Judges 15

Judges 15:1-8

We have here Samson’s further exploits; strange indeed! but armed with divine power all things are possible. 1. For the perfidiousness of his wife and her father, he barns the corn of the Philistines, ver. 1—2. 2. He favors them with a great slaughter, ver. 6—8. 3. In Lahi he kills one thousand of them with the jawbone of an oil, ver. 9—17. 4. God gives him water in his thrift, ver. 18—20.

1. BUT it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat-harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid, and he said, ‘I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. 2. And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her, therefore I gave her to thy companion: it not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. 3. And Samson said concerning them, ‘Now shall I be more blameled than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. 4. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took fire-brands, and turned tail to tail, and put a fire-brand in the midst between two tails. 5. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the flocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. 6. ¶ Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? and they answered, Samson the son-in-law of the Timmite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. 7. ¶ And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet: will I be averaged of you, and after that I will cease. 8. And he fmote them ‘hip and thigh with a great slaughter; and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Exam.

In process of time Samson’s anger began to abate; for though most injuriously treated, it becomes us not to retain anger for ever, but to forgive and forget. Hereupon,

1. He resists to pay a visit to his wife, and with a kid, to make a tipper of reconciliation, goes down to her father’s house. Note, (1.) A wife, though her behaviour were justly provoking, is not hastily to be put away. (2.) The wifes, though offended, will be the first to seek peace, and the resident to pass by a transgression.

2. When he would have entered his wife’s apartment, unacquainted with what had passed, his father-in-law flays him, as having given her to another. To justify which, he pretends, that by his anger and abhoras he concluded he had hated her, and never meant to return; but if it will be any satisfaction to him for the injury, he offers his younger daughter, which was the handsomer, in her stead. This Samson repects. Note, (1.) Unreasonable jealousies often produce the greatest injuries. (2.) The bad practices of Canaan, however customary, will not for a true Israelite.

3. Samson hereupon meditates a severe correction. As the injury regarded him as an Israelite, as much as a private person, he resists as a public person, to make the Philistines run for it: and as he concludes the justice of his quarrel from what had passed, he, without delay, procures a number of foxes, and tying a fire-brand between two tails, sends them into the fields of the Philistines, and into their vineyards, where, as it was now harvest, the fire soon made dreadful ravages. Some have thought, from the strangeness of the contrivance, that the word Shulim should be translated sheaves, or flocks; but it never appears elsewhere in this sense. The word caught is never applied to any thing but taking a thing by force of arms, or by cunning; nor the word tail used in scripture, but of a living creature; so that the literal sense is to be adhered to. Note, (1.) When we have done our duty to prevent a quarrel, we cannot be charged with the consequences of it. (2.) When we flagger at God’s word, because our hostile reason objects to the methods of his proceeding, it is a sure sign we desire to be wise above what is written.

4. Provoked at their lots, the Philistines enquire into the cause, and wreak their vengeance on the Timmite and his daughter; let her to their house, and continue them in the flames; thus executing upon the woman the sentence of adultery, and involving her in the very man which by her perfidy she endeavoured to avoid. Note, (1.) God often makes use of his people’s enemies to avenge their quarrel. (2.) They who by

John Chaff 1752 by fin fock to avoid suffering, only bring upon themselves more swift and sure destruction.

5. Though they had averaged his quarrel, and thereby thought to have ingratiated themselves with him, he had not done with them. Being railed up for his people’s deliverance, he falls upon them, and, though unarmed, makes vast havoc, and then retired to the rock Enan, waiting another occasion to renew his attacks upon them. Note, They who fight the Lord’s battles most respect but little repots, but after one con-eft and temptation prepare for another.

6. Then the Philistines were up and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. 10. And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him, as he hath done to us. 11. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Enan, and laid to Samson, Knoweth thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. 12. And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. 13. And they spake unto him, saying, No: but we will bind thee fall, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new coats, and brought him up from the rock. 14. And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the coats that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his hands lashed from off his hands. 15. And he found a new jaw-bone of an ash, and put forth his hand and took it, and flew a thousand men therewith. 16. And Samson said, With the jaw-bone of an ash, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw-bone of an ash, have I slain a thousand men. 17. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he call away the jaw-bone out of his hand, and called that place Kamath-lehi.

7. 9—17. Unable any longer to bear such treatment, the Philistines gathered their armies, not to fight with Israel, but to oblige them to give up their enemy Samson, to be put to death for the outrages he had committed. Hereupon,

8. The men of Judah understanding the reason of their invasion, instead of bravely setting Samson at their head to fight for their liberty, basely resolve to make a sacrifice of him to his enemies, preferring ignominious servitude before a generous struggle for their country. Instead of honouring him for his courage, they blame him for his ruthlessness, and desire him peaceably to submit to their bonds. Samson might well expeditate with them, that what he had done was for their good, and a just correction for the wrongs he had received; but knowing that this was from God, that he might have a new occasion to destroy them, he peaceably submits to be bound; and having first engaged his brethren to do him no harm, confents to be delivered into the hands of the Philistines. Note, We have here in Samson a lively figure of the Lord Jesus. A hand of armed men surround him in the garden; he is betrayed, and forsaken by his own disciples; though able to destroy at a stroke those who came to bind him, yet quietly submissive, and led as a lamb to the slaughter.

9. With joy the Philistines behold their captive approaching, and shout aloud, as now triumphant over their destroyer: but how momentary the triumphing of the wicked? In fact, a sudden impulse of divine power comes upon him; like to be captive hands are built asunder: no better weapon is at hand than the jaw-bone of an ash’s carcase: this he fetzes, flies on his amazed foes, and turns the shouts of joy into throes of horror; for soon with irresistible fury he moves down their ranks, and heaps the slain on the slain. A thousand fell on the spot, and wearished of killing and flight only saved the remainder. Note, (1.) When God will work, the most despicable instruments in his hand shall be effectual. (2.) Though tied and bound with the chains of our sins, the Spirit of the Lord can lords these captive bonds, and let us free. (3.) Unequal as the contest is between one poor believer and all the hosts of hell and earth without, and corruption within, yet Divine Grace can make him more than conqueror. (4.) When his rejoicing enemies were most secure, and under the soul and stone had thus bound up the dead body of our crucified Lord, then, like Samson, he broke the hands of death, awaked as a giant refreshed with wine, confounded his fries, and led captivity captive.

10. Samson celebrates his victory, not out of vanity, but to the glory of God, who with so unfit a weapon, had enabled

him to make so great a daughter. The same Hebrew word signifying an ash and an heap, makes, in the original, an elegant paronomasia, not to be expressed in a translation. Then, having finished his song of praises, he calls away the ulster’s jaw; and, in memory of this signal event, calls the place Kamath-Lehi, The lifting up of the jaw-bone. Note, (1.) God must have the glory of his own work. (2.) Songs of praise are as honourable to him, as reviving to our own souls.

18. ¶ And he was fore’ athrift, and called on the LORD, and said, ‘Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: And now shall I die for thrift, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? 19. But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout: and when he had drunk, ‘his spirit came again, and he revived wherefore he called the name thereof § En-hakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day. 20. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

19. 18—20. The with-holding the most common necessities of life, little as we are apt to value them, would be more fatal than the found. The want of a draught of water brought Samson nearer to the grave, than all the hosts of Philsus.

20. We see him here ready to die with thrift; no water was near, and he was so parched and weak, as to be unable to look farther. In this distress he calls upon God, who alone could relieve him. So his prayer he pleads God’s just mercies as an argument for present help, and urges the dishonor which would he call on God, if now he should be given into the hands of the uncircumcised, after such an instance of divine interposition. Note, (1.) Jesus on the cross cried thus, I thrift. (2.) In time of distress, prayer is our best resource. (3.) Past services should encourage us to wait upon God, and no plea so prevalent as his own glory.

21. God heard and answered him, permitting the distress only to exercise his faith, keep his spirit humble, and magnify his own power and grace. Out of the jaw-bone itself, or out of a hollow in Lehi, the name Samson had given the place, a stream of fresh water sprung up, and hereupon his fainting spirit revived, and his departing life returned. Note, (1.) Every day we have to praise God for a new life given us. (2.) Without the constant supply of living streams from the fountain of grace, our souls must quickly faint and die.

22. He gives the place a name corresponding to the mercy, En-hakkore, The presence of him that was sailing, in remembrance of his own distress, and God’s gracious answer to his prayer.

23. Twenty years he judged Israel, during which the Philistines, though not utterly subdued, seem not to oppress them as before, checked by the terror of his arm; so that they had respite from the yoke, if not perfect freedom. Note, (1.) It is a mercy to have our affections alleviated. (2.) If we improve the beginning of our mercies, we may expect they will be continued and perfected.