The giant judge, or, The story of Samson

Front matter

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HBSH& i

•^ 1?

Chap. I. The hero's WONDERFUL STORY TOLD, . . 11

II. The heroic judges and their times, . . .21

III. The story a revelation inspired, . . 29

IV. Samson's parents — the hero promised, . . 49 V. Christ in the theophanies of the old testament, 69

VI. The family sacrifice and conference, . 88

VII. The life of the hero begun, . . . .97

VIII. Samson's first loye — the lion fight, . . 109

IX. SWEETNESS OUT OF THE STRONG, .... 121

X. The wedding riddle and tragedy, . . 131

XI. The judgment of the fire-brand foxes, . . 146

XII. The jaw-bone slaughter, .... 158

XIII. The dreadful relapse from etam, . . . 170

XIV. Samson in delilah's lap, . . . . 181 XV. A grist from the prison-mill of gaza, . . 192

XVI. The final contest and tragedy, . . . 209 XVII. The epilogue and its teachings, . . . 224

Introduction

Is this little volume I have a definite end in view. I candidly acknowledge that, with me, the reality of Bible histories is an indispensable condition to faith in the doctrines and precepts of Christianity. It is my purpose therefore, so far as the subject seems to come properly within the reach of these pages, to consider the history of Sarnson as a tnie history, explain its meaning, and apply its principles. Unless biblical memoirs are strictly true — a record of things as they were, and of facts as they did occur — if the men named are nations or myths, and not individuals — if the miracles wrought by Moses and Samson are mere natural phenomena or figures of speech ; then I have no confidence that the doctrines of the Bible are from God.

I am well aware that some do not like the subject I have chosen — they would prefer Joseph or Daniel as a hero. Others are ready to pronounce the effort as useless — and some consider it as " an idle attempt to collect evidence," on a subject that does not admit of proof ; and others will charge me with maintaining most uncritical, ignorant, unphilosophical, baseless assumptions in regard to the histories of the Bible, and the literal interpretation of the scriptures. But as Keil in his preface to Joshua expresses it, I am persuaded that " The great want of the Church, at the prasent day, is a clear comprehension of the meaning of the Old Testament, in its fulness and purity, in order that the God of Israel may again be universally recognized as the eternal God, whose faithfulness is unchangeable, the one living and true God, who performed all that he did to Israel for our instruction and salvation, having chosen Abraham and his seed to be his people, to preserve his revelations, that from him the whole world might receive salvation, and in him all the families of the earth be blessed."

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6 INTRODUCTION.

The great Augustine in his one hundred and sixtieth sermon is correct in saying most emphatically, Novum Testamentum in vetere velabatur : Yetus Testamentum in novo revelatur. " The New Testament was veiled in the Old ; the Old Testament is revealed in the New." If the gospel of Jesus Christ is therefore the only way of salvation, the historical reality of the Old Testament must be fully established. It is true, that the good things of which in the old economy we have only the shadows, have come in all their precious realities : but it does not follow that the old economy is wholly obsolete. When a fond mother folds in her arms a living son returned from distant lands, or with honour from many a bloody field of battle, she does not indeed in the moment of transport turn from the living face to gaze on the cold picture. The artist may not choose to study his subject in twilight, when he may have it in the full blaze of day. And yet, that fond mother may by the help of the portrait discover some line of beauty in her son's face, which she had not observed without it : and the artist may find that some sharp and simple outlines of the mountain or of the palace ruins are brought much more impressively before his eye against a twilight sky than in the glare of day. The great truths of Christianity stand up boldly in the history of God's ancient people, just as the lofty headlauds of a dim and distant coast are seen from the sea ; though more clearly stated in the New Testament. But the distant view is not without grandeur and importance. And as the best, and in fact the only way to remove darkness from a room, is to let in light, so it seems to us the best, if not the only way to save the Old Testament from rationalism and a Christless interpretation on the one hand, and the extravagancies of pietism on the other, is to promote its true understanding ; and in order to this we must vindicate its authenticity and come to its true interpretation. But this cannot be done by ignoring altogether the schools of Neological criticism, nor by allegorizing and finding types of Christ in everything. I am perfectly sure that in regard to modern science, historical discoveries, and antiquarian researches, we may rest securely on the position of our distinguished countryman (Lieut. Maury): "I have always found," says he, " in my scientific studies, that when I could get the Bible

INTRODUCTION. 7

to say anything upon the subject, it afforded me a firm foundation to stand upon, and another round in the ladder by which I could safely ascend."

Within the last fifty years, and even within less than half that period, wonderful progress has been made in nearly all the branches of sacred literature. Profound grammatical and lexicographical researches have made us better acquainted with the Hebrew and cognate tongues. The customs and institutions of Oriental nations are now quite familiar to us. Ancient writers and monumental records are interpreted with much more accuracy than in ages past. By being able to read the hieroglyphic records of the private and public life of the ancient Egyptians, we know more of " the court of the Pharaohs than we do of the Plantagenets." And these records afford important, though undesigned, confirmations of the historical verity of the Old Testameut, and enable us to understand many hitherto obscure Biblical passages and allusions. So numerous and important are the proofs and illustrations of the authenticity of the historical books of the Bible, gathered from the labours of modern missionaries and travellers in the East, and from the readings of the inscriptions on the monuments of the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates, that our Bible dictionaries and commentaries will all have to be re-written. Many of them have been superseded already. Important as they have been, I hope it will not be considered ungrateful in me to say, that the chief commentaries in our language of a former age, are destitute of the refreshing breath of science, and without the lights of such patient and thorough research into antiquity as characterizes our day. This was rather their misfortune than their fault. While we shall ever thank God for their able and pious labours, it is but true to say, that they wrote sermons about rather than expositions of the sacred text.

Most of the old commentators are too much given to spiritualizing rather than expounding the word of God. We cannot have too much of Christ in our pulpits ; but the spirit of our age calls also for historical and critical studies in order to the success ful nresentation of " Christ and him crucified." And if, in preaching from the sacred records, we dismember them, and in our zeal to find evangelical doctrines, fail to apprehend the mind of the Spirit,

8 INTRODUCTION.

then we do great injustice to revelation. We should avoid extremes, for doubtless there is a way to avail ourselves of the results of modern criticism, so as to combine the orthodox faith of former ages with the science and ripened fruits of modern times. The wonderful discoveries of our day furnish such a weight of evidence in favour of the historic realities and accuracy of the divine records and of the literal fulfilment of prophecy, that they actually form a new and extensive class of Evidences for Christianity. These discoveries are, however, so recent, and so diversified and scattered, that they can hardly be said yet to be classified or arranged. Nor is this species of evidence by any means complete. But enough is known to convince candid and intelligent readers that the ancient historians and monumental records of the East do furnish us with remarkable illustrations of the sacred writers, and undesigned coincidences so striking, so numerous, and so minute, that it is difficult to escape from the conviction that the Bible books are both genuine and authentic. Let it be kept, however, distinctly in mind, that in the following pages there is no attempt to go over the whole field just referred to. By no means. I have not travelled out of the sacred record concerning Samson. I have only attempted to sum up and arrange together so much of the results of biblical researches as seemed to me to belong to the life of the Israeli tish judge. I am aware, moreover, that views and objections bearing upon the u Book of Judges" and the life of Samson have been put forth by Rosenmuller, Eichhorn, Maurer, Paulus, Strauss, and others, adverse to those defended in these pages, which I have not thought of sufficient importance or pertinency to be named at all, lest it should seem to the sturdy, honest Bible readers of our own country that we were fighting men of straw. And besides, if we have succeeded in vindicating and making good our interpretations, theirs must fall to the ground.

I do not suppose it is a valid objection against publishing a book that other volumes on the same subject have preceded it. For every man has his own anointing, and no one else can do the work to which providence has called him. Many valuable commentaries and volumes of Bible Illustrations have been published, and those named in the following pages are especially recommended,

INTRODUCTION. 9

with the hope that if they are not already in every library and family, they soon will be. It is but justice to say, however, that I am not acquainted with a single work on the plan of this one, or that occupies the place it is designed to fill. In the preparation of these chapters, I have endeavoured, if I may so express myself, to saturate my mind and heart with the spirit of the original text, and with the writings of the most approved critics and interpreters of it, and, as far as I was able, to exhaust them in whatever I deemed available for explaining and presenting in a brief way the true meaning of the narrative. I suppose it to be the duty of every conscientious interpreter of the word of God to study it, as the old divines express it, painfully, and to use freely the best helps within reach, for enabling them to show the people the way of salvation. The Hebrew has been carefully studied ; but as Hebrew Bibles are now within reach of all who desire to see the original, we have not printed it in our pages. We thought it best to present the edifice with as few signs of the scaffolding as were sufficient to give an idea how it was built.

The collection of facts and customs from Bible Lands used as illustrations of the text have in most cases been verified by my own personal researches and observations in the East, and by the latest readings of oriental monuments, so far as they have any bearing on our narrative, I have sought to remove objections, and to bring home the truth. My aim is the conversion of the heart to God by pouring light upon it. And if it shall please God to bless the undertaking, to hlm be all the praise, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE GIANT JUDGE.

Chapter I. The Hero's Story Told

u Jewish history is God's illuminated clock set in the dark steeple of time."

" Most wondrous book ! bright candle of the Lord ! Star of Eternity ! The only star By which the bark of man could navigate The sea of life, and gain the coast of bliss Securely."

Judges xiii — xvi. — And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord ; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not : but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing : for, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son ) and no razor shall come on his head : for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb ; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the woman came

(in and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible : but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name : but he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son ; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing : for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born. And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah ; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field : but Manoah her husband was not with her. And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day. And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman ? And he said, I am. And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him ? And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing : all that I commanded her let her observe. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread : and if thou wilt offer a burnt-offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy

me, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee

SCRIPTURAL NARRATIVE. 13

honour ? And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret ? So Manoah took a kid with a meat-offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord : and the angel did wondrously ; and Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground. But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord. And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.

And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson ; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman

in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he

came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I

have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the

Philistines : now therefore get her for me to wife. Then

his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a

woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all

my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircum-

cised Philistines ? And Samson said unto his father, Get

her for me ; for she pleaseth me well. But his father and

his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought

an occasion against the Philistines : for at that time the

Philistines had dominion over Israel. Then went Samson 2 down, and his father and his mother to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath : and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand : but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. And he went down and talked with the woman ; and she pleased Samson well. And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion : and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion. And he took thereof in his hands and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat : but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion. So his father went down unto the woman : and Samson made there a feast ; for so used the young men to do. And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you : if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments : But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire : have ye called us to take that we have ? is it not so ? And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not ) thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her.

SCRIPTURAL NARRATIVE. 15

Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee ? And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted : and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him : and she told the riddle to the children of her people. And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey ? and what is stronger than a lion ? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

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. And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion : is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.

And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail tc tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. 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 shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this ? And they answered, Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, 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.

And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter : and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. 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. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest 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. 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. And they spake unto him, saying, No j but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand : but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him : and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi.

And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord and

SCRIPTURAL NARRATIVE. 17

said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant : and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised ? 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-hak-kore, which is in Lehi unto this day. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. And it was told the Gazites, sayings Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. 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.

And it came to pass afterwards, that he loved a woman

in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the

lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto

her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth,

and by what means we may prevail against him, that we

may bind him to afflict him : and we will give thee every

one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And Delilah

said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great

strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to

afflict thee. And Samson said unto her, If they bind me

with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall

I be weak, and be as another man. Then the lords of the

Philistines brought up to her seven green withs which had

not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now there

were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber.

And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Saui- 2* son. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known. And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies : now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were Hers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread. And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies : tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam, and with the web. And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me ? Thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death, that he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb : if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees ; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his

SCRIPTURAL NARRATIVE. 19

head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.