of as many perſons as he pleaſed, and all his people would readily aſſiſt him; nor can it at all perplex any M ns Reaſon or Faitk, if it be allowed, that the God who made the World, and by his ſingular provid-nce watched over 1/rael, and intended them deliverance at this time, could eaſily diſpoſe things ſo that they might be taken. He choſe t» do this Exp'oit, not by his Brethren, whom he would preſerve from the Envy, and Hatred, and Miſchief which thar might have occaſioned to them, but ly bruit Creatures, thereby to add ſcorn and contempt to their Calamity, and particularly by Foxes ; partly, bzcau'e they were ficteſt for rhe purpoſe, being Creatures very fearful of Fire; and having ſuch Tails as the Fire= brands might moſt conveniently be ried ro ; and not going direQly forward but crooked!y and invulvedly, whereby the Fire was likely to be diſpzrſed in more places. f Made of ſuch matter as would quickly take Fire, and ke.p it for a Jong time; which was eaſte to procure. g That the Foxes might not maketoo much haſte,nor run int» their holes, but one of them might delay and ſtop' | another in his courſe, and ſo continue longer in the places wheie ] | they were to do Execution.
5 And when he had ſet the brands on fire, he let
| Or, th uf of tit ſeven lays}
burnt up both the ſhocks, and aifo the ſtanding corn, with the vineyards axd olives
h To wit, fucceſlivei great care and diſcretion, ſo as they might aot hinder one another, nor all run into the tame Field; vuc being diſpes ſed in all parts, might ſpread the plague fart1er; and wiraal might be kept at a diſtance from the Fields and Vineyards of tie Iſraelites. It is not worthy of our enquiry what became of theſe Foxes afterward, whes
|| Or; |
apart, |
FJ UDUNES
minent a perſon, and the judge of 1/rael, he might require «fliſtance
them go b into the ſtanding corn of the Philiſtines, and |
y at levera] times ; and indivers places, with' |
ag
Rn Chap. X ther they were burnt by the Fire-brands; or run int Holes, or were taken 2nd killed by the Philifines. The truth of this Hiſtory 1s notably atteſted by a Cuſtom of the Romans, which - it is very vpro« bable they had from the Phanicians, upon this occaſion; for every yezr they had a Solemanity in April, the very time of Canaans W heat-
harveſt, wherein Foxes were let Jooſe with burning Torches faft- ned to their Back-fides, &«.
6 T Then the Philiftines ſaid, Who hath done this ? and they anſwered, Samſon the ſon in law of the Tim- nite, becauſe he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philiftines came up and burnt her z and her father with fire: ES
; Partly, for her Adultery, which divers Heathens puniſhed with / Death; and partly, for that miſchief which ſhe had occaſioned to
chem ; thus ſhe brought upon her ſelf that miſchjef which ſhe ſtudied to avoid, Judges 14. 1 6 as wicked perſons oft do; Pro. 10. 24:
7 T And Samſon ſaid unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you k, and after .that T will ceaſe. | |
k Whereby it appzars, that it was not his private Injuries, but | the publick, which he did revenge. |
s And he {more them hip and thigh / with a great ſlaughter 2 ; and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etamn. _ KEE fe ' [ Upontheir Hips and Thighs, peradventure not deſigning to kill them, but to make them uncapable of Military employment; or, of doing hurt to the Iſraelites. Or, He ſmore them with his Leg upon their Thigh ; (i. e.) without any other Weapon but his Leg and Foot he kicked them, and made them lameand uſeleſs for War. » Heb. with a great firoke ; for ſo it was, even to them whom it did nor kill. » Partly, becauſe there he could better defend himſelf from his E- nemies; and partly, becauſe he would not involve his Brethren in
the ſame danger with himſelf, bur like a worthy Magiſtrate, would ſecure them even with his own greater hazard.
9 © Then the Philiftines went- up, and pitched in Judah os, and ſpread themſelves p in Lehi g. | o Where the Rock Eram was, ſee 1 Chron. 4: 323 2 Chron. 11: 5, 6.
Þ As coming in great Numbers with a powerful Hoſt. q A place ſo called by Anticipation, wv. 17.
10 And the men of Judah faid, Why are ye come up againſt us? And they anſwered, To. bind Samſon are we come up, to dotohim, as he hath done to us. |
11 Then three thouſand men of Judah + wenr to + Heb- the top of the rock Etam, and ſaid toSamſon, Knoweſt wen diwi.| thou not that the Philiſtines are rulers over us ? what & © this #bat thou haſt done unto us r? And he faid unto them, As they did unto me, ſo have I done unto them.
r Thou haſt by theſe Aftions puniſhed not them, as thou in-
tendedſt ; but, us, who, being under their Dominion, are ſure to {marr for it-
12 And they ſaid unto him, We-are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philiſftines, And Samſon ſaid unto them, Swear | unto me, that ye will not fall upon me your ſelves /. '|
JS Not that he feared chem, or could not as eafily have conquered | them, as he did the whole Hoſt of the Philif#:nes; but becauſe he would
be free from all Obligation or Temptation of doing rhem any harmi, though it were in his own juſt and necefliry defence.
13 And they ſpake unto him, ſaying, No, but we will bind thee faſt, and deliver thee inco their hand : but furely we wiil not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up froni the rock #.
t ( i. e. ) From the Cave or Hole in the Rock, in which he bad ſecured himſelf, out of which he was firſt brought up, and then ; carried down from the Rock to the Plain.
14 C And when he came unto Lehi, the Philiſtines ſhoured 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 x from off his hands.
”- . 5 [i
%
+eb. s For joy and Triumphs becauſe they had now their great Ene- were me
my, aS they ſuppoſed, in their hands. x Heb. were melted; i. e. were #44. + diſolved, as tumngs are which are melted in the Fire. | [ I, And he found a + new y jaw-bone of an afs, and + Heb; { put forth his hand, and took it, and ſlew a thouſand mf ' men therewith, | i » And therefore more tough and ſtrong. - i; 16 And Samſon faid, With the jaw-bone of an aſs, © | | heaps upon heaps, with che jaw-bone of an aſs have + Heb2 I ſlain a thouſand men s. | an heap