Judges 15

Simson desireth to visit his wife but she is denied him vesre1 &c. therefore he setteth the Philistines corn on fire by foxes with fire brandstied to their tails 4 For which the Philistines burn simsons wife with her father 7 which act of theirs Simson again revengeth 8 the Philistines go forth to revenge themselves to Simson whom the men of Judah he being sent unto them deliver over 9 but he breaketh his bond and slayeth a thousand Philistines with the jaw bone of an ass 14 out of which being weary and thirsty he obtaineth of God by prayer a fountain drinketh and is revived 18.

1. And it came to pass after some days in the days of wheat harvest that Simson visited his wife[that is went to visit her] with a kid and he said let me go in [see Genesis 6 on verse 4] to my wife into the chamber but her father suffered him not to go in.

2. For her father said I said surely [Heb. saying said that is aid unto my people or thought surely utterly see Genesis 20 on verse 11] that thou utterly hatest her [Heb. hating hated] therefore igave her [see Genesis 38 on verse 14] to thy companion is not her least sister [that is youngest sister see Genesis 9 on verse 24 and 29.16] fairer [Heb. better] then she? Let her I pray thee tube to thee instead of her.

3. Then said Simson concerning them [viz. concerning the Philistines when I do evil to them [intimating that he had just cause to hurt the Philistines compare above chapter 14.4 and below verse 11.]

4. And Simson went his way and caught [either himself alone or also with the help and assistance of his friends] three hundred foxes [which were in multitude in those country as may be gathered from Nehem 4.3 Psalms 63:11 Cant 3.14 an dis appeareth especially from this place] and he took torches and turned tail to tails and put a torch in the midst between tails.

5. And he kindled the torches with fire [Heb. the kindled fire in the torches] an letting them run into the standing corns of the Philistines and he sate as well the corn heaps [viz. the fruits that were cut down by the shearers brought together an heaped up in bundles] as standing corn on fire even on the very vine yard and olive trees.

6. Then said the Philistines who had done this? And they said Simson the son in law of Thimnath because he [viz. the Thimnite father in law] took his wife [viz. Simsons wife] and her father with fire.

7. Then said Simson should ye do this? Assuredly when I have revenged myself unto ye then I will afterwards cease [others although ye have done thus to wit when my wife was taken away from me yet will I be revenged on ye &c. as if he had said though ye have done that yet nevertheless I will not cease until I shall full have revenged myself in all this Simson is not to be looked upon as a private person but as a judge and deliverer of Israel being called thereunto by God in an extraordinary manner.]

8. And he smote them sank and hip [Heb. upon near at by the hip or thigh it seemeth to have been proverb signifying the breaking of the mans body strengthen power compare Deuteronomy 28:31 otherwise he smote them with the shank upon the thigh that is he brake their limbs] with a great blow and he went down [Viz. from his fathers habitation towards the south] and dwealt on the top of a rock [or a steep sticking out place] of Etam [a city lying by the south end of the mountain of Judah upon a very high and firm rock near unto which ran the brook Etham on the borders of Judah and simeon over against in the land of Simeon lay another Ethan on the west side of the mountain of Judah as the maps do shew 1 Chronicles 4:32 Etham is reckoned to the tribe of simeon yet Simeon’s inheritance was part among the tribe of Judah Joshua 19:1.]

9. Then the Philistines went up and camped themselves against Judah and spread forth themselves in Lechi [called afterwards so by simson below verse 17 lying in the tribe of Dan.]

10. And the men of Judah said why are ye come up against us? And they said we are come up to bind Simson to do to him according as he hath done unto us.

11. Then came three thousand men down from Judah to the cave often rock of Etam and said unto Simson knewest thou not to the Philistines have dominion over us? Wherefore then hast thou done this to us ? And he said unto them according as they have done unto me so have I done to them.

12. And they said unto him we are come down to bind thee to deliver thee over into the hand of the Philistines then said Simson unto them swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me [viz. to kill me as this phrase is often taken in the holy scripture and the following verse explaineth.]

13. And they spake unto him saying no but we will bind thee well [Heb. binding bind] and deliver thee over into their hand but we will in no wise kill thee [Heb. killing we will not kill thee] and they bound him with two new cords an drought him up from the rock [northwards towards Lechi where the philistines were encamped verse 9.]

14. when he came to lechi when the Philistines shouted [for joy thinking they had now their enemy in their own hands] to meet him but the spirit of the Lord was ready upon him an dteh cords that were on his arms became as linen threads that are burnt of the fire[he brake them as easily and quickly as if they had been finged threads or as flax is burnt with fire] and his bonds melted off from his hands [they were so easily and quickly loosened as wax melted by the fire.]

15. And he found a moist [that is yet new fresh and firm not withered or dried the word is also taken from the pulrunent moisture Isaiah 1:6] jaw bone of an ass and he stretched forth his hands and tookit and slew therewithal thousand man.

16. Then said Simson with the Jawbone of an ass one heap two heaps [it seemeth that he had being assaulted and oppressed on both sides made two heaps of slain man] with the jaw bone of a n ass have I slain a thousand men.

17. And it came to pass when he had made an end to speaking that he cast the jaw bone out of his hands an he called the same place ramath-Lechi [that is the height of the jaw bone others the casting away of the jaw bone this place is also called lechi only without any addition to it see above verse 9.]

18. Now when he was sore a thirst then he called on the Lord and said thou hast given this great salvation by the hand of thy servant should I then now die for thirst and fall into the hand of these uncircumsised ones ? [Hereby Simson declareth his faith and putteth God in mind of his gracious covenant see Hebrews 11:32 and compare Genesis 34:14 1Samuel 17.26,36 2 Samuel 1:20.]

19. Then God clave the hollow place the Hebrew word coming from beating stamping should properly signify a mortar and so forth hallowness or hollow place which in regard thereof may be compared to a deep and hallow mortar see the same Hebrew word proverbs 27.22 Zephaniah 1:11 some understand here a great back tooth of the ass jaw and the hollowness thereof but the Hebrew word is nowhere else found in this signification ] which is in Lechi and is there issued forth water out of it and he drank then his spirit came again [which by reason often thirst seemeth to gone from him for as much as he had fear to faint or die of thirst] and he became alive[that is revived leaped lustly nimbled]therefore he [to wit Simson in token of thankfulness to God and in memorial of victory given to Israel called the name thereof[viz. the name of the fountain] the fountain of him that called upon [Heb. En-hakkore] which is in Lechi unto this day.

20. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years [that is he executed the Lords vengeance for Israel against the Philistines see concerning the use of this word in these histories above chapter 2 on verse 16.]