Samson

SAMSON, Son of Manoah, of the Tribe of Dan, and of a Mother whose Name we Judg. xiii. 2, 3, 4, &c.no-where find in Scripture. This Woman was barren; and the Angel of the Lord appeared to her,¹ telling her she should become the Mother of a Son; but she must take care, not to drink any Wine, nor any other intoxicating Liquor, nor must she eat any impure Thing: That when God should make her a Mother, she must take the same Care, with regard to her Son: That she must consecrate him to God from his Infancy: That she must make him observe the Rules of the Nazarites, and not let a Razor come upon his Head; for, says the Angel, He shall begin to deliver Israel from the Hands of the Philistines. This Woman went presently to her Husband, and acquainted him with all that had been told her. Manoah begg’d of the Lord to condescend to send his Angel a second time, that he might be inform’d himself of what was to be done to his Son that was to be born. The Lord heard him. The Angel appear’d again to the Woman, and she ran presently to acquaint Manoah with it. He came and spake to the Angel, who repeated to him, what he had before told the Woman. See MANOAH.

Samson was born the Year following;² and the Spirit of God began to appear visibly in him, by the extraordinary Strength of his Body. He dwelt in a Place call’d the Camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. One Day, as Samson went to Timnath a City of the Philistines,³ he there saw a young Woman whom he had a mind to marry: He desired his Father and Mother to obtain her for him. They ask’d him, Is there never a Woman among the Daughters of thy Brethren, or among all my People, that thou goest to take a Wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? But Samson still insisted, saying, Get her for me, for she pleaseth me well. His Parents knew not that this was appointed of God, and that this was the Means he thought fit to use, for the Destruction of the Philistines, who then domineered over Israel. He went therefore with his Parents to Timnath; they made a Demand of the young Woman, who was agreed to be given in Marriage to Samson.

As they were going thither, Samson Greek verse turn’d a little out of the Road, and all of a sudden he saw a young Lion, who was going to seize him. But Samson took hold of him, and tore him in Pieces, as if it had been a young Kid, tho’ he had then nothing in his Hand. Afterwards he return’d again to his Father and Mother, but told them nothing of what he had done. Some time after, returning to Timnath, to celebrate his Marriage there, he pass’d by the same Place, to see the Carcase of the Lion. But he found it dry’d up, and a Swarm of Bees had lodg’d themselves in his Throat, and had there form’d an Honey-comb. He took some of it and eat it, and carry’d some to his Father and Mother, who eat of it also. But he told them nothing of his first Exploit, nor of what had happen’d after. Being come to Timnath, the Ceremony of the Marriage was perform’d, and the Wedding-feast was kept, and the Inhabitants of the Place provided thirty young Men for Samson, to do him Honour at his Wedding.

Then Samson said to these young Men at the Entertainment, I will propose a Riddle to you; and if you can explain it to me before the seven Days of the Feast are at an end, I will give you thirty Changes of Raiment: But if you cannot explain it to me, you shall give me thirty Changes of Raiment, or thirty Coats and thirty Clokes, or thirty compleat Suits of Cloaths,⁴ which consisted of a Coat or a Gown, and a Cloak. They bid him propose his Riddle, that they might know what it was. Samson told them, That out of the Eater came forth Meat, and out of the Strong came forth Sweetness. They continued as far as the seventh Day, endeavouring to find out the Meaning of this Riddle, but all to no Purpose. Then they apply’d themselves to the young Woman whom Samson had marry’d, and sometimes by Threats, sometimes by Entreaties, they urged her to get the Secret out of her Husband, and to tell it them. She being therefore very importunate with Samson, at last he told her the Meaning of his Riddle; which she had no sooner heard, but she told it again to her own People. Before Sun-set they came to Samson, and asked him, What is sweeter than Honey, and what is stronger than a Lion? He presently told them, That if they had not plough’d with his Heifer,⁵ they could never have expounded his Riddle.

At the same Time the Spirit of God moved him. He went to Askalon, a City of the Philistines, and having there killed thirty Men, he gave their Cloaths to those that had explained this Riddle. Hereupon he left his Wife, and returned again to his Father. Some time after this, the Woman married one of the young Men who had accompanied Samson at his Wedding: And Samson’s Anger being now over, he return’d to see his Wife, bringing her a young Kid along with him. a But when he came to enter her Chamber, the Father of the young Woman would not let him go in, saying to him; I thought you had hated her, and therefore I have given her to another: But she has a Sister who is younger and handsomer than she; you shall have her for a Wife instead of the other. Samson made no other Answer but this; Hereafter the Philistines will have no Reason to complain of me, if I return them the Evils they have done to me. He then went and caught three hundred Foxes, which he ty’d together in Pairs, Tail to Tail, and every Pair had a Fire-brand between. He sets fire to the Fire-brands, and turns the Foxes into the Corn-fields of the Philistines, who presently set the ripe Corn on fire, and made a great Havock, the Flame not sparing even the Vines and the Olive-Trees. When the Philistines knew it was Samson that had done this, to revenge the Affront he had received from his Father-in-law at Timnath; they took him and his Daughter, and burn’d them both in the Fire. But Samson was not satisfied with this; he told them he would still carry his Vengeance further, before he would have done.

Upon this he flew a great Number of them,⁶ and then retired into the Cave of Etam, in the Tribe of Judah. When the Philistines knew this, they came in great Numbers into the Land of Judah, to lay waste the Country; and the People of Judah coming to ask the reason of this Outrage, the Philistines told them; We are come to bind Samson, and to repay him the Injuries he has done to us. Then three thousand Men of the Tribe of Judah came to the Cave of Etam, and told Samson they were come to bind him, in order to deliver him up to the Philistines. He asked them, Will you promise me with an Oath that you will not kill me? When they had sworn to him, he suffered them to bind him with two new strong Cords, and to bring him to the Philistines. No sooner did they see him in this Condition, but they set up loud Shouts, and were going to fall upon him. Then the Spirit of the Lord seizing Samson all at once, he snapt in Pieces the Cords he was bound with, and happening to find at his Feet the Jaw-bone of an Ass, he took it up, and with this Weapon he flew a thousand of the Philistines. Then he sung that Song, With the Jaw-bone of an Ass, Heaps upon Heaps, with the Jaw of an Ass have I slain a thousand Men. And throwing away the Jaw-bone, he gave that Place the Name of Ramath-lehi, which is as much as to say, the Lifting up of the Jaw-bone. He was afterwards overcome with a great Thirst; and crying to the Lord, the Lord open’d a Rock that was in that Place, and which was call’d Maktesh, that is, the Jaw-tooth, from whence Water gushed out to assuage his Thirst. Here is some Difficulty in this Place,⁷ which we have already inquired into, under the Article LEHI, and under MAKTESH. See also the Commentators upon Judg. xv. 19.

After this Samson went to Gaza, a City of the Philistines, and having there seen a Harlot, or a Woman that kept a publick House, he went in to lodge with her.⁸ The Philistines being inform’d of it, set a Guard about the House, and at the Gates of the City, to kill him as he went out in the Morning. But Samson rising at Midnight, went and took away the two Gates of the City, and the Gate-Posts, Bar and Chain, and carried them up the Hill which is near Hebron.

Some time after he fell in Love with a Woman call’d Delilah,⁹ who dwelt in the Valley of Sorek. Many of the Antients have thought,¹⁰ that Samson had taken her as his lawful Wife; but most of ‘em maintain, that Delilah was a publick Woman, and was never marry’d to Samson. The Philistines therefore came to this Woman, and promis’d her a good Sum of Money, if she would discover to ‘em in what this extraordinary Strength of Samson consisted, and wherein it lay: This she undertook to do, and omitted nothing to get out this Secret from Samson. He amused her for a considerable Time, and made her believe that his Strength consisted sometimes in one thing, and sometimes in another; and when the Philistines were ready to fall upon him, he burst his Bonds asunder, and defeated his Enemies. He suffer’d himself to be bound while he slept, sometimes¹¹ with Bands made of green Withs; sometimes with Ropes that had never been us’d; at another time the Locks of his Hair were woven into Tresses, and fastened down to the Floor with a Pin: But all this signify’d nothing. At last Delilah teized him so much, that he told her his Strength lay in his Hair, which had never been shorn, for he was a Nazarite from his Mother’s Womb; and that if his Hair was cut off, he should be no stronger than another Man. Delilah then cut off his Hair as he lay sleeping in her Lap; and the Philistines fell upon him, bound him, and put out his Eyes. Then they took him to Gaza, shut him up in Prison, and made him grind at the Mill, as a base and contemptible Slave¹².

‘Tis here inquired, whether Samson’s Hair was the natural and physical Cause of his Strength; or whether it was only the moral Cause, and, as it were, the Pledge of the Assistance of the Holy Spirit, who thought fit to endue him with this prodigious Strength, as a permanent Quality, so long as he should observe the Laws of Nazariteship, and should keep his Hair untouch’d, which was the visible Token of it. The greatest Part of the Fathers and Interpreters¹³ maintain this last Opinion, which indeed seems to be the most probable. For tho’ a strong and thick Head of Hair, and of a considerable Length, may be a Token of natural Strength, yet that Strength will not be the less after the Hair is cut off. But it was not so with Samson. Therefore his Hair was neither the Cause nor the Sign of his great Strength; this Strength was supernatural and miraculous, and God had thought fit to connect it with Samson’s Hair; or with his due Observance of that Nazariteship that had been injoin’d him.

Samson continued in Prison at Gaza for about a Year¹⁴. Then his Hair being grown out again,¹⁵ God restored him his first Strength; and the Princes of the Philistines met in a general Assembly, in the Temple of their God Dagon, to return him Thanks for having deliver’d them out of the Hand of this their formidable Enemy. After they had ended their Feast of rejoycing, they order’d Samson to be sent for, that they might make Sport with him, and be diverted by him: He was therefore fetch’d out of Prison, and after they had insulted him as long as they thought fit, by making themselves Pastime with the absurd Behaviour of a blind Man; he desir’d him that led him, to let him lean against the Pillars that supported the Temple, that he might rest himself a little. The Temple was then full of People, both above and below the Galleries. We imagine the Temple to have been round, and perhaps encompass’d with a double Row of Pillars¹⁶. Then Samson calling upon the Name of the Lord, said; O Lord, my God, remember me: Restore me now my first Strength, that I may once revenge myself of my Enemies, that have deprived me of my Sight. And laying hold of the two Pillars, by which the Temple was supported, taking one in his Right-hand, and the other in his Left, he said; Let me also dye with the Philistines. Then violently shaking the Pillars, the Temple fell down upon the Princes and People that were therein, to the Number of about three thousand Persons; and so he kill’d more at his Death, than he had done before in his Life-time. He lived in the whole about thirty-eight Years; and was Judge of Israel about twenty Years. Judges xvi. 20. from the Year of the World 2867 to 2887.

Some Difficulties are started about the State of the Salvation of Samson. Ought he to have put himself to Death? And when he was wishing to dye, should he have sought Revenge for the Loss of his Eyes? St. Bernard maintains¹⁷, that if he had not a particular Inspiration of the Holy Ghost to move him to this, he could not without Sin be the Author of his own Death. St. Austin¹⁸ also does not excuse him, but only upon the Supposition, that he was urged by the inward Motions of Him, who is Master of our Life and Death. Others maintain¹⁹, that without having recourse to this supernatural Motive, this Action of Samson might be vindicated from his Office, as being the Judge and Defender of Israel; and therefore, without considering the Danger he expos’d himself to, might have nothing in View but the Death of his Enemies, and the Deliverance of his People. But finally, in whatever manner this Action is excus’d, it must be own’d, that he is in the Number of the Saints, since St. Paul himself places him among those Heb. xi. 32.whose Faith was commended and recompensed.

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