XVI. Judges 16:1. Samson’s escape from Gaza. Judges 16:4. Delilah, bribed by the Philistine lords, endeavours to entrap him. Judges 16:6. He thrice deceives her. Judges 16:15. At last he reveals to her the secret of his strength, is seized, blinded, and forced to grind for the Philistines. Judges 1... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WENT SAMSON TO GAZA. — Rather, _And Samson, &c._ The narrative is brief and detached. Gaza is near the sea, and was the chief town of the Philistines, in the very heart of their country. It is useless to inquire how Samson could venture there in safety, or whether he went in disguise, or what w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT WAS TOLD. — Our version rightly supplies these words. They are found in all the versions, and there can be no doubt that the word _vayyuggar_ (Genesis 22:20) has in this case accidentally dropped out of the text. THEY COMPASSED HIM IN. — They apparently did not know in what house he was. The... [ Continue Reading ]
AROSE AT MIDNIGHT. — Apparently — but here again the narrative omits all details — he had been told of the plot, and found the gates unguarded; unless we are to suppose that he slew the guards, without awaking the city. TOOK. — Rather, _grasped_ or _seized._ THE TWO POSTS — i.e., the side-posts.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE LOVED A WOMAN. — Delilah was not, as Milton represents, his wife. Josephus (_Antt. v._ 8, § 11) says that she was one who played the harlot among the Philistines, and the fathers all speak of her in similar terms. Nor is it at all clear — as is generally assumed — that she was a Philistine. IN TH... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES. — The five “satraps.” (See Note on Judges 3:3.) If she were what Josephus asserts, the Philistines might both get access to her, and tempt the cupidity of an unprincipled and degraded mind. Had she been of their own race, threats would probably have been even more effec... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEREWITH THOU MIGHTEST BE BOUND. — The narrative, if taken as a full account of all that took place, would leave in the mind an impression of almost incredible fatuity on the part of Samson. The general lesson is that of 1Es. 4:26 : “Many have gone out of their wits for women, and have become s... [ Continue Reading ]
GREEN WITHS. — The meaning of the words is uncertain. Probably the LXX. and the Vulg. are right in taking them to mean _moist, i.e., fresh sinews_ (Psalms 11:2) (LAX., _Neurais hugrais;_ Vulg., _Nerviceis funibus necdum siccis et adhuc humentibus_). Josephus says “vine shoots,” but fresh vine shoots... [ Continue Reading ]
MEN LYING IN WAIT. — Literally, _and the spy sat in the room for her, i.e.,_ to help her. It is doubtful whether there was more than one spy, who could be easily concealed. It is implied that she bound Samson while he slept, as in Judges 16:19. WHEN IT TOUCHETH THE FIRE. — Literally, _when it smell... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW TELL ME, I PRAY THEE. — Delilah would, of course, tell Samson that the scene had been merely playful jest, and that she had said “Philistines upon thee, Samson!” only to be delighted with one fresh exhibition of his great strength, if he really had not revealed the secret. She would represent he... [ Continue Reading ]
NEW ROPES. — As in Judges 15:13. THAT NEVER WERE OCCUPIED. — “Occupied” is an old word for _“_used.” (See Exodus 38:24, “All the gold that was occupied for the work;” Luke 19:13; Hebrews 13:9; “Like a new bright silver dish never _occupied “_ — Ascham, _Schoolmaster._) Here, again, Samson distantly... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU WEAVEST THE SEVEN LOCKS OF MY HEAD WITH THE WEB. — The illustrious and “sunny locks of the Nazarite” did not, as Milton imagines, “lie waving and curling about his god-like shoulders,” but were plaited into seven locks. The word for “locks” — _machelephoth_ — occurs here only. The LXX. rende... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE FASTENED IT WITH THE PIN. — Unless the additions of the Vulg. and the LXX. to the last verse were in the original text, she had not been told by Samson to do this, but did it to make assurance doubly sure. The versions add that she drove the pin “into the wall” (LXX.) or “into the ground” (Vulg.... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW CANST THOU SAY, I LOVE THEE...? — Samson had undergone all these wiles before, and experienced their hollowness (Judges 14:16), yet he had not learnt wisdom.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS SOUL WAS VEXED. — He at last reveals the secret, because he is wearied — literally, _his soul is shortened_ — to death. (Comp. Numbers 21:4.) Even the dangerous use which Delilah had made of his last revelation did not rouse his mind from its besotted stupefaction. “Swollen with pride, into the... [ Continue Reading ]
SAW THAT HE HAD TOLD HER ALL HIS HEART. — She could not mistake the accent of truthfulness, nor was Samson so far gone as to be able to reveal the great secret without some sense of awe and shame. MONEY. — Rather, _the silver_ (Judges 16:5).... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE HIM SLEEP UPON HER KNEES. — As his locks could hardly be shaved off without awaking him from any ordinary sleep, the expression looks as if she had administered some “drowsy syrup,” like mandragora. SHE CALLED FOR A MAN. — Probably the concealed spy (Judges 16:9). “Laying down his head amongst... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WIST NOT THAT THE LORD WAS DEPARTED FROM HIM. — A deeply tragic clause. Men do not know how much they are changed “when the Lord departs from them” until they feel the effects of that departure in utter shame and weakness. (Comp. Numbers 14:43; 1 Samuel 16:14.) Samson was under a vow, but was... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT OUT HIS EYES. — the margin, “bored out,” is more correct. The Arabic version has the curious gloss that they burnt out his eyes with the red-hot style with which _stibium_ (see Job 42:14) is applied to the eyes. To blind a man was the most effectual humiliation (2 Kings 25:7). The story of Eveni... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO DAGON THEIR GOD. — Comp. 1 Samuel 5:1; 1 Chronicles 10:10. This was the “ Sea-monster: — upward man, And downward fish.” In 1 Samuel 5:4 we have an allusion to his stump or fish-part. Dag means “fish,” and the same root is found in _Tagus._ A goddess of similar form and attributes was worshipp... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEIR HEARTS WERE MERRY. — Comp. Judges 9:27; 1 Samuel 25:36; Esther 1:10. THAT HE MAY MAKE US SPORT. — Whether by his forced jests, or by feats of strength, or merely by being made to submit to insults, we cannot tell. Josephus says that they sent for Samson “that they might insult him over t... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT I MAY FEEL THE PILLARS. — The temple of Dagon had a flat roof; but further than this we are unable to conjecture what was its architecture. An attempt to explain it is found in Stark’s _Gaza,_ p. 332, _seq. _... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOUSE WAS FULL OF MEN AND WOMEN... UPON THE ROOF ABOUT THREE THOUSAND MEN AND WOMEN. — The words for “men and women” in the first clause are _anashim_ and _nashim,_ and in the second _eesh_ and _eeshsha._ The more distinguished people were with the lords in the house itself; the common people we... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD GOD... O GOD. — Three names of God — Adonai, Jehovah, Elohim. THAT I MAY BE AT ONCE AVENGED OF THE PHILISTINES. — Again we see that Samson stood at a comparatively low level of spiritual enlightenment as well as of moral purity. One cannot help feeling that Milton has read into the hero’s ch... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ON WHICH IT WAS BORNE UP. — Rather, as it is given in the margin, _and he leaned himself upon them. _... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS BRETHREN AND ALL THE HOUSE OF HIS FATHER. — Probably Manoah and his wife were dead. The religious terror caused by the catastrophe may well have prevented the people of Gaza from offering any opposition to the removal of his body. “Samson hath quit himself Like Samson, and heroically has finis... [ Continue Reading ]