Judges 16:3

_AND SAMSON LAY TILL MIDNIGHT, AND AROSE AT MIDNIGHT, AND TOOK THE DOORS OF THE GATE OF THE CITY, AND THE TWO POSTS, AND WENT AWAY WITH THEM, BAR AND ALL, AND PUT THEM UPON HIS SHOULDERS, AND CARRIED THEM UP TO THE TOP OF AN HILL THAT IS BEFORE HEBRON._ Samson ... arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city. A ruinous pile of masonary is still pointed out as the site of the gate. It was probably a part of the town wall; and as this ruin is "toward Hebron," there is no improbability in the tradition. CARRIED THEM UP TO THE TOP OF AN HILL THAT IS BEFORE HEBRON. That hill is el-Montar; but by "Hebron" in this passage is meant "the mountains of Hebron;" for otherwise Samson, had he ran night and day from the time of his flight from Gaze, could only have come on the evening of the following day within sight of the city of Hebron. The city of Gaza was in those days probably...

1-3 Hitherto Samson's character has appeared glorious, though uncommon. In this chapter we find him behaving in so wicked a manner, that many question whether or not he were a godly man. But the apostle has determined this, Hebrews 11:32. By adverting to the doctrines and examples of Scripture, the artifices of Satan, the deceitfulness of the human heart, and the methods in which the Lord frequently deals with his people, we may learn useful lessons from this history, at which some needlessly stumble, while others cavil and object. The peculiar time in which Samson lived may account for many things, which, if done in our time, and without the special appointment of Heaven, would be highly criminal. And there might have been in him many exercises of piety, which, if recorded, would have reflected a different light upon his character. Observe Samson's danger. Oh that all who indulge their...

Verse Judges 16:3. _TOOK THE DOORS OF THE GATE_] Though Samson was a very strong man, yet we do not find that he was a _giant_; consequently we may conjecture that the gates of the city were not very large, as he took at once the _doors_, the _two posts_, and the _bar_, with him. The _cities_ of those days would appear to disadvantage among modern _villages_. _A HILL - BEFORE HEBRON._] Possibly there were _two_ Hebrons; it could not be the city generally understood by the word Hebron, as that was about twenty miles distant from Gaza: unless we suppose that על פני חברון _al peney Chebron_ is to be understood of the road _leading to Hebron_: he carried all to the top of that hill which was on the road leading to Hebron....

Instead of forcing the doors open, he tore the posts up, as it were, by the roots, with the barred doors attached to them. The word rendered “went away with them,” means “to pluck up the tent-pins,” and hence, “to remove.” The present town of Gaza (Ghuzzeh) is an open town, without gates or walls, but the sites of the ancient gates still remain visible. One of these, on the southeast, is shown as the gate carried off by Samson. A partially-isolated hill, about half-an-hour southeast of Gaza, and standing out from the chain that runs up to Hebron, bears the name of “Samson’s Mount.” But it may be doubted whether one of the hills overlooking Hebron is not rather meant....

EXPOSITION JUDGES 16:1 THEN. It should be and. There is nothing to show when the incident occurred. It may have been many years after his victory at hal-Lechi, towards the latter part of his twenty years' judgeship. GAZA, now _Ghuzzeh_,_ _one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, once a strong place, but now a large open town. It was the last town in South-West Palestine on the road from Jerusalem to Egypt (Acts 8:26, Acts 8:27). It played an important part in history in all ages—in the times, of the Pharaohs, the Seleucidae, the Maccabees, the Romans, the Khalifs, and the Crusaders. It was within the limits of the tribe of Judah ...

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, a...

CHAPTER 16 DELILAH, AND SAMSON _ 1. In Gaza (Judges 16:1)_ 2. Delilah and her victory over him (Judges 16:4) 3. The captive of the Philistines (Judges 16:21) 4. The feast of Dagon and Samson's death (Judges 16:22) Down he goes again, and this time to Gaza, the Philistine stronghold. There he unites himself with a harlot. We are here reminded of the history of the Church. The harlot typifies that system which in Revelation is called by the same name, she who seduces to commit fornication, Babylon the great, Rome. Rome is the capital of Philistinism, ritualistic Christendom, as Gaza was the capital of the

SAMSON CARRIES OFF THE GATES OF GAZA. Gaza was the last coast town on the way down to Egypt, about 30 m. from Samson's home; to-day a town of 16,000 inhabitants. Judges 16:2_ b_ does not agree with Judges 16:2_ a._ There would be no need to keep watch by night, when the gates were closed. The Philistines were quiet all the night, _i.e._ they took no precautions. Probably the words compassed. city are a later addition. Judges 16:3. The gate consisted of two wings, which were flanked by two posts and secured by a bar let into the posts. Samson pulled the posts out of the ground, put the whole framework on his shoulders, and carried it to the top of the hill that faces Hebron, 40 m. from Gaza....

TOOK THE DOORS: i.e. unhinged both leaves. Compare Isaiah 45:1. AN HILL. the hill. BEFORE. over against....

_plucked them up_ Cf. Judges 16:14; the word is used of _plucking up_tent-pegs Isaiah 33:20, hence of _setting out_on a journey Genesis 35:5 and often. The gate was probably in two leaves, turning upon pins in sockets, and secured by a bar (cf. 1 Kings 4:13; Amos 1:5 etc.) which was let into the posts on either side. Samson pulled up the whole framework of the gate, doors, posts and bar, and carried it off in one piece. _the mountain that is before Hebron_ Hebron is at least 40 m. from Gaza, and _before_, if it does mean _east of_(c