Juízes 13

XIII.
THE BIRTH OF SAMSON.

1. Fresh apostasy of Israel. Juízes 13:2. Appearance of an angel to the wife of Manoah, and prophecy that she is to bear a son, who is to be a Nazarite and a deliverer. Juízes 13:6. She tells her husband. Juízes 13:8. At the prayer of Manoah the angel again appears. Juízes 13:11. His conversation with Manoah. Juízes 13:15. Manoah offers a kid. Juízes 13:19. Disappearance of the angel. Juízes 13:21. Fears of Manoah set at rest by his wife. Juízes 13:24. Birth and first actions of Samson.

Endeavours have been made to arrange the acts of Samson in the following four Chapter s in the form of a drama in five acts, each containing three incidents (Ewald); but the arrangement is arbitrary, for it counts Juízes 13:25 as one of the incidents, and supposes that two are accidentally omitted after the carrying away of the gates of Gaza. Nor can it be made out, without arbitrary combination, that twelve of his acts are recorded (Bertheau). The attempts to draw out a parallel (as Roskoff has done) between the acts of Samson and the labours of Hercules is entirely valueless and unsuccessful, although, as will be seen from the notes on Juízes 14:6; Juízes 15:4; Juízes 16:6, parts of his story may have crept into Greek legends through the agency of Phœnician traders, and though certain features in his character — e.g., its genial simplicity and amorous weakness — resemble those of the legendary Greek hero. The narrative is in great measure biographical. It illustrates Samson’s dedication to God as the source of his strength (Juízes 14:15.), and his own personal sins and follies as the source of his ruin (Juízes 16). The first section contains six incidents: — (1) The slaying a lion (Juízes 14:5). (2) The slaughter of the Philistines (Juízes 14:19). (3) The burning of the Philistines’ corn-fields (Juízes 15:4). (4) Slaughter of the Philistines (Juízes 15:8). (5) The breaking of the cords (Juízes 15:14). (6) Slaughter of a thousand Philistines (Juízes 15:14). The chief incidents in the second section are: — (1) The gates of Gaza (Juízes 16:3). (2) The breaking of the Philistines’ bonds (Juízes 16:6). (3) The pulling down the temple of Dagon (Juízes 16:22). Samson shows greater personal prowess than any of the judges, but a less noble personal character.