:19 and Genesis 18:6-8. The words might mean _offer a kid in thy presence_; but under the circumstances this rendering is not probable.... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will not eat of thy bread_ in the general sense of _food_; cf. Genesis 3:19; Gen 47:12, 1 Samuel 14:24; Psalms 136:25. Note the advance in religious ideas: in Genesis 18:8 the Angels eat the meal which Abraham provides; in ch. Judges 6:18 ff. Gideon is allowed to prepare and cook a meal, but it i... [ Continue Reading ]
Still uncertain what to think, Manoah puts a direct question. _may do thee honour_as a prophet whose _word_(Hebr. marg.) comes true; cf. Numbers 22:17; Numbers 22:37; 1 Samuel 9:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore … my name_ The same words in Genesis 32:29. Manoah's question is not answered, for to reveal the name is to reveal the essential nature and attributes, Exodus 3:15; Exodus 34:5-7; cf. Genesis 27:36; 1 Samuel 25:25; Ruth 1:20. The secret was to be disclosed, but only after an act of obedie... [ Continue Reading ]
_offered it upon the rock_ i.e. the rock which formed _the altar_(Judges 13:20), and lay close at hand. Such an altar, hewn out of the living rock and reached by steps leading to a platform, actually exists near Ṣar-a (Zorah), and may have been in the writer's mind; see the illustration in Driver, _... [ Continue Reading ]
_in the Flame of the altar_ as though it were His native element, Exodus 3:2. The sign may well have suggested a more spiritual view of Jehovah's nature (Kittel l.c.). The _flame_is that kindled by Manoah; contrast Judges 6:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
_we have seen God_ lit. _for elohim we have seen_, i.e. a supernatural being; cf. 1 Samuel 28:13 and prob. Genesis 32:30; _God_is too definite. See on Judges 6:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
_at this time_ lit. _at_(_about) the time_, an unusual expression, rendered _now_in Judges 21:22; Numbers 23:23; cf. _at_(_about) the day_= _now_1 Samuel 9:27; 1 Kings 22:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samson_ The form implies that the word is either an adjective or a diminutive, -solar" or -little sun," from _shemesh_= -sun." The Engl. _Samson_, based on the Gk. Σαμψών, is nearer the original pronunciation than the _Shimshôn_of the M.T. In Babylonian _Shamshânu_has recently been found as a prope... [ Continue Reading ]
_the spirit of the Lord_ See on Judges 3:13. The superhuman power of Jehovah _began to_ STIR _him_to daring feats against the Philistines; cf. St Mark 1:12 -the Spirit driveth him forth." The pass, of the verb (in a trans, sense only here) is rendered -was troubled" in Genesis 41:8; Psalms 77:4 etc.... [ Continue Reading ]