FOX; in Latin, Vulpes; in Greek, Vulpes.Alopex; in Hebrew, Shual: a creature very well known to all, and very remarkable principally for its cunning. There is mention made of it in several places of the Scripture. It informs us, that Samson took three hundred Foxes, which he tied two and two together by the tail, and that having fastened a lighted whisp of straw in the middle of the cord which bound them so together, he let them loose among the crops of standing corn belonging to the Philistins, and they burnt them. From the Fields they went into the olive-yards, and burnt them likewise. Some with reason are amazed to think, how Samson could muster up so great a number of Foxes. But to this it is replied, that Foxes are very common in this country; which is easily proved by Scripture, and the testimony of travellers. Solomon in his song says, that the little Foxes spoiled his vines. Jeremiah says, that the Foxes walk upon the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. There are some cantons and cities in Palestine, which take their name from Foxes, without doubt by reason of the great number of these animals thereabouts: for example, the land of Shual, or the Fox, 1 Sam. xiii. 17. Hazar- Shual, the Fox’s habitation, a city of Judah, or Simeon, Joshua xv. 28. and xix. 3. and the city of Shual-abbim, in the tribe of Dan, which Samson belonged to.
Belon assures us, that in Palestine, particularly about Cæsarea, there is a kind of creature between a Wolf and a Fox, which so abounds there, that sometimes troops of two or three hundred of them are to be seen. M. Morizon, who has travelled in this country, says, that Foxes swarm there, and that there are very great numbers of them in the hedges, and ruins of buildings. Besides, Samson might have employed abundance of people to catch this great number of Foxes, and they might have provided them some time before for his purpose. No animal was fitter for his design, especially when coupled together in this manner; for a Fox runs very swiftly, but uses a great many turnings and windings, not going strait on, but running sometimes on one side, sometimes on another; so that while one drag’d one way, and another another way, they spread the fire over all the fields of the Philistins, and could not easily get into the woods, or holes in the rocks, where their fire-brands had been extinguished, and Samson’s stratagem rendred ineffectual. See the Commentators on the xvth Chapter of Judges.
Vide Nicandr. in Alexipharmacis, v. 181. Theocrit. Idyll. 1. Varro de re rust. l. 1. c. 8. Galen. de aliment. facultatib. l. 3. c. 2.Foxes generally do great mischief among vines, especially when they are loaded with fruit. We have seen above, that the Spouse in the Canticles desires the Foxes might be taken away, which spoiled his vines. Galen says, that they who love hunting, eat Foxes in the autumn, because then they are fatned with grapes. The Fable of the Fox and the Grapes is very well known. Our Saviour in the Gospel, to give an idea of his extreme Luke ix. 58.poverty, says, The Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the son of man hath not where to lay his head. In effect, Foxes dig holes for themselves, but then they leave several outlets, that if the Appian. Cyneger. Lactant. de ira Dei, c. 7.huntsman lays his snares at one, they may escape at the other.
Ezekiel compares the false Prophets with Foxes; Thy Prophets are like the Foxes in the desarts: whether it was his design to heighten their cunning and hypocrisy in imitating the true Prophets, and so covering themselves with sheep’s clothing, though they were ravening wolves; or whether he intended to shew, that these false Prophets, instead of supporting Jerusalem, endeavoured only to destroy it, by undermining, as we may say, its walls, and shaking its foundations. Jesus Christ calls Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee, Fox, without doubt signifying thereby his craft, and the refinements of his policy. Tobiah the Ammonite, rallying the Hebrews, who were at work in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, insulted them with Nehem. iv. 3.this expression, Even that which they build, if a Fox go up, he shall even break down their strong hold.