_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 ]