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Judges Chapter
Sixteen
Judges 16
Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 16
In
this chapter we have an account of Samson's too great familiarity with two
harlots; by the one he was brought into great danger, and narrowly escaped, Judges 16:1, and by
the other he was betrayed into the hands of the Philistines, having got the
secret out of him wherein his great strength lay, Judges 16:4 who
having him in their hands, put out his eyes, imprisoned him, and in their idol
temple made sport of him, Judges 16:21, where
praying for renewed strength from the Lord, he pulled down the temple, and
destroyed multitudes with the loss of his own life, Judges 16:26.
Judges 16:1 Now
Samson went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her.
YLT
1And Samson goeth to Gaza,
and seeth there a woman, a harlot, and goeth in unto her;
Then went Samson to Gaza,.... One of the five
principalities of the Philistines, which was ten miles from Ashkelon, as SandysF17Travels,
l. 3. p. 118. says; who also describesF18Travels, l. 3. p. 116. it
as standing upon an hill environed with valleys, and these again well nigh
enclosed with hills, most of them planted with all sorts of delicate fruits;
and, according to BuntingF19Ut supra. (Travels, l. 3. p. 118.) ,
forty two miles from Ramathlehi, the place where we last hear of him; see Gill
on Amos 1:6, Zephaniah 2:4 what
he went hither for is not easy to say; it showed great boldness and courage,
after he had made such a slaughter of the Philistines, to venture himself in
one of their strongest cities, where he must expect to be exposed to danger;
though it is highly probable this was a long time after his last encounter with
them:
and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her; the Targum
renders it an innkeeper, one that kept a victualling house; so Kimchi, Ben
Gersom, and Ben Melech interpret it; into whose house he went for entertainment
and lodging, and very probably in the dusk of the evening; and the woman that
kept this house might herself be an harlot, or, however, Samson saw one in her
house, with whom he was captivated, and went in unto her, or had criminal
conversation with her; it seems as if he did not turn in thither with any such
wicked design, but on sight of the person was ensnared to commit lewdness with
her; and, as Lyra says, there were many hostesses in some places, and so here,
who too easily prostituted themselves to their guests.
Judges 16:2 2 When
the Gazites were told, “Samson has come here!” they surrounded the
place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were
quiet all night, saying, “In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill
him.”
YLT
2[it is told] to the
Gazathites, saying, `Samson hath come in hither;' and they go round and lay
wait for him all the night at the gate of the city, and keep themselves silent
all the night, saying, `Till the light of the morning -- then we have slain
him.'
And it was told the Gazites,.... The inhabitants of
Gaza, the principal ones of it, the magistrates of the city, either by some
persons that saw him come in, who knew him, or by the harlot into whose company
he fell, to whom he made himself known:
saying, Samson is come hither; the man so famous for
his strength, and such an enemy to the Philistines; his name was well known for
his great exploits, and rung throughout Palestine, and was a terror to the
whole country:
and they compassed him in; not that they surrounded
the house where he was, which perhaps they might not certainly know, but they
secured all the avenues and gates of the city, made them fast, and placed
guards there, that he might not escape their hands:
and laid wait for him all night in the gate; particularly
at that gate, where, if he went out for his country, he must pass:
and were quiet all the night; did not attempt to disturb
Samson, or seize on him, if they knew where he was; knowing his great strength,
and what a tumult might be raised in the city, they said nothing of it to
anybody that passed, what they were placed there for, lest it should come to
his ears; they made as if they were deaf and dumb, as some interpret it, and
heard and knew nothing:
saying, in the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him; when they
should better know him, and make sure their blow at him, and do it suddenly,
unawares to him, as he came to the gate, to pass through it.
Judges 16:3 3 And Samson lay low
till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of
the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up, bar and all, put them on
his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
YLT
3And Samson lieth down till
the middle of the night, and riseth in the middle of the night, and layeth hold
on the doors of the gate of the city, and on the two side posts, and removeth
them with the bar, and putteth on his shoulders, and taketh them up unto the
top of the hill, which [is] on the front of Hebron.
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight,.... Either
not being able to lie any longer through the conviction of his conscience for
his lewdness, or being warned by a dream, or having an impulse upon his spirit,
which suggested to him that wait was laid for him, and the danger he was in;
and coming to the gate of the city, which he found shut and fast barred and
bolted, and the watch perhaps asleep, not expecting his coming until daylight:
and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and
went away with them, bar and all; did not stand to break
open the doors of the gate, but took the two side posts up, on which the
folding doors of the gate were hung, out of the ground in which they were
fastened, with the bar which went across the doors for the security of them:
and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron; if this hill
was near Hebron, as the words thus read seem to intimate, he must carry the
gates twenty miles upon his shoulders, for so far was Hebron from Gaza; so
Josephus says it was over Hebron; but according to AdrichomiusF20"Theatrum
Terrae Sanet". p. 133. , it was near Gaza, looking towards Hebron; and so
Sandys saysF21Ut supra, (Travels l. 3.) p. 117. , in the valley, on
the east side of the city, are many straggling buildings, beyond which there is
a hill more eminent than the rest, on the north side of the way that leads to
Babylon, said to be that to which Samson carried the gates of the city. It is
very probable, as some think, that it was between Gaza and Hebron, in sight of
both cities, which may be meant by the phrase "before", or "on
the face of"; being so high might be seen as far as Hebron, as well as at
Gaza. This was an emblem of Christ's resurrection, of whom Samson was a type,
who being encompassed in a sepulchre, and sealed and watched by soldiers, broke
through the bars of death and the grave, and carried off the doors in triumph;
and in a short time ascended to heaven, whereby he declared himself to be the
Son of God with power. It was usual for doors and bars of gates to be carried
in triumph, and laid up in templesF23"----sacris in postibus
arma: ----et portarum ingentia claustra." Virgil. Aeneid. 7. ver. 185. ;
and the Jews say these doors were not less than sixty cubits, and suppose
Samson's shoulders to be as broadF24T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 10. 1. .
Judges 16:4 4 Afterward it happened that
he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
YLT
4And it cometh to pass
afterwards that he loveth a woman in the valley of Sorek, and her name [is]
Delilah,
And it came to pass afterwards, that he loved a woman in the
valley of Sorek,.... Which, according to AdrichomiusF25Ut supra,
(Theatrum Terra Sanct.) p. 24. was but half a mile from the brook Eshcol, from
whence the spies brought a bunch of grapes, as a specimen of the fruit of the
land of Canaan; and this valley of Sorek seems to have been famous for the best
wine, and hither Samson retired for refreshment and pleasure; but, according to
JeromF26De loc. Heb. fol. 94. L. , it was on the north of
Eleutheropolis, where, he says, was shown a village in his time called
Capharsorech, near the village Zorah, from whence Samson was; and BuntingF1Travels,
p. 116,117. makes it to be twelve miles from Hebron, and twelve from Jerusalem;
where he met with a woman he loved; whether she was an Israelite, or one of the
daughters of the Philistines, they now being the rulers of Israel, is not said;
most likely the latter, as say Ben Gersom and Abarbinel, since the lords of the
Philistines were so intimate with her, and were entertained in her house, and
she showed more respect to them than to Samson. The Jews say she became a
proselyte, but if she did, there is very little evidence of her being a sincere
one: some have thought, that the courtship to her was a lawful conjugal love;
that falling in love with her, he courted and married her; but this is not very
likely, since no mention is made of his marriage to her, nor did he take her
home, but dwelt in her house: it rather seems to be an impure and unlawful love
he had to her, and that she was an harlot, as JosephusF2Ut supra,
(Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8.) sect. 11. ; and all her conduct and behaviour confirm the
same:
whose name was Delilah; the Jews sayF3T.
Bab. Sotah, fol. 9. 2. she was so called because she weakened the heart and
spirit of Samson, and weakened his strength, and weakened his works; and
therefore, if this had not been her name, they say it was one very proper for
her.
Judges 16:5 5 And the lords of the
Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his
great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that
we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven
hundred pieces of silver.”
YLT
5and the princes of the
Philistines come up unto her, and say to her, `Entice him, and see wherein his
great power [is], and wherein we are able for him -- and we have bound him to
afflict him, and we -- we give to thee, each one, eleven hundred silverlings.'
And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her,.... Having
heard that Samson kept company with her, she being a noted strumpet, like Lais
among the Grecians. These were in number five, as appears from Judges 3:3 and had
under them five principalities, into which Palestine was divided; and these, if
not united in their government, which possibly might be the case at this time,
yet were united against their common enemy Samson; and being great personages,
it is thought by some they came not themselves to this harlot's house, but sent
a deputation of five persons in their names, though the text is very express
here and after: they are said to come up to her, because their country lay on
the shore of the sea, and lower than Judea:
and said unto her, entice him; persuade him with
soothing and flattering words; take an opportunity when in an amorous mood to
improve her interest in his affections:
and see wherein his great strength lieth; for it might
not appear by the size of his body, or from his natural constitution, and in
the common actions of life, but only at certain times, and as it should seem
when he pleased; and he might have been heard to say that it was a secret he
kept to himself, and no man knew it; or they might suspect something of magic
in the case, that he carried something about with him, which, if it could be
gotten from him, would deprive him of his strength:
and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him
to afflict him; to humble him, bring him low, and reduce him to the common
condition of men; they did not propose to kill him, which they might think she
would not agree to, and so reject their proposal at once, but at most to
distress him, and to chastise him with mockings and scourgings, bonds and
imprisonment, for the mischief he had indeed done them, and prevent him from
doing more:
and we will give thee, everyone of us, eleven hundred pieces
of silver or shekels; it may seem strange that they should promise each
1100: some think their principalities offered each 1000 shekels, and the
princes themselves one hundred; but Abarbinel supposes that this was, on some
account or another, in those times an usual sum or computation, since the same
is mentioned in the following chapter; though it may be observed that these
five several sums put together make a round number, 5500 pieces of silver;
which, taking them to be shekels, according to WaserusF4De Antiquis
Numis, l. 2. c. 5. : they amounted to 1375 rix dollars, and of Helvetian money
3666 pounds, and a little more, and of our money near seven hundred pounds
sterling; a considerable bribe, and very tempting to a person of such a
character, and which she readily embraced, as appears by what follows.
Judges 16:6 6 So Delilah said to Samson,
“Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be
bound to afflict you.”
YLT
6And Delilah saith unto
Samson, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, wherein thy great power [is], and
wherewith thou art bound, to afflict thee.'
And Delilah said to Samson,.... At a proper
opportunity, when in his hands and caresses, as Josephus relatesF5Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 9.) , and introduced it in an artful manner,
admiring his strange exploits, and wondering how he could perform them:
tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth; which she
proposed seemingly out of mere curiosity, and as it would be a proof of his
affection to her, to impart the secret to her:
and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee; not that she
suggested to him that she was desirous to have him afflicted, or to try the
experiment herself in order to afflict him, but to know by what means, if he
was bound, it would be afflicting to him so that he could not relieve himself;
she knew he might be bound, if he would admit of it, as he had been, but she
wanted to know how he might be bound, so as to be held, and could not loose
himself.
Judges 16:7 7 And Samson said to her,
“If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.”
YLT
7And Samson saith unto her,
`If they bind me with seven green withs which have not been dried, then I have
been weak, and have been as one of the human race.'
And Samson said unto her,.... In answer to her
pressing solicitations:
if they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried; the word is
sometimes used for nerves, and cords or ropes; but neither of these can be here
meant, since these, if moistened or made wet, are the less fit to bind with,
and the drier the better; but rods or branches of trees just cut off, such as
faggots are bound up with, or green osiers, which are easily bent and twisted,
and may bind with; JosephusF21Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect.
9.) calls them vine branches:
then shall I be weak, and be as another man; which cannot
well be excused from a lie; for Samson knew full well that being bound would
not weaken his strength; but as he had fallen into one sin, it is no wonder he
was drawn into another: unless this can be understood, as it is by some, as
jesting with her; however, it shows that he was "compos mentis", as
JosephusF23Ibid. observes, and was upon his guard with respect to
the secret of his strength.
Judges 16:8 8 So the lords of the
Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, and she
bound him with them.
YLT
8And the princes of the
Philistines bring up to her seven green withs which have not been dried, and
she bindeth him with them.
Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her,.... To the
chamber where she was with Samson, she having acquainted them with what he had
told her:
seven green withs, which had not been dried; just such as
he had described and directed to:
and she bound him with them; taking an opportunity,
very likely, when he was asleep, and drunk too, according to JosephusF24Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 8. sect. 11. : the Philistines did not attempt to bind him, supposing
that he would not admit them to do it, if aware of them; and they might fear,
if asleep, he might awake before they could do it, and fall upon them and
destroy them; but as for Delilah, if she had been found at it, she could have excused
it as a piece of curiosity, being willing to try whether he told her truth or
not.
Judges 16:9 9 Now men were lying
in wait, staying with her in the room. And she said to him, “The Philistines are
upon you, Samson!” But he broke the bowstrings as a strand of yarn breaks when
it touches fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.
YLT
9And the ambush is abiding
with her in an inner chamber, and she saith unto him, `Philistines [are] upon
thee, Samson;' and he breaketh the withs as a thread of tow is broken in its
smelling fire, and his power hath not been known.
Now there were men lying in wait,.... Very likely some of
the servants of the lords of the Philistines, who were placed privately on
purpose, that when an opportunity offered, they might rush out, and fall upon
Samson; JosephusF25Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 11. calls them
soldiers:
abiding with her in the chamber; in a private part of it,
or otherwise they could not be said to lie in wait; in it may mean near it;
perhaps it was in the next apartment to hers, where they were set:
and she said unto him, the Philistines be upon thee, Samson; are just
ready to fall upon thee, and seize thee; this she said to arouse him, and try
whether he could break the withs or not, before she called in the men that lay
in wait, and whether he had told her the truth or not:
and he brake the withs as a thread of tow is broken when it
toucheth the fire; or "smells it"F26בהריחו
"cum olfecerit", Drusius, so Piscator. ; as soon as it comes near it;
a thread of tow or linen catches the fire presently, it being so weak that it
cannot stand before the least force of it; so easily did the withs give way,
and were broken, when Samson did but just stir himself, and move his arms:
so his strength was not known; by Delilah, nor by the
Philistines; that is, where it lay, so as that it might be weakened; for
otherwise it was known by the easy breaking of the withs.
Judges 16:10 10 Then Delilah said to
Samson, “Look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me what
you may be bound with.”
YLT
10And Delilah saith unto
Samson, `Lo, thou hast played upon me, and speakest unto me lies; now, declare,
I pray thee, to me, wherewith thou art bound.'
And Delilah said unto Samson,.... Not on the same day,
but some time after, as Kimchi observes, when an opportunity offered, and he
was in like circumstances as before; for had she immediately attacked him, it
might have created some suspicion in him of a design against him:
behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies; deceived her
with lies, by telling her the other day that if he was bound with green withs,
he should become as weak as other men; which she, out of curiosity as she might
pretend, had tried, and had found to be false; and which, she might add, was an
argument of want of true love to her, to mock her in such a manner:
now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound; so as to be
held.
Judges 16:11 11 So he said to her, “If
they bind me securely with new ropes that have never been used, then I shall
become weak, and be like any other man.”
YLT
11And he saith unto her, `If
they certainly bind me with thick bands, new ones, by which work hath not been
done, then I have been weak, and have been as one of the human race.'
And he said unto her,.... Abarbinel presents
Samson replying to her, that he had told her the truth at first, only forgot
one circumstance, that the "cords", for so he takes the word for
"withs" to signify, should be "new", such as were never used,
as follows:
if they bind me fast with new ropes, that never were occupied; the word
signifies thick ropes, which, according to Kimchi and Ben Melech, were trebled,
or made of three cords twisted together, and those such as were just made, and
had never been put to any use, and so strong and firm:
then shall I be weak, and be as another man; see Judges 16:7.
Judges 16:12 12 Therefore Delilah took new
ropes and bound him with them, and said to him, “The Philistines are
upon you, Samson!” And men were lying in wait, staying in the room. But
he broke them off his arms like a thread.
YLT
12And Delilah taketh thick
bands, new ones, and bindeth him with them, and saith unto him, `Philistines [are]
upon thee, Samson;' and the ambush is abiding in an inner chamber, and he
breaketh them from off his arms as a thread.
Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith,.... Tried
this experiment with him, according to his directions, being very desirous of
getting the sum of money offered her:
and said unto him, the Philistines be upon thee, Samson: using the
same words, and with the same view as she had done before, Judges 16:9.
(and there were liers in wait abiding the chamber); as before,
ready upon occasion to rush in upon him, as soon as any notice was given them:
and he brake them from off his arms like a thread; as easily as
a thread of linen can be snapped asunder.
Judges 16:13 13 Delilah said to Samson,
“Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound
with.”
And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head into
the web of the loom”—
YLT
13And Delilah saith unto
Samson, `Hitherto thou hast played upon me, and dost speak unto me lies;
declare to me wherewith thou art bound.' And he saith unto her, `If thou
weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.'
And Delilah said unto Samson,.... At another time,
when she thought it most proper to upbraid him with his deception of her:
hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies; both the
times that she had solicited him to impart the secret of his strength to her:
tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound; tell me the
real truth, and deceive me no more:
and he said unto her, if thou weavest the seven locks of my head
with the web; it seems that Samson's hair was parted into seven locks, which
no doubt hung down very long; and now he tells her, that if these were
interwoven with the warp which was upon the beam in a loom near by; perhaps in
the same room, where Delilah used to weave, as was the custom of those times,
and in various nationsF1"Arguto conjux", &c. Virgil.
Georgie. l. 1. v. 294. So Penelope in Homer, Minerva & Arachne in Ovid.
Metamorph. l. 6. fab. 1. v. 55, &c. Vid. Pignorium de servis, p. 418.
Braunium de Vest. Sacerd. Hebr. l. 1. c. 17. sect. 33. ; his strength would be
weakened; for BrauniusF2"De Vest". Sacerd. Hebr. l. 1. c.
16. sect. 8. is mistaken in supposing this to be the beam about which the web
was rolled, as he is also in the pin next mentioned, which he takes to be the
"spatha", or lathe, with which the threads are knocked together.
Judges 16:14 14 So she wove it
tightly with the batten of the loom, and said to him, “The Philistines are
upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep, and pulled out the batten and
the web from the loom.
YLT
14And she fixeth [it] with
the pin, and saith unto him, `Philistines [are] upon thee, Samson;' and he
awaketh out of his sleep, and journeyeth with the pin of the weaving machine,
and with the web.
And she fastened it with the pin,.... That is, after she
had interwoven the locks of his hair into the warp, she fastened the beam on
which it was with the pin, that it might not roll back; or else her machine or
loom to the ground, that it might stand more firmly; or the web into which the
hair was woven, with the hair itself; which of them is right, it is difficult
to say: but if the addition of the Septuagint version can be admitted as
genuine, which supplies some things which seem to be wanting, and which best
agrees with what follows, the whole will be plain and easy, and which after the
preceding verse runs thus;"and fastenest "them" with a pin to
the wall, then shall I be weak as another man; and it came to pass when he
slept, and Delilah took seven locks of his head, and wove "them" in
the web, and fastened them with a pin to the wall;'and then it follows as here:
and said unto him, the Philistines be upon thee, Samson; as she had
twice before:
and he awaked out of his sleep; in which he was during
her weaving his locks into the web; and this makes it probable that he was in
the same circumstances when she bound him both with withs and ropes, though it
is not expressed:
and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web; carried off
not the pin of the beam only, but the beam itself, and the warp on it, and the
whole web into which his hair was woven. The Septuagint version is, he took the
pin of the web out of the wall; and the Vulgate Latin, the pin with the hairs
and web.
Judges 16:15 15 Then she said to him, “How
can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have
mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.”
YLT
15And she saith unto him,
`How dost thou say, I have loved thee, and thy heart is not with me? these
three times thou hast played upon me, and hast not declared to me wherein thy
great power [is].'
And she said unto him, how canst thou say, I love thee, when thine
heart is not with me?.... She took an opportunity, when he was caressing her, to
upbraid him with dissembled love, and a false heart: thou hast mocked me these
three times; she had urged him to tell her where his strength lay, and by what
it might be weakened, first pretending it might be done by binding him with
green withs, and then with new ropes, and a third time by weaving his locks
into the web:
and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth; the thing so
frequently and so importunately requested.
Judges 16:16 16 And it came to pass, when
she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul
was vexed to death,
YLT
16And it cometh to pass,
because she distressed him with her words all the days, and doth urge him, and
his soul is grieved to death,
And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words,
and urged him,.... Lay at him day after day to communicate the secret to him,
gave him no rest, but was incessant in her applications to him:
so that his soul was vexed unto death: could hardly
bear to live, but wished to die, being in the utmost perplexity what to do
between two different passions, love and fear; on the one hand chained by his
lust to this harlot, that was continually teasing him, and whom he had not an
heart to leave, or otherwise that would have cleared him of his difficulties;
and on the other hand, should he disclose the secret, he feared, and was in
danger of losing his strength, in which his glory lay: or"his soul was
shortened unto death'F3תקצר
"abbreviata est", Montanus, Drusius. So Munster. ;it was the means of
shortening his days, and hastening his death. Abarbinel thinks that Samson was
sensible of this, that his days were short, and the time of his death at hand;
which made him the more willing to impart the secret. This may put in mind of
the story of Milo, a man famous for his great strength, said to carry an ox
upon his shoulders a furlong without breathing; of whom it is reported, that none
of his adversaries could deliver themselves out of his hands, but his whore
could, often contending with him; hence it is observed of him, that he was
strong in body, but not of a manly soulF4Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 2. c.
24. ; and there are many other things saidF5Vid. Pausan. Eliac. 2.
sive. l. 6. p. 309. of him concerning his great strength, which seem to be
taken from this history of Samson.
Judges 16:17 17 that he told her all his
heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have
been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my
strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other
man.”
YLT
17that he declareth to her
all his heart, and saith to her, `A razor hath not gone up on my head, for a
Nazarite to God I [am] from the womb of my mother; if I have been shaven, then
hath my power turned aside from me, and I have been weak, and have been as any
of the human race.'
That he told her all his heart,.... All that was in his
heart concerning this affair, all that he knew relating to it; he had told her
something before, or at least what came nearer to the truth of the matter, when
he directed her to the weaving of his locks into the web; but now he told her
all, which is as follows:
and said unto her, there hath not come a razor upon mine head; his head had
never been shaved since he was born; which was the order of the angel that
foretold his birth, and it had been carefully observed to that time:
for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb; one condition
of which, or what was enjoined a Nazarite, was, that he should not be shaved,
and which had been religiously observed in Samson; and whereas abstinence from
wine and strong drink was another part of the law of Nazariteship, or what such
persons were obliged unto, what Josephus says concerning Samson being drunk in
the above cases could not be true; since his Nazariteship would have been made
void by it, and so have affected his strength: but it must be owned that there
were other things Nazarites were obliged to, which were dispensed with, as has
been observed in the case of Samson, a perpetual Nazarite; and therefore it is
probable, that the principal thing he was to regard, and upon which his
strength was continued, was not shaving his head:
if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall
become weak, and be like any other man; in which he says more
than he ever did before, namely, that his strength should go from him; for
though that did not arise from his hair, yet the keeping on of that was the
condition of his retaining it.
Judges 16:18 18 When Delilah saw that he
had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the
Philistines, saying, “Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart.” So
the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their
hand.
YLT
18And Delilah seeth that he
hath declared to her all his heart, and she sendeth and calleth for the princes
of the Philistines, saying, `Come up this time, for he hath declared to me all
his heart;' and the princes of the Philistines have come up unto her, and bring
up the money in their hand.
And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart,.... Which she
perceived by his countenance, and the serious manner in which he expressed
himself; and Abarbinel conjectures that he might swear to her that what he said
was truth; and who observes from their Rabbins, as does also Kimchi, that she
concluded he had told her the truth, by his making mention of the name of God,
saying he was a Nazarite unto God, whose name she knew he would not take in
vain; and with the account he gave agreed the long hair he wore:
she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, come
up this once; for it seems as they were returned home, finding that she could
do nothing with him, and was not able to get the secret out of him; but now,
believing she had it, sends to them, and entreats them to come once more, being
very desirous of having the money they had offered her:
for he hath showed me all his heart; there is a double
reading of this clause; the Keri or marginal reading, which our version
follows, is, "hath showed me", as being the words of Delilah to the
lords of the Philistines; but the Cetib or textual reading is, "he hath showed
her", as being the words of the messengers to them:
then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her; that is, from
their own country; for it can hardly be understood of their coming up into her
room, or chamber; and especially since it follows:
and brought money in their hand; 1100 shekels of silver
apiece, the sum they first proposed to give her; and now being pretty well
assured of success, brought it along with them to pay her for the service done.
Judges 16:19 19 Then she lulled him to sleep
on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his
head. Then she began to torment him,[a] and his strength
left him.
YLT
19and she maketh him sleep on
her knees, and calleth for a man, and shaveth the seven locks of his head, and
beginneth to afflict him, and his power turneth aside from off him;
And she made him sleep upon her knees,.... Giving
him, as some think, a sleepy potion; or however encouraged him to take a nap
upon her knees, and by her fondness lulled him to sleep:
and she called for a man; a barber; in former times to shave
was the work of a servantF6Vid. Pignorium de servis, p. 89, 90, 91.
& Popma de servis, p. 57, 58. and sometimes of a woman; she gave orders for
one to be sent for; for Jarchi calls him a messenger of the lords of the
Philistines:
and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; this shows
that they were not wove into one another, and made but one lock, as some
interpret what she was before directed to do:
and she began to afflict him; as his hair was shaving
off; though he was asleep, yet he discovered some uneasiness, the effects of it
began to appear: though the word "began" here may be redundant, as in
Numbers 25:1 and
then the meaning is, that she afflicted him, or again afflicted him; for she
had afflicted him, or at least attempted it, three times before, and therefore
did not begin now; this Hebraism is used in Mark 4:1 and
frequently in Jewish writingsF7See Lightfoot. Hor. Heb. in Mark iv.
1. Vid. Sterringae Animadv. Philolog. Sacr. p. 248. :
and his strength went from him; sensibly and gradually;
though some understand it of her shaking him in a violent manner to awake him,
and shrieking and crying out terribly to frighten him, with her old cry of the
Philistines being on him, and of her binding him, though not expressed; whereby
she perceived his strength was gone, and he could not loose himself.
Judges 16:20 20 And she said, “The
Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said,
“I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did
not know that the Lord
had departed from him.
YLT
20and she saith, `Philistines
[are] upon thee, Samson;' and he awaketh out of his sleep, and saith, `I go out
as time by time, and shake myself;' and he hath not known that Jehovah hath
turned aside from off him.
And she said, the Philistines be upon thee, Samson,.... In like
manner as she had before, that she might have full proof that the case was
really such, that his strength was gone from him:
and he awoke out of his sleep; upon the cry she made:
and said; within himself, purposing and determining in his own mind:
I will go out as at other times before; as he had
done at the three former times, and did not meet with any Philistines to fall
upon him, and so concluded it would be the case now, and he, if he did, should
be able to defend himself against them:
and shake myself; that he might be thoroughly awake, and be
on his guard and defence:
and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him; might have
forgot what he had told Delilah of, and knew not what had been done to him,
that his hair was shaved off; or if he did, was not sensible that the Lord had
removed from him; but might hope that he would renew his strength, when he
should stand in need of it; but he soon found his mistake; he was quickly taken
by the Philistines, and ill used, and in a little time lost his life. And from
hence it is thought sprung the story of Nisus, king of the Megarenses, who is
supposed to reign about this time; of whom it is reportedF8Pausaniae
Attica, sive, l. 1. p. 33. Ovid Metamorph. l. 8. Fab. 1. , that the hair of his
head was of a purple colour, and was told by the oracle, that so long as that
was kept on he should be safe, but if it was shaved off he should die; and so
it was, that when the Cretians besieged him, his daughter falling in love with
Minos, the king of the Cretians cut off her father's hair, and so both he and
his country were delivered into the hands of the enemy.
Judges 16:21 21 Then the Philistines took
him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with
bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.
YLT
21And the Philistines seize
him, and pick out his eyes, and bring him down to Gaza, and bind him with two
brazen fetters; and he is grinding in the prison-house.
But the Philistines took him,.... Being assured by
Delilah that his strength was gone from him, of which perhaps she had made
trial by binding him, and found he could not free himself from the bonds till
she loosed them; or otherwise they would have been afraid to have ventured to
lay hold upon him:
and put out his eyes; that should his strength
return to him, be might not be able to see where and whom to strike, and so be
incapable of doing much mischief any more; the word signifies, they
"dug" or "bored them"F9ינקרו
"effoderant", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius &
Tremelius, Piscator out; they plucked or cut out his eye balls, so that it was
impossible his sight should ever be recovered; according to the Arabic version,
they blinded him by putting fire to his eyes; the Jews observe, that this was
done in just retaliation, measure for measure; Samson, they sayF11Misn.
Sotah. c. sect. 8. , went after his eyes; that is, by taking one harlot after
another; therefore the Philistines put out his eyes:
and brought him down to Gaza: which lay on the sea
coast, and therefore they are said to bring him down to it; here he had been
before of his own will, now against it; for in one instance he had acted to his
own shame, by going in to an harlot; and in another, to the shame and disgrace
of the city, and the inhabitants of it, by carrying off their city gates;
through which they now brought him in triumph, in order to repair the dishonour
done them: though, perhaps, the true reason of carrying him thither was, that
he might be at the greater distance from the Israelites, should they think of
rescuing him out of their hands; and especially because it was a very strong
fortified city, it had its name from strength; hence MelaF12De Situ
Orbis, l. 1. c. 11. calls it "Munita admodum Gaza", and says, that
when Cambyses made war in Egypt, he carried his wealth and money to this place:
and bound him with fetters of brass; the Targum calls them
chains of brass, and the word being of the dual number, it is probable there
were two of them, with which he was bound the greater security:
and he did grind in the prison house; the motion of
mills by water or wind was as yet not invented, but it was usual, as it is
still in the eastern countries, to grind with hand mills, at which one or more
worked; or with mills moved around by beasts or slaves, and was a work
prisoners were employed in, Exodus 11:5 and
Samson being a strong man, they might expect much service from him this way.
The TalmudistsF13T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 10. 1. understand this in a
criminal sense, as they do Job 31:10 but this
is justly rejected by Kimchi.
Judges 16:22 22 However, the hair of his
head began to grow again after it had been shaven.
YLT
22And the hair of his head
beginneth to shoot up, when he hath been shaven,
Howbeit, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was
shaven. It began to grow immediately no doubt, as it naturally would do;
but it is highly probable it grew in an extraordinary manner, and in a short
time became as when it was shavedF14כאשר גלח "ut rasus fuerat", Tigurine version,
Vatablus; "ut quum abraderetur", Junius & Tremellius. , as it may
be rendered, and upon which his strength was renewed; not that his strength
naturally lay in his hair, and so naturally increased as that grew; but he
being made sensible of his sin, and repenting of it, renewed his Nazariteship,
of which letting his hair grow was a token; and it pleased God, who accepted of
his repentance as genuine, of his own good will and pleasure to renew his
strength; particularly upon his prayer to him, after related.
Judges 16:23 23 Now the lords of the
Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god,
and to rejoice. And they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our
enemy!”
YLT
23and the princes of the
Philistines have been gathered together to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon
their god, and to rejoice; and they say, `Our god hath given into our hand
Samson our enemy.'
Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together,.... The five
lords, with their friends, not directly upon Samson's being taken and committed
to prison, but some time after; perhaps some months:
for to get a great sacrifice to Dagon their god; in later
times their god was called MarnasF15Hicron. in Isa. xvii. fol. 39.
K. , which signifies the lord of men, but now Dagon; who also had a temple at
Ashdod, another of the five principalities of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 5:2 and
seems to have been at this time their common and chief deity: according to
Jarchi in the place referred to, it was in the form of a fish, for
"dag" in Hebrew signifies a fish; and Kimchi on the same place says,
that from its navel upwards it was in the form of a man, and from thence
downwards in the form of a fishF16So David de Pomis Lexic. fol. 18.
3. & Milton in his Paradise Lost, l. 1. v. 462, 463. "Dagon his name;
sea monster! upward man, And downward fish." ; and Diodorus SiculusF17Bibliothec.
l. 2. p. 92. & Ovid Metamorph. l. 4. Fab. 1. v. 44, &c. relates that
Derceto, a goddess of Ashkelon, another of the five principalities of
Palestine, its face was human, and the other part of its body resembled a fish;
and the same Lucian says of the Syrian goddess; and CiceroF18De
Natura Deorum, l. 3. testifies, that the Syrians worshipped a fish, and
PorphyryF19De Abstinentia, l. 2. sect. 6. says they will not eat
any; and Gaza being a maritime city, a sea port, this might be their sea god in
this form: but Ben Gersom in the above place says, it was in the form of a man;
and SanchoniathoF20Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 1. p. 36, 37.
making mention of Dagan, a brother of Saturn, Philo Byblius, who translated his
history into Greek, interprets it by Siton, which signifies corn, deriving it
from Dagan, which so signifies; as if this deity presided over corn, as Ceres
in other nations, and Jupiter Frumentarius, or Aratrius; yea, he says he
invented corn and the plough; however this be, the Philistine princes met
together to sacrifice to him, not a common offering, but a great sacrifice. It
is very probable that this was a public festival of the Philistines, as
JosephusF21Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 12. says, an anniversary one;
and perhaps was held in a more grand manner on the present occasion, since it
is added:
and to rejoice: for they said, our god hath delivered Samson our
enemy into our hands; for though Samson's harlot had done it, and they had paid her
for it, yet they attribute it to their god, such was their blindness and
stupidity; and yet this may shame us believers in the true God, who are so
backward to ascribe to him the great things he does for us, when such Heathens
were so forward to give glory to their false deities, without any foundation
for it.
Judges 16:24 24 When the people saw him,
they praised their god; for they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands our
enemy, The destroyer
of our land, And
the one who multiplied our dead.”
YLT
24And the people see him, and
praise their god, for they said, `Our god hath given in our hand our enemy, and
he who is laying waste our land, and who multiplied our wounded.'
And when the people saw him,.... In the condition he
was, blinded and fettered, of whom and of his great exploits they had heard so
much: they praised their god; as Belshazzar did his, Daniel 5:4 in hymns
and songs composed for them, the substance of which was as follows:
for they said, our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy,
and the destroyer of our country; as he had been, by tying
firebrands to the tails of three hundred foxes, and letting them go into their
cornfields, vineyards, and oliveyards:
which slew many of us; thirty men at Ashkelon,
more at Timnath, and 1000 with the jawbone of an ass at Lehi.
Judges 16:25 25 So it happened, when their
hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for
us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And
they stationed him between the pillars.
YLT
25And it cometh to pass, when
their heart [is] glad, that they say, `Call for Samson, and he doth play before
us;' and they call for Samson out of the prison-house, and he playeth before
them, and they cause him to stand between the pillars.
And it came to pass when their hearts were merry,.... With
wine, for which Gaza is famous in many writersF23Vid. Rivinum de
Majumis, &c. c. 6. sect. 13. ; with eating and drinking, dancing, and
music; for it was usual for the Heathens to feast in their temples, and
especially no doubt they would on such an occasion as this:
and they said, call for Samson, that he may make us sport; by which it
seems that what is before said, "when the people saw him", Judges 16:24 is
said by anticipation; for as yet he was not in the temple, but in the prison;
and therefore a motion was made by some of the great personages, that he might
be fetched from thence, and they might have some diversion with him:
and they called for Samson out of the prison house; sent some
messengers to fetch him from thence:
and he made them sport; not actively, but
passively; it cannot well be thought, that a man of so great a spirit as Samson
was, and in such circumstances as he now was, would ever, either by words or
gestures, do anything on purpose to divert his enemies, and make them laugh;
but he was the object of their sport and scorn, and he bore it patiently, their
cruel mockings, buffetings, and spittings; in which he was a type of Christ. It
was a diversion to them to see him in his rattling chains, groping, and blundering
along from post to pillar, one perhaps giving him a box of the ear, or a slap
of the face, another plucking him by his nose or beard, and another spitting in
his face, and others taunting at him, and reproaching him:
and they set him between the pillars; that he might
be the better seen, and in which there was the direction of Providence to bring
about what follows.
Judges 16:26 26 Then Samson said to the
lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the
temple, so that I can lean on them.”
YLT
26And Samson saith unto the
young man who is keeping hold on his hand, `Let me alone, and let me feel the
pillars on which the house is established, and I lean upon them.'
And Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand,.... And led
him about; as nothing is more common now than for a blind man to be led by a
boy:
suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth; he might by
information know in what manner the house was built, that it was supported by
pillars, if he had never been in it before when he had his sight; and he might
understand, by some means or another, that he was near these pillars, and
placed between them, though being blind, did not know which way to direct his
hands towards them to feel them, as he proposed to do, and therefore desired
the lad that led him to guide his hands towards them:
that I may lean upon them; being, as he might at
least pretend to be, weary, as Josephus saysF24Ut supra. (Antiqu. l.
5. c. 8. sect. 12.) ; either by grinding at the mill, or through being led to
and fro in this house, that all might see him, and cast their flouts and jeers
at him,
Judges 16:27 27 Now the temple was full of
men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there—about three
thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed.
YLT
27And the house hath been
full of men and of women, and thither [are] all the princes of the Philistines,
and on the roof [are] about three thousand men and women, who are looking on
the playing of Samson.
Now the house was full of men and women,.... Within
it, who were gathered together from all parts of the city, and perhaps from
other places on this occasion:
and all the lords of the Philistines were there; their five
lords, the lords of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron:
and there were upon the roof three thousand men and women; it being a
flat roof, as the houses in Canaan and Phoenicia, and the places adjacent,
were; see Deuteronomy 22:8
and there might be some openings or windows in several parts of it, through
which the people might see who were below them, and were within the house, and
what was doing there, and particularly could have a sight of Samson through
them as follows:
that beheld while Samson made sport; or was made a sport of;
while he was buffeted and used in a ludicrous manner.
Judges 16:28 28 Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O
Lord God,
remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may
with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!”
YLT
28And Samson calleth unto
Jehovah, and saith, `Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me,
I pray Thee, only this time, O God; and I am avenged -- vengeance at once --
because of my two eyes, on the Philistines.'
And Samson called unto the Lord,.... In an ejaculatory
manner, by mental prayer; though he might possibly express it aloud, without
being heard and observed by the people, amidst their noise and mirth; and if it
was heard, it might only furnish out more ridicule and contempt; and be it as
it may, the prayer must have been preserved by the Lord himself, and given by
inspiration to the writer of this book; since there were none that heard it
that lived to relate it to others, no, not Samson himself:
and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee; the office
that I bear as judge of Israel, the reproaches cast upon me, and which fall
upon thy people, cause, and interest; remember thy lovingkindness, formerly
expressed to me, the gracious promises made unto me, and the help and
assistance I have had from thee:
and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God; and it was a
prayer of faith, as appears by its being heard, accepted, and answered; and
shows that his strength did not come with his hair, but was owing to the
immediate communication of it from the Lord:
that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes; once for all,
and no more; take his last and final vengeance on them; or one vengeance for
his two eyes, or vengeance for one of his two eyes; either senses will bear.
This was said not from a private spirit of revenge for personal injuries; but
as a civil magistrate, a judge of Israel, whose office it was to be a revenger,
to execute wrath; and though he mentions only his own eyes, yet he suffered the
loss of them, and every other indignity and injury, as a public person, the
common enemy of the Philistines, and destroyer of their country, and protector
of Israel; and in this character he now acted.
Judges 16:29 29 And Samson took hold of
the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself
against them, one on his right and the other on his left.
YLT
29And Samson turneth aside
[to] the two middle pillars, on which the house is established, and on which it
is supported, [to] the one with his right hand, and one with his left;
And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars, upon which the
house stood, and on which it was borne up,.... Some have objected,
that a building so large and so capacious as this was could not be supported by
two pillars, and those placed in the middle, and so near to each other that
Samson could lay hold on them; on which it has been observed, that the
architecture of the ancients is little known to us, and they might have curious
and ingenious arts of building, now lost; and several authors have taken notice
of two Roman theatres built by Curio, that held abundantly more people than
this house did, which were supported only by a single pin or hinge, as PlinyF25Nat.
Hist. l. 36. c. 15. relates; and our Westminster hall, which was built by
William Rufus, and is two hundred and seventy feet long, and seventy four broadF26Rapin's
History of England, vol. 1. p. 188. , and has a roof the largest in all Europe,
is supported without any pillars at all; add to all which, that mention being
made of the two middle pillars of this house, supposes that there were others
in other parts of it, though these were the main and principal ones, on which
the weight of the building chiefly lay. Kimchi observes, that the word
signifies to incline or bend, as if Samson made the pillars to bend or bow; but
it is a better sense that he laid hold of them:
of the one with his right hand, and the other with his left; and thus he
stood with his arms stretched out, as Jesus on the cross, of whom he was a
type, as often observed.
Judges 16:30 30 Then Samson said, “Let me
die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the
temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead
that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
YLT
30and Samson saith, `Let me
die with the Philistines,' and he inclineth himself powerfully, and the house
falleth on the princes, and on all the people who [are] in it, and the dead
whom he hath put to death in his death are more than those whom he put to death
in his life.
And Samson said, let me die with the Philistines,.... He sought
their death, and was content to lose his own life to be avenged on them; in
neither of which did he act a criminal part as a judge of Israel; and from a
public spirit he might desire the death of their enemies, and seek to effect it
by all means possible; and was the more justifiable at this time, as they were
not only insulting him, the representative of his nation, but were affronting
the most high God with their idolatries, being now in the temple of their idol,
and sacrificing to him. As for his own death, he did not simply desire that,
only as he could not be avenged on his enemies without it, he was willing to
submit to it; nor did he lay hands on himself, and cannot be charged with being
guilty of suicide, and did no other than what a man of valour and public spirit
will do; who for the good of his country will not only expose his life to
danger in common, but for the sake of that will engage in a desperate
enterprise, when he knows most certainly that he must perish in it. Besides,
Samson said this, and did what he did under the direction and influence of the
Spirit of God; and herein was a type of Christ, who freely laid down his life
for his people, that he might destroy his and their enemies:
and he bowed himself with all his might, having fresh
strength, and a large measure of it given him at this instant, which he had
faith in, and therefore made the attempt, and for which he is reckoned among
the heroes for faith in Hebrews 11:32.
and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that
were therein; who were all killed, and Samson himself; an emblem this of the
destruction of Satan, and his principalities and powers, by the death of
Christ:
so the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which
he slew in his life; for besides the lords, and they that were in the house, there
were 3000 men and women on the roof, which fell in, and lost their lives also,
so that it is very likely there were at least 6000 or 7000 slain; Philo Byblius
says 40,000, which is not probable; whereas in his life we only read of 1000
slain by him with the jawbone, besides thirty men at Ashkelon, and the
slaughter made when he smote hip and thigh, the number of which is not known.
As this house pulled down by Samson is generally thought to be the temple of
Dagon, a travellerF1Baumgarten. Perogrinatio, l. 2. c. 3. p. 27.
Vid. Adrichom. Theatrum Terrae S. p. 134. in those parts tells us, that there
is now extant the temple of Dagon in half demolished, and the pillars of it are
yet to be seen; but he doubtless mistakes an edifice of a later construction
for it: and another travellerF2Sandy's Travels, l. 3. p. 116. of our
own country says, on the northeast corner and summit of the hill (on which the
city is built) are the ruins of huge arches sunk low in the earth, and other
foundations of a stately building; the Jews, adds he, do fable this place to
have been the theatre of Samson pulled down on the heads of the Philistines; but
he takes it to be the ruins of a later building; See Gill on 1 Samuel 5:2.
Judges 16:31 31 And his brothers and all
his father’s household came down and took him, and brought him up and
buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. He had
judged Israel twenty years.
YLT
31And his brethren come down,
and all the house of his father, and lift him up, and bring him up, and bury
him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoah his father; and
he hath judged Israel twenty years.
Then his brethren, and all the house of his father, came down,.... To Gaza,
having heard of what had befallen him there. This must be understood of his
kindred and near relations, those of his father's family; though it is not
unlikely that he had brethren in a proper sense, since though his mother was
barren before his birth, yet afterwards might have many children, as Hannah
had, whose case was similar to her's:
and took him and brought him up; took his body out of the
ruins of the house, and brought him up on a bier, or some proper carriage, to
his own country; and perhaps in great funeral pomp, as a judge of Israel; nor
need it be wondered at that the Philistines should admit of it, it being usual
in all ages, and among all people, to allow even an enemy to bury their dead;
besides Samson's friends had done them no injury, only Samson himself, and the
Israelites in general were quiet and peaceable under their government; add to
this, they were now in distress themselves for their own dead, and might be in
some fear of the Israelites falling upon them, and attempting to deliver
themselves out of their hands, since their five lords were dead, and no doubt
many more of their principal men with them; so that they might judge this was
not a proper time to refuse such a favour, lest it should occasion a quarrel,
which they were not in a condition to engage in; and had Israel taken this
opportunity, in all likelihood they might have freed themselves from them:
and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying place of
Manoah his father; the former of these seems to have been his native place, and the
other was near it; and between these the Spirit of the Lord first began to move
him, and here his father's sepulchre was, in which he was laid; see Judges 13:2 and he
judged Israel twenty years; by distressing and weakening their enemies; and
though he did not complete their deliverance out of their hands, yet no doubt
their oppressions were fewer, and their burdens easier, on his account; the
time of his judging Israel is observed before, Judges 15:20 and
here repeated for the confirmation of it, and the rather because they were now
ended by his death. Ben Gersom observes, that this is said to show that the
time that Samson dwelt in the land of the Philistines is included in these
twenty years; some would infer from hence that he judged Israel forty years,
twenty in the days of the Philistines, as it is expressed in the above place;
that is, when they had the dominion over Israel, and twenty more afterwards;
but it does not appear that their dominion over Israel ceased in his time. In
the Jerusalem TalmudF3T. Hieros. Sotah, fol. 17. 2. it is also said
that he judged Israel forty years, but for it there is no foundation; nor is
the reason given of any force, that the Philistines feared him twenty years
after his death; the other TalmudF4T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 10. 1. says
he judged Israel twenty two years; but the word "two" is put into a
parenthesis.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)