The Pulpit Commentary — Judges — Section 152

EXPOSITION. Ver. 9.-Went up, i. e. from their own masters to deliver up Samson bound into their ~ountry in the Shcphelah to the hill country hands. But it is not very unlike the spirit in of Judah. As Samson had avenged his which the Hebrews looked upon Moses when wrongs on the whole Philistine people, so h~ first began to work to rescue them from they now came up to Judah to take venge- tneir Egyptian bondage (Exod. ii. 14 ; Acts vii. ance for Samson's injuries. In Lehi, or, 25-28). Samson's forbearance towards his rather, hal-Lehi, the Lehi, the place after- own countrymen is commendable, Brought wards so called, as related in vers. 17 and him up-from the deep ravine or cleft in 20 (see eh. vii. 25, note). Lehi has been which he was hid. His place of concealment identified by some with Tell-el-Lelchiyeh, four was probably unknown to the Philistines, or miles above Beer-sheba ; and by others with may be they had qnite a superstitious fear Beit.Lilayeh, in the Wady Suleiman, two of Samson from their experience of his :niles below the upper Beth-horon, and so prowess. within easy distance of Timnath and other Ver. 14.-When he came, i. e. as soon places mentioned in the history of Samson. as he was come to Lehi, where the Philistine l3ut no certainty can at present be arrived at. camp was (ver. 9). Shouted against him. Ver. 11.-Men of Judah. It is rather Rather, shout,ed as they ran out to m,eet him. three thousand men went down from Judah, It expresses concisely the double action of showing that the rock Etam was below. The their all going out to meet him, and shouting top. It should be the cleft, as in ver. 8. with joy when they saw him bound and, as Knowest thou not, &c. The language of they thought, in their power. these cowardly men shows how completely Yer. 15.-A most vivid and stirring de- the Philistine yoke was fastened upon the scription I The Spirit of the Lord (eh. xiv. necks of Judah. The history gives no ac- 19), with that suddenness which marks his count of the Philistine conquest, except the extraordinary movements (1 Kings xviii. 12; brief allusion in eh. x. 6, 7 ; but Samson's 2 Kings ii. 16; Acts ii. 2 ; viii. 39, &c.), story brings to light the existence of it. The came upon Samson, and mightily strength- abject state to which they were reduced is ened him in his outer man. The strong Ehown by their complaint of Samson," What new cords snapped asunder in an instant, is this that thou hast done unto us!" instead and before the Philistines could recover from of hailing him as a deliverer. A.a they did their terror e.t seeing their great enemy free, llllto me, &c. It is instructive to read Sam- he had snatched up the heavy jawbone of son's defence of himself in the very words used an ass recently dead, and with it smote the 1,y the Philistines in ver. 10. "An eye for flying Philistines till e. thousand of them had an tye, and a tooth for a tooth." There is fallen under his blows. no end to rendering " evil for evil." Ver. 16. -And Samson Hid, &c. The Vers. 12, 13.-We are come down to bind exploitgave birth to one of Samson's punning, thee. There is something very base in this cnigmatical, sayings : " With_ the ja;wbone o/ delil,cratc agreement with theil- Philistine the ass, onehcap,twohcapsofslai11." 'IlcmdJr, CH. XV, 9-20.] TlIE BOOK OF JUDGES. 163