Judges 15

XV. Ver. 1—20. Samson, going to visit his wife, “and finding her given to another, burns the corn of the Philistines, and destroys a thousand men.—There is no doubt that Samson loved his wife, even to dotage; and, therefore, though he left her in anger and disgust, he wishes to return, and keep it up with her; for which purpose he takes her a kid in the time of wheat-harvest. On arriving at her father’s house, however, he is informed that she was given to another who was his friend; that is, “the friend of the bridegroom” at his marriage. Samson now considers himself justified in any revenge that he might take, and therefore he concerts the following plan. Having collected three hundred foxes, (or shualim) he fastens firebrands to their tails, and sends them blazing among their corn, by which means it is consumed: and not only their corn but their vineyards and oliveyards are greatly damaged.

There is no reason in revenge; the Philistines, in their turn, burn his wife and her father, though they had both sided with them against Samson. He again, burning with resentment, smote them “hip and thigh,” with a knowing, perhaps, that all their binding would be in vain, when “the Spirit of the Lord,” in his miraculous power came upon him, he submits, and is delivered into the hands of the Philistines, who raise a shout of triumph on the occasion: but no sooner does he hear the shout, that the Spirit of the Lord returns upon him, and with the first weapon that came to hand, which happened to be the jawbone of an ass, he slew, or at least discomfited, a thousand men. Samson is now exhausted with fatigue, which produced great thirst, and he seemed ready to faint and die, when the Lord clave a hollow place—not in the jawbone, as our translators have rendered it by mistake, but in Lehi, rendered in ver.

17, Ramath-lehi, from the circumstance of his there casting down his weapon—and a spring of water immediately arose, which quenched his thirst, and saved his life; and in gratitude for this mercy, Samson called it En-hakkore, “the well of him that called,” or cried, unto the Lord. This history has been made the subject of so much profane wit, that it seems to require some farther notice. It has been asked, Where could Samson collect three hundred foxes? but the foxes here meant were not exactly the foxes of our country, but rather jackals, a smaller animal, which the celebrated traveller Hasselquist calls “the little eastern fox;” which is always gregarious, and goes in troops, and of which, therefore, with some assistance, such a number might easily be collected.

The brands were probably formed of some slow-burning material, which would allow them to get among the corn, whether standing or in sheaves; and in that country, at certain times, all vegetation was so dry as to be combustible; hence large fields of grass, or forests of trees, were often set on fire and consumed. The slaying of a thousand men with such a weapon as the jawbone of an ass, has also been thought ridiculous; but it is not so much the weapon, as the hand that wields it, or rather, the power by which that hand was strengthened, that must be considered. The circumstances in which he was placed are also to be remarked. His enemies behold him led, bound with cords, into the midst of their army, without the least apprehension of an attack; when, all at once, the cords burst like tow, and seizing upon the first weapon that comes to hand, he falls upon his enemies, and utterly routs them before they are aware, and they fly in all directions.

(See note on ver. 16.) But the character of Samson also calls for observation. This is the first time we find him calling “on the name of the Lord,” and that in great extremity. In such circumstances, it is hard to draw any decisive estimate of character. His present feelings were perhaps temporary, but when his eyes were put out, and he was sent to grind in the prison-house, * then these temporary feelings were, we may surely hope, matured to settled piety, and a steady faith in God.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XV. Ver. 4. Caught three hundred foxes.—Dr. Kimchi and others contend that for shualim, “foxes,” we should read, “sheaves,” or sheaves of corn. But, 1. The word lachad, rendered “to catch,” never signifies simply to get or take, but always to catch, seize, or take by assault or stratagem. 2. Though the proposed alteration is sanctioned by seven MSS, yet all the versions are on the other side. 3. Admitting this alteration, it will be difficult to prove that the word means either a sheaf or a “wheat” [ear] of corn in the ear and straw. It occurs but thrice in Scripture ((1 Kings 20:10). (Isaiah 11:12). (Ezekiel 13:9).) where it evidently means as much as can be contained in the hollow of the hand; but when handfuls of grain in the shock, or sheaves are intended, very different words are used.

See (Ruth 2:15-16), &c. 4. It is not hinted that Samson collected them alone, or in one day; he might have employed many hands and several days in the work. 5. The word shual, from Hebrew defox, gregarious, as many as 200 having been seen together, and the most numerous of any in eastern countries; so that Samson might have caught many of them together in nets. Firebrands.—Had he put a fire-brand to each, as Dr. Kennicott thinks more reasonable, they would have taken to cover, and thus defeated the design of Samson.—Bagster. Ver. 8. Hip and thigh.—This is supposed to refer to the practice of wrestlers, “hip and thigh men,”

who, by the intertwisting of their limbs, threw each other, with great violence, to the ground. Thus, it is possible, Samson threw the Philistines with great force, who, like the modern Turks, were perhaps expert at this exercise.—Taylor’s Fragments, No. 143. Top.—Rather, “cleft” of the rock. The word usually signifies a cleft. See the Lexicons. Ver. 15. Thousand men.—Some would render the words aileph ish, “a chief;” but it is allwph, and not aileph, which signifies a chief; besides which the Hebrew idiom would, even in that case, require it to be isk allwph, “a man, a chief,” and not allwph ish, “a chief, a man.” Add to which, that every version renders it “a thousand men.”—Bagster. Ver.

16. Heaps upon heaps.—This makes good sense in English, but hardly answers to the original. Parkhurst renders it, “I have put them into the utmost confusion.” Dr. Boothroyd better, “I have utterly routed them.” Ver. 20. Twenty years.—Our translators, in a marginal note, say, “He (Samson) seems to have judged South-west Israel.” These are included in the forty years of Eli’s judicature as high priest.