_A.M. 2884. B.C. 1120._
Samson is greatly endangered by his intercourse with a harlot, Judges
16:1. Betrayed by Delilah to the Philistines thrice, Judges 16:4.
Weakened and effectually betrayed, Judges 16:15. Seized, blinded,
bound, imprisoned, and made sport of, Judges 16:21. Avenged of the
Philis... [ Continue Reading ]
_And saw there a harlot_ Although the Hebrew word זונה, _zoneh_,
here rendered _harlot_, also means a woman that keeps an inn, it seems
evident, on the face of the story, that this woman really was what our
translators have taken her to have been, a harlot. Samson, it seems,
going into a house of pu... [ Continue Reading ]
_It was told the Gazites, Samson is come hither_ The arrival of so
extraordinary a man could not be long concealed. And his enemies were
willing to improve so favourable an opportunity to destroy him. _They
compassed him in_, &c. They either beset the house, or lay in wait at
the gate of the city; _... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samson arose at midnight_ Perhaps warned by God in a dream, or rather
by the checks of his own conscience; _and took the doors of the gate_,
&c. The watchmen not expecting him till the morning, and therefore
being now retired into the sides or upper part of the gate-house to
get some rest; _and wen... [ Continue Reading ]
_He loved a woman in the valley of Sorek_ Through which passed the
river of the same name. This place, famous for its vines, was about a
mile and a half from Eshcol, whence the spies brought their bunch of
grapes. Here Samson met with Delilah, who, whether she was a Jewess or
a Philistine, was proba... [ Continue Reading ]
_The lords of the Philistines came unto her_ The lords of their five
principal cities, which were leagued together against him as their
common enemy. _See wherein his great strength lieth_ They probably
imagined that Samson attained his great strength by the use of some
magic art; _that we may bind... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee_ This seems rather
to express the sum of what Delilah aimed at than her very words. For
it is scarcely credible that she put this question so openly to
Samson, which would have discovered that she had some design against
him. But, rather, she wormed... [ Continue Reading ]
_There were men abiding with her in the chamber_ In some closet,
probably, or adjoining room; for it cannot be well imagined, that they
could be in the very same chamber without being discovered by Samson.
It appears the Philistines were rather desirous of taking him alive
than killing him. Probably... [ Continue Reading ]
_If thou weavest the seven locks of my head_ If my hair, which is all
divided into seven locks, be fastened about a weaver's beam, or
interwoven with weavers' threads, then I shall be weak as another man.
It is probable there was some loom or instrument of weaving in the
room where Samson now was, w... [ Continue Reading ]
_She fastened it with a pin_ She took the first opportunity when he
was asleep of trying the experiment, and the weaving instrument being
near the head of the bed where he lay, she interwove the locks of his
hair with the web or woof, and fastened it with some pin or peg that
belonged to the loom. S... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thy heart is not with me_ Not open to me. _His soul was vexed unto
death_ Being tormented by two contrary passions, desire to gratify
her, and fear of betraying himself. So that he had no pleasure of his
life.... [ Continue Reading ]
_There hath not come a razor upon my head_ Though we have no account
of it before, yet it seems from this, that it had been revealed by God
to Samson, either by a dream or in some other manner, that his
supernatural strength should continue as long as he continued in a
Nazarite state, and did not su... [ Continue Reading ]
_When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart_ From the
seriousness and solemnity with which he spoke, she concluded that she
was at length mistress of the important secret. _The lords of the
Philistines brought money in their hands_ See one of the bravest men
then in the world bought and sol... [ Continue Reading ]
_She made him sleep_ By some sleepy potion; _upon her knees_ Resting
his head upon her knees. _She began to afflict him_ To humble and
bring him low, in which sense the original word is often used. For, it
seems, as soon as the razor touched his head, his strength began to be
diminished, which she p... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Philistines put out his eyes_ Which was done both out of revenge
and policy, to disable him from doing them harm, in case he should
recover his strength; but not without God's providence, punishing him
in that part which had been instrumental to his sinful lusts. _Brought
him to Gaza_ Because t... [ Continue Reading ]
_The hair of his head began to grow_ This circumstance, though in
itself inconsiderable, is noted as a sign of the recovery of God's
favour, and his former strength, in some degree, upon his repentance,
and renewing his vow with God, which was allowed for Nazarites to do.... [ Continue Reading ]
_To offer a great sacrifice_ They assembled to render honour to their
idol, for their triumph over a man who as much detested their idolatry
as he did their barbarous oppression of his countrymen. _Unto Dagon
their god_ Whose image is supposed to have been, in the upper part, of
the human form, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Call for Samson, that he may make us sport_ May be the subject of our
mirth and derision. Thus Christ was made the subject of the sport and
derision of the chief priests and elders, Matthew 26:67, and of the
Roman soldiers, Matthew 27:29. No doubt they loaded him with bitter
scoffs and indignities,... [ Continue Reading ]
_The pillars whereon the house standeth_ It is probable that this
house, whether it were a temple or theatre, was no more than a wooden
building, raised for the present occasion, much in the form of an
amphitheatre, in the midst of which were two large wooden pillars, on
which the main beams of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_There were upon the roof_, &c. The roof was flat, and had windows,
through which they might see what was done in the lower parts of the
house.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samson called unto the Lord_ This prayer proceeded not from malice
and revenge, but from faith in, and zeal for, God, who was there
publicly dishonoured, and from a concern to vindicate the whole
commonwealth of Israel, which it was his duty to do to the uttermost
of his power, as he was judge. And... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines_ That is, I am content
to die, so I can but contribute to the vindication of God's glory, and
the deliverance of God's people. This is no encouragement to those who
wickedly murder themselves: for Samson did not desire or procure his
own death voluntaril... [ Continue Reading ]
_His brethren, &c., came down, and took, and buried him_ While the
Philistines were so reduced by the great destruction he had wrought
among them, and so oppressed with grief and consternation, that they
had neither heart nor leisure to hinder them. Or, as some think, they
were so terrified by this... [ Continue Reading ]