Judges 14:1--15:20
Timnah <08553> [Timnath.]
[aw.]
get ..... wife <03947 0802> [get her.]
relatives <0251> [thy brethren.]
uncircumcised <06189> [uncircumcised.]
right <03474> [she pleaseth me well. Heb. she is right in mine eyes.]
Lord's <03068> [it was of the Lord.]
That is, God permitted it, that it might be a means of bringing about the deliverance of Israel. Such marriages were forbidden to the Israelites, to keep them separate from the idolatrous nations.
ruling <04910> [had dominion.]
attacking <07125> [against him. Heb. in meeting him.]
spirit <07307> [the Spirit.]
empowered ............... easily <08156> [rent him.]
Now it is not intimated that he did this by his own natural strength; but by the supernatural strength communicated by the Spirit of the Lord coming mightily upon him; which strength was not at his own command, but was, by the will of God, attached to his hair and nazarate.
tell <05046> [he told.]
marry ..... aside <03947 05493> [to take her.]
swarm <05712> [a swarm.]
It is probable, that the flesh had been entirely consumed off the bones, which had become dry; and the body having been throw into some private place, (for Samson turned aside to visit it,) a swarm of bees had formed their combs in the cavity of the dry ribs, or region of the thorax; nor was it a more improper place than a hollow rock.
hosted ... party ...... customary ..... do <06213 04960> [made there.]
thirty <07970> [thirty.]
riddle <02420> [a riddle.]
seven <07651> [the seven.]
linen robes <05466> [sheets. or, shirts.]
This will receive illustration from Mr. Jackson's description of the Moorish dress:--"It resembles that of the ancient patriarchs, as represented in paintings; (but the paintings are taken from Asiatic models:) that of the men consists of a red cap and turban, a ({kumja}) shirt, which hangs outside of the drawers, and comes below the knee; a ({caftan}) coat, which buttons close before, and down to the bottom with large open sleeves; over which, when they go out of doors, they throw carelessly, and sometimes elegantly, a {hayk,} or garment of white cotton, silk, or wool, five or six yards long, and five feet wide. The Arabs often dispense with the {caftan,} and even with the shirt, wearing nothing but the {hayk.}"
sets <02487> [change.]
eats <0398> [Out of the eater.]
could <03201> [they could.]
fourth day <03117 07637> [on the seventh day.]
The LXX. reads "on the fourth day;" with which the Syriac and Arabic agree. This, as Dr. Wall observes, is certainly right; for it appears from ver. 17, that she wept the remainder of the seven days; for which there could have been no time, if they did not threaten her till the seventh.
Trick <06601> [Entice.]
burn up <08313> [lest we burn.]
make ... poor <03423> [take that we have. Heb. possess us, or, impoverish us.]
hate <08130> [Thou dost.]
told .............. told ............ tell <05046> [I have not.]
[the seven, or, the rest of the seven days. she lay.]
told ............ told <05046> [and she told.]
spirit <07307> [the Spirit.]
clothes <02488> [spoil. or, apparel.]
best man <04828> [given to.]
<07462> [his friend.]
young <01423> [a kid.]
have sex ............... enter <0935> [I will go.]
said .... thought <0559> [I verily.]
gave <05414> [I gave.]
[take her. Heb. let her be thine.]
time .... justified <06471 05352> [Now shall, etc. or, Now shall I be blameless from the]
Philistines, though, etc.
captured three <07969 03920> [caught three.]
Dr. Kennicott and others contend, that for {shÂÆ’lim,} "foxes," we should read {shâ€Æ’lim,} "handfuls," or sheaves of corn. But, 1. The word {lachad,} rendered caught, 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 {shâ€Æ’l} means either a sheaf or a handful of corn in the ear, and straw. It occurs but thrice in Scriptures (1 Ki 20:10. Isa 40:12. Eze 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 Ru 2.15, 16, etc. 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 {shÂÆ’l} properly denotes the jackal, which travellers describe as an animal in size between the wolf and fox, 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.
torches ............... torch <03940> [firebrands. or, torches.]
set <07971> [he let them go.]
burned <08313> [and burnt.]
<0518> [Though.]
Lehi <03896> [Lehi.]
went down <03381> [went. Heb. went down. the rock Etam.]
Probably near the town Etam, mentioned in 1 Ch 4:32.
Philistines <06430> [Philistines.]
take ... prisoner <0631 05414> [to bind thee.]
kill <06293> [fall.]
Philistines <06430> [the Philistines.]
spirit <07307> [the Spirit.]
ropes <05688> [the cords.]
melted away <04549> [loosed. Heb. were melted.]
solid jawbone <03895 02961> [new jaw-bone. Heb. moist. slew.]
thousand <0505> [a thousand.]
Some would render the words {aileph ish,} "a chief;" but it is {alluph,} and not {aileph,} which signifies a chief; besides which, the Hebrew idiom would, even in that case, require it to be {ish alluph,} "a man, a chief," and not {alluph ish,} "a chief, a man." Add to which, that every version renders it "a thousand men."
jawbone ............. jawbone <03895> [with the jaw-bone.]
There is here a fine paronomasia upon the word {chamor,} "an ass," which also signifies "a heap;" {bilchee hachamor, chamor chamorathayim,} "With the jaw-bone of an ass, a heap upon two heaps."
<02565> [heaps upon heaps. Heb. an heap, two heaps.]
Ramath <07437> [Ramath-lehi. that is, the lifting up of the jaw-bone, or, the casting away of the jaw-bone.]
very <03966> [he was sore.]
given <05414> [Thou hast given.]
die <04191> [shall.]
fall <05307> [and fall.]
Philistines <06189> [the uncircumcised.]
Lehi <03895> [the jaw. or, Lehi.]
This reading is certainly preferable: it was in the place called Lehi where a spring was supernaturally opened.
flowed out <03318> [there came.]
strength <07307> [his spirit.]
En Hakkore <05875> [En-hakkore.]
Samson gave this expressive name to the miraculously springing water, to be as a memorial of the goodness of God to him. En-hakkore, the well of him that cried, which kept him in remembrance both of his own distress which caused him to cry, and the favour of Jehovah to him in answer to his cry. Many a spring of comfort God opens to his people, which may fitly be called by the name En-hakkore: and this instance of Samson's relief should encourage us to trust in God, for when he pleases he can open rivers in high places.
Samson at first gave the name of Ramath-lehi (the lifting up of the jaw-bone) which denoted him great and triumphant: but now he gives it another name, En-hakkore, which denotes him wanting and dependent. .# Ge 16:13, 22:14 28:19 30:30 Ex 17:15 Ps 34:6 120:1
"He seems to have judged South-west Israel during twenty years of their servitude of the Philistines."
