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Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Wiersbe - Samson had a way with words. At his wedding feast, he devised a clever riddle (Jdg 14:14); and after this great victory, he wrote a poem. It’s based on the similarity between the sounds of the Hebrew words hamor (“donkey”) and homer (“heap”). James Moffatt renders it: “With the jawbone of an ass I have piled them in a mass. With the jawbone of an ass I have assailed assailants.” (See context in The Bible Exposition Commentary) NET Note on Heaps upon heaps - The precise meaning of the second half of the line (חֲמוֹר חֲמֹרָתָיִם, khamor khamoratayim) is uncertain. The present translation assumes that the phrase means, “a heap, two heaps” and refers to the heaps of corpses littering the battlefield. Other options include: (a) “I have made donkeys of them” (cf. NIV; see C. F. Burney, Judges, 373, for a discussion of this view, which understands a denominative verb from the noun “donkey”); (b) “I have thoroughly skinned them” (see HALOT 330 s.v. IV cj. חמר, which appeals to an Arabic cognate for support); (c) “I have stormed mightily against them,” which assumes the verb חָמַר (khamar, “to ferment; to foam; to boil up”). George Bush - Heaps upon heaps. Heb. חמור חמרתם ’hamor ’hamorâthâyim, an heap, two heaps. The original contains a peculiar play upon the sound of the words, which cannot be transferred into any other language. The same word in Hebrew, חמור ’hamor, signifies both a donkey and a heap, thus forming an elegant paranomasia, and representing the Philistines falling as tamely as donkeys. Some have considered this short paean (expression of joyful praise) of Samson as faulty in not ascribing his victory more directly and unequivocally to God, who had enabled him to accomplish it. The words, it is true, contain no express mention of the name of Jehovah, but it cannot, we think, be fairly inferred that the recognition of the divine power was not present to his thoughts, or that he intended to ascribe the result to the prowess of his own arm. It is perhaps rather to be understood as an exclamation of grateful and adoring wonder, that he, who was in himself a poor, weak worm, should have been enabled, with such a contemptible instrument, to effect so signal an overthrow of his enemies. (resource) One preacher came up with a five-point sermon on the jawbone of a donkey, likening it to the weapon of the gospel: • It was a novel weapon • It was a most convenient weapon • It was a simple weapon • It was a ridiculous weapon • It was a successful weapon Judges 15:17 And it came about when he had finished speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi. Judges 15 Resources "HACKSAW RIDGE" RENAMED JAWBONE HEIGHTS And it came about when he had finished speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi ("height of a jaw-bone") - Samson memorialize the site of the Philistine slaughter. But who does this truly commemorate? Not Yahweh, but ultimately the one who fought with the jawbone! The name memorialized the site as Samson, his revenge, his miraculous victory. Samson was not a good judge in this sense, because it is the task of the spiritual leader to point others to Jehovah, making much of Him, declaring His glory and the fame of His Name. Samson missed a golden opportunity! THOUGHT - When we experience a spiritual victory or success, whether teaching, preaching, serving, etc, we must be so careful to not miss the golden opportunity to give glory to the Almighty God! Adam Clarke on renaming of this ridge - The lifting up or casting away of the jaw-bone. Lehi was the name of the place before, Ramath was now added to it here; he lifted up the jaw-bone against his enemies, and slew them. George Bush - Ramath-lehi. And by contraction ‘Lehi;’ as was usual with proper names, as Salem for Jerusalem, Sheba for Beersheba, and many others. The exact import of the original רמת לחי ramath-lehi, is not easily determined. It may mean either ‘the casting away of the jaw-bone,’ ‘the lifting up of the jaw-bone,’ or ‘the hill of the jaw-bone.’ The last is most consistent with grammatical structure, and unites in its support the suffrages of the greatest number of modern critics. (resource) ISBE on Ramath-lehi - (ramath lechi, "the hill" or "height of Lehi"; Anairesis siagonos): So the place is said to have been called where Samson threw away the jawbone of a donkey, with which he had slain 1,000 Philistines (Judges 15:17). The Septuagint seems to have supposed that the name referred to the "heaving" or throwing up of the jaw-bone. The Hebrew, however, corresponds to the form used in other place names, such as Ramath-mizpeh, and must be read as "Ramah of Lehi." The name Lehi may have been given because of some real or imagined likeness in the place to the shape of a jaw-bone (Judges 15:9, 14, 19). Judges 15:18 Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, "You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised? Then he became very thirsty: Jdg 8:4 Ps 22:14,15 John 19:28 2Co 4:8,9 You have given this great deliverance: Ps 3:7,8 18:31-40 And now shall I die of thirst: Ge 32:31 2Co 12:7,8 and fall: Ge 12:12,13 20:11 1Sa 27:1 2Co 1:8,9 Heb 11:32 the uncircumcised: 1Sa 17:26,36 2Sa 1:20 Judges 15 Resources HIS FIRST PRAYER TO YAHWEH Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said - This is the first prayer recorded. There is no prayer recorded before any of his previous feats of strength. There is a prayer at the end of his life in Jdg 16:28, 30 calling for strength to avenge himself against the Philistines.
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Wiersbe writes "The life of Samson illustrates the ancient truth that a good beginning doesn’t guarantee a good ending. No doubt you can think of many more examples from the Scriptures. Lot had the privilege of walking with Abraham and yet ended in a cave, drunk and committing incest with his daughters. King Saul began as a humble man but ended up a suicide, destroyed by his stubborn pride. King Uzziah was a godly man until he became strong. When he tried to usurp the place of the priests, God judged him by giving him leprosy. Ahithophel was David’s most trusted advisor, but he ended up hanging himself. Paul’s helper Demas abandoned the ministry because he “loved this present world” (2Ti 4:10). May the Lord help us all to end well! The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” That’s why Solomon wrote, “The end of a matter is better than its beginning” (Ecc 7:8NIV). At the beginning of his career, Samson served in a blaze of glory, but the light began to flicker as he yielded to his passions. In the closing scenes of his life, we watch Samson’s light finally go out; and the blind champion ends up buried in the rubble of a heathen temple. Granted, he killed more in his martyrdom than he killed during his judgeship; but how different it would have been had he first conquered himself before he sought to conquer the Lord’s enemies. “His whole life,” said Spurgeon, “is a series of miracles and follies.” (See context in Be Available ) Ray Pritchard - The exciting thing about Samson is he is a man who is easy to understand. Sometimes when I start reading about the really great heroes of the Bible I have a hard time relating to them. It’s easy to read about David and Abraham and Moses and the incredible things they did and to think to yourself, “I could never be like them.” It’s almost as if you read about the really great heroes and you think they’re in a class of special saints and the rest of us are in the class of regular people. One of the nice things about Samson is there’s no question he doesn’t belong in with the special saints. He belongs here with the regular people (or maybe with the irregular people). At least Samson is a man whose life is understandable to us. He’s a lot like us, and we’re a lot like him. He’s sort of a spiritual zigzag who’s up and down and all over the map. He’s totally unpredictable and that’s what makes the story so exciting. We’ve seen his beginning—how Samson had it all. No Bible character ever had a more promising start in life. Then, right out of the gate, he begins to make mistakes. It’s one dumb move after another. Now we’re going to trace his life as he begins to fulfill God’s purposes. You won’t be surprised to know that Samson wasn’t trying to do God’s will; he was just trying to get even with the Philistines. Chasing Sardines - In his book Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay, Gary Inrig tells a little illustration that brings Samson’s life into perspective. The real question that you have when you read Samson’s story is, “How did a guy who started so well end up so poorly?” It’s hard to understand. Gary Inrig tells a story about something unusual that happened out on the West coast about 15 years ago. When I say the West coast, I mean literally the west coast—out on the beaches of Oregon or California. It seems that some whales were beached out there. They came in too close and when the tide went out, the whales were stuck on the sand. The only thing that was unusual was that there were 300 whales beached at the same time and in the same place. Sadly, before they could get the whales moved all 300 had died. It was a great mystery until the marine biologists discovered that the 300 whales had come to the beach and had met their death because they were chasing sardines. Have you ever seen sardines? Do you know how small sardines are and how big a whale is? But even a little sardine can bring a whale to its death if the whale keeps chasing it long enough. That’s a parable of the life of Samson. A man of enormous resources who wasted his life chasing small goals. He was a whale chasing sardines. I mentioned to you earlier that there are four things that make Samson’s life interesting: Love, Sex, Revenge, and Violence. We’re already past the love and sex part. Don’t worry, we’ll come back to it later. But we’re past it for the moment. We’re into the last two things this morning: Revenge and violence. This is one of the amazing stories of Samson’s life. This is the story of how a man who started so well and went down so far, turned around and accomplished an amazing feat for God. A man who started high and went low, now goes high again. It’s one of the amazing paradoxes of his life. (How an Angry Man Gets Even) George Bush - In the time of wheat-harvest. Which in that country was in April and May. The time of the visit is specified in reference to the exploit subsequently mentioned, v. 4, 5. Visited his wife with a kid. Carrying a kid in token of reconciliation. Time had now cooled his resentment, and probably not knowing that she had meanwhile been given to another, he was willing to make the first overtures of returning amity. ‘The wisest, though offended, will be the first to seek peace, and the readiest to pass by a transgression.’ Haweis. He said, I will go in, &c. He said to himself; he proposed; he formed the purpose. Into the chamber. Into the interior apartments appropriated to the women; the harem. (resource) Criswell - Having abandoned his wife in anger, Samson returned to restore the relationship, only to find her remarried. He responded in revenge, and again found himself the instrument of the Lord's deliverance of Israel (Jdg 14:19; 15:8, 14-17). Pritchard - “Sweetheart, I Brought You A Goat” He decides that he wants his wife back. A few months have passed. It is now the time of the wheat harvest—that’s May or June—and Samson takes a young goat as a gift for his bride. He still thinks he’s married. He thinks that he just walked out on her but he can come back when he wants to. Sounds like a man, doesn’t it? Today we bring chocolates or we bring perfume or we bring candy or maybe we bring a new car—it just depends on how far in the hole we think we are. In that same spirit, Samson brings a young goat. That’s sure to win her heart over. When he arrives at her house, he says to her father, “I’m going to go visit my wife’s room.” And let’s face it—we all know what Samson is thinking. He’s not going to have a prayer meeting with her. He wants to go see her up close and personal. But her father would not let him go in. Why not? “Well, because she’s married now. Someone else is in there with her.” (How an Angry Man Gets Even) Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - His Revenge upon the Philistines.— Some time after, Samson visited his wife in the time of the wheat harvest with a kid,—a customary present at that time (Gen. 38:17),—and wished to go into the chamber (the women’s apartment) to her; but her father would not allow him, and said, “I thought thou hatedst her, and therefore gave her to thy friend (Judg. 14:20): behold her younger sister is fairer than she; let her be thine in her stead.” (Judges 15 Commentary) Judges 15:2 And her father said, "I really thought that you hated her intensely; so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please let her be yours instead." I really though: Jdg 14:16,20 Ac 26:9 I gave: Jdg 14:20 Ge 38:14 Judges 15 Resources THE FATHER-IN-LAW'S BIG MISTAKE! Adam
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Wiersbe - Had he tied the firebrands to individual animals, they each would have immediately run to their dens. But by putting two animals together and turning them loose, Samson could be fairly sure that their fear of the fire and their inability to maneuver easily would make them panic. Thus they would run around frantically in the fields and ignite the grain. The fire then would spread into the vineyards and olive groves. It was a costly devastation. (See context in The Bible Exposition Commentary) Ray Pritchard - Fox Fire - So he caught three hundred foxes (or jackals, possibly) and tied them tail to tail in pairs. This is harder than it looks. If you’ve ever tried to do this, you know this is not an easy thing to do. (Just get two dogs, or cats, and try to tie their tails together. It’s not a fun way to spend an evening.) Once he had the tails tied together, he fastened a torch to every pair of tails and lit them. Now I don’t know how he did that, but that’s what he did. (The animal-rights people would probably condemn the whole Bible if they read this story.) Samson lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. This basically is on the level of a college fraternity prank. That’s about the level that Samson is working on here. It must have been a bizarre sight: Catch the foxes, tie them together, put the torches on the tails, light the torches, let the foxes go. The foxes are scared to death. They go north, south, east and west and Samson’s over there laughing hysterically. This is the greatest thing he’s done yet. Jdg 15:5 says he burned up the shocks (that’s the wheat that had already been cut), the standing grain (that which hasn’t been harvested yet), together with the vineyards and the olive groves. Now the only thing you need to know about this is that the Philistines only had three cash crops. One was wheat, one was olives, and the other was grapes—vineyards. Samson single-handedly destroys the economic base of the whole nation. (How an Angry Man Gets Even) George Bush - Went and caught three hundred foxes. From the subsequent narrative it would appear that the destruction of the cornfields extended widely over the territories of the Philistines. Comp. v. 6. As to the kind of animal employed on this occasion, there has been no small controversy among expositors. The Heb. word שועלים shualim, is now generally agreed to have included in its meaning not only ‘foxes,’ but also ‘jackals,’ an animal rightly described as something between the wolf and the fox, and hence sometimes termed by naturalists ‘the wolf-fox.’ These animals, which were very numerous in Palestine, associate together in large herds or packs, sometimes to the amount of two or three hundred; differing in this respect from the fox, which is not gregarious, and is far more cunning. Like foxes, however, they live in holes, which they form under ground, and they are particularly prone to resort to ruined towns, not only because they there find numerous secure retreats ready made, but because the same facilities attract to such places other animals, on whose dead bodies they prey. From this circumstance, the prophets in describing the future desolation of a city, say it shall become ‘the habitation of jackals,’ a prediction verified by the actual condition of many places to which their prophecies apply. Thus it is said by travellers that the ruins of Ascalon in particular afford habitation to great numbers of these animals. The howlings of these packs of jackals are frightful, and give great alarm to travellers; whence they are also called in Heb. איים Ayim, howlers, improperly rendered ‘wild beasts of the islands.’ Is. 13:22; Jer. 50:39. But it appears that the common fox is also of frequent occurrence in Palestine, and as both are included under the common term Shual, it must generally be left to the bearing of the context to determine when the jackal and when the fox are respectively denoted. That the jackal is intended in the text now before us, we may infer from the number of animals taken by Samson, which must have been easier with creatures prowling in, large droves, than with a solitary and very wily animal like the fox. (resource) Bush - Took torches Heb. לפדים lappidim, torches. A firebrand, in such a position, if sufficiently ignited to kindle a blaze in the shocks of corn, would soon have burnt itself free from the tails of the foxes, or have been extinguished by being drawn over the ground. A torch or flambeau, on the other hand, made of resinous wood or artificial materials, being more tenacious of flame, would have answered a far better purpose; and such is the legitimate import of the original. tail to tail. This was doubtless intended to prevent them from making too rapid a retreat to their holes, or, indeed, from going to their holes at all. They were probably not so tied that they should pull in different directions, but that they might run deviously and slowly, side by side, and so do the more effectual execution. Had he put a torch to the tail of each, the creature, naturally terrified at fire, would instantly have betaken itself to its hole or some place of retreat, and thus the design of Samson would have been wholly frustrated. But by tying two of them together by the tail they would frequently thwart each other in running, and thus cause the greater devastation. If it be asked why Samson resorted to such an expedient at all, instead of firing the cornfields with his own hand, which would have been a much simpler and easier method of compassing his object, we may say perhaps in reply, that by the meanness and weakness of the instruments employed he designed to put a more signal contempt upon the enemies with whom he contended, thus mingling ridicule with revenge. (resource) Keil and Delitzsch - He therefore went and caught three hundred shualim, i.e., jackals, animals which resemble foxes and are therefore frequently classed among the foxes even by the common Arabs of the present day (see Niebuhr, Beschr. v. Arab. p. 166). Their European name is derived from the Persian schaghal. These animals, which are still found in great quantities at Joppa, Gaza, and in Galilee, herd together, and may easily be caught (see Rosenmüller, Bibl. Althk. iv. 2, pp. 155ff.). He then took torches, turned tail to tail, i.e., coupled the jackals together by their tails, putting a torch between the two tails, set the torches on fire, and made the animals run into the fields of standing corn belonging to the Philistines. Then he burned “from the shocks of wheat to the standing grain and to the olive gardens,” i.e., the shocks of wheat as well as the standing corn and the olive plantations. כֶּרֶם זַיִת are joined together in the construct state. (Judges 15 Commentary) Norman Geisler - JUDGES 15:4—How could Samson capture 300 foxes? PROBLEM: According to Judges 15:4, Samson captured 300 foxes, tied torches between the tails of two foxes, lit the torches, and released the foxes into the fields of the Timnite farmers. But, how could Samson have captured this many foxes? SOLUTION: It must be remembered that Samson was endowed with supernatural strength. Although the passage does not describe how Samson was able to capture so many foxes, it is not difficult to see that a man who could use the jawbone of an ass to kill “a thousand” warriors (Jud. 15:15) would have little problem capturing 300 foxes. (When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties ) Gleason Archer - How could Samson catch three hundred foxes for his prank at Timnah? Judges 15 relates how Samson sought vengeance against the Philistine town of Timnah after his bride had been given to some other man. Verse 4 states that “Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned [the foxes] tail to tail, and put one torch in the middle between two tails.” Then he lit the torches and let them run loose into the standing grain of the Timnite farmers so that they might lose their entire crop. As to the methods Samson may have used to capture so many foxes, when most people find it difficult enough to hunt down even one of them, we find no information at all in the text. Whether his superhuman strength was matched by a superhuman agility that enabled him to outrun them as they tried to escape, we cannot be sure. Or else he may have devised a set of unusually enticing traps and imprisoned them in cages until he had gathered a sufficient number for his purpose. Presumably he used a pair of thick leather gloves as protection against their sharp teeth. However he managed it, he was certainly in a class by himself. But any warrior who could slay a thousand armed soldiers with the jawbone of an ass as his only weapon (v.15) could surely take care of a mere three hundred foxes without too much difficulty (Borrow Encyclopedia of Bible difficulties by Archer, Gleason L - or here with no restrictions) Judges 15:5 When he had set fire to the torches, he released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, thus burning up both the shocks and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and groves. he let them go: Ex 22:6 2Sa 14:30 Judges 15 Resources SAMSON DESTROYS PHILISTINES' MAJOR CASH CROPS When he had set fire to the torches, he released the foxes (NET - jackals) into the standing grain of the Philistines: Under the law (Ex 22:6), burning crops and fields was considered a serious offense. Thus burning up both the shocks (ESV - stacked grain) and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and (olive) groves: the Philistines were distressed and rightly so because this was a major blow to their economy for grain, wine and olives were their major cash crops. Remember however that even though Samson's arson was almost like a prank, he was causing significant damage to the Philistines and thus God was using even his errant behavior to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Philistines. Samson's efforts would prepare the way for later defeat of this enemy in the time of Samuel and David. Cundall on the shocks and the standing grain - The burning of standing corn was a common method of retaliation or revenge in the ancient world and its effect in an agricultural community was very serious. The prompt reaction of Joab to the ruse of Absalom to attract his attention may be instanced (2 Sam. 14:28–31). We can imagine the delight with which the Israelites would tell this story of revenge against the nation which was to oppress them so sorely. But such wanton cruelty to animals, whose sufferings must have been hideous, cannot be condoned. The harvest was being gathered in at the time, for shocks (5) refers to the heaped sheaves. (Borrow Judges & Ruth: Tyndale Old Testament Commentary) Stone writes that "commentators often charge Samson with an excessively violent response, destroying a whole town's economy. They forget, however, that the Philistines invaded land that Yahweh had promised to Israel, and thus were oppressors of Israel (13:1). This was land under the conquest mandate. Samson's vengeance, though far from the dispassionate dispensing of justice admired by moderns, nevertheless embodied Yahweh's quest for an opportunity against the Philistines as a whole (cf. Jdg 14:4). (See context in Joshua, Judges, Ruth) Judges 15:6 Then the Philistines said, "Who did this?" And they said, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his companion." So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire. and burned: Jdg 12:1 14:15 Pr 22:8 1Th 4:6 Judges 15 Resources EVERYONE LOST Then the Philistines said, "Who did this?" And they said, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his companion." So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire: How ironic because burning his wife and father is what they said they would do if she did not tell them what the riddle was (Jdg 14:15+). The tragedy is that in seeking his retaliation, he also brought harm to his wife. Note the Philistines call Samson the son-in-law which does suggest they regarded Samson as married to this woman. Wiersbe - Violence breeds violence, and the Philistines weren’t about to stand around doing nothing while their food and fortune went up in flames. They figured out that Samson was behind the burning of their crops, and they knew they had to retaliate. Since they couldn’t hope to overcome Samson, they did the next thing and vented their wrath on his wife and father-in-law. In the long run, her betrayal of Samson didn’t save her life after all (Jdg 14:15+). (See context in The Bible Exposition Commentary) Wiersbe in another resource writes "When life is motivated by retaliation, the consequences are usually painful. Responding to Samson’s anger, his intended father-in-law retaliated by giving away Samson’s bride. Then Samson retaliated by burning the Philistines’ harvest, and the Philistines in turn burned the bride and her father. Who finally won?" (See context in With the Word: The Chapter-by-Chapter or borrow With the Word) George Bush - And they answered, &c. ‘The mention of the offence draws in (that of) the provocation; and now the wrong to Samson is scanned and revenged; because the fields of the Philistines are burned for the wrong done to Samson by the Timnite in his daughter, therefore the Philistines burn the Timnite and his daughter. The tying of the firebrand between two foxes was not so witty a policy, as the setting of a fire of dissension betwixt the Philistines.’ Bp. Hall. Burnt her and her father with fire. A most inhuman and barbarous act, on the part of its perpetrators, yea wonderfully overruled in the Providence of God to chastise the guilty. The Philistines had threatened Samson’s wife that if she did not obtain and disclose her husband’s secret, they would burn her and her father’s house with fire. She, to save herself and oblige her countrymen, betrayed her husband; and now by so doing brought upon herself the very doom which she so studiously sought to avoid! To seek to escape suffering by sin, is the surest way to bring it upon us! ‘The fear of the wicked it shall come upon him.’ (resource) Keil and Delitzsch - The Philistines found out at once, that Samson had done them this injury because his father-in-law, the Timnite, had taken away his wife and given her to his companion. They therefore avenged themselves by burning her and her father,—probably by burning his house down to the ground, with its occupants within it,—an act of barbarity and cruelty which fully justified Samson’s war upon them. (Judges 15 Commentary) Judges 15:7 And Samson said to them, "Since you act like this, I will surely take revenge on you, but after that I will quit." Since you act like this: Judges 14:4,19 Ro 12:19 Judges 15 Resources SAMSON RETALIATES...AGAIN And Samson said to them, "Since you act like this, I will surely take revenge (naqam;Lxx - ekdikesis) on you, but after that I will quit - Samson's ongoing quest for vengeance is tragic. Rather than viewing his deeds as acts of holy war against Israel's oppressor (the role to which he had been set aside and empowered to accomplish - Jdg 13:5+), he was concerned only for personal vengeance and failed to understand his God ordained role in the "holy war" against Israel's enemies.
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Wiersbe - The passion to get even seemed to govern Samson’s life. His motto was, “As they did unto me, so have I done unto them” (Jdg 15:11). I realize that as the defender of Israel, Samson’s calling was to defeat the enemy; but you long to see him fighting “the battles of the Lord” and not just his own private wars....As Christians, we need to beware of hiding selfish motives under the cloak of religious zeal and calling it “righteous indignation.” Personal vengeance and private gain rather than the glory of the Lord has motivated more than one “crusader” in the church. What some people think is godly zeal may actually be ungodly anger, fed by pride and motivated by selfishness. There is a godly anger that we should experience when we see wickedness prosper and defenseless people hurt (Eph 4:26+), but there’s a very fine line between righteous indignation and a “religious temper tantrum.” (See context in The Bible Exposition Commentary) Life Application note - Samson’s reply in Jdg 15:11 tells the story of this chapter: “I only did to them what they did to me.” Revenge is an uncontrollable monster. Each act of retaliation brings another. It is a boomerang that cannot be thrown without cost to the thrower. The revenge cycle can be halted only by forgiveness. (LASB - you will need to borrow to see note on page 380) George Bush - the Philistines are rulers over us? A most degrading confession to come from the lips of an Israelite, and plainly showing that they had become contented slaves, more fearful of offending the Philistines than anxious to assert their independence. But their spirits were broken by the base bondage which their iniquities had brought upon them, and instead of bravely setting Samson at their head, to fight for their liberty, they meanly resolve to make a sacrifice of him to his enemies! preferring ignominious servitude to a generous struggle for their country. Instead of honoring him for his courage, they blame him for his rashness, and desire him peaceably to submit to their bonds.’(resource) There are 8 passages recording Israel crying out to the LORD and none occur after Judges 10! Jdg 3:9 Jdg 3:15 Jdg 4:3 Jdg 6:6 Jdg 6:7 Jdg 7:20 Jdg 10:10 Jdg 10:12 and one crying out to the sons of Dan in Jdg 18:23! Rulers (4910) (mashal) means to reign, or to have dominion over, to be lord over. It is applied to people who rule: a servant over his master’s household (Gen. 24:2); a king over his country (Josh. 12:5); or his people (Judg. 8:22, 23); a people over another people (Judg. 14:4). God is also said to rule over His people (Jdg. 8:23); not over His adversaries (Isa. 63:19); over the nations (2 Chr. 20:6; Ps. 22:28[29]); over Jacob (Ps. 59:13[14]); over all things (1 Chr. 29:12)." Mashal in Judges - Jdg. 8:22; Jdg. 8:23; Jdg. 9:2; Jdg. 14:4; Jdg. 15:11 Judges 15:12 And they said to him, "We have come down to bind you so that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines." And Samson said to them, "Swear to me that you will not kill me." to bind: Mt 27:2 Ac 7:25 Swear to me that you will not kill me: Judges 8:21 1Ki 2:25,34 Judges 15 Resources SAMSON TALKED INTO SURRENDER And they said to him, "We have come down to bind you so that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines - This verse could have been subtitled "Mission Impossible!" There is no way 3000 are going to bind one angy, very strong man! Their actions are evidence that they had accepted the domination of the Philistines and lived in fear of being overrun by them. The antidote for fear is faith and if they had manifested faith in Yahweh, it would have "mashed" fear of Philistines! Clearly the Israelites did not want to fight the Philistines but preferred a policy of "peaceful (even if a bit anxious) coexistence" and were greatly agitated by Samson's disturbing of the relative "peace." And Samson said to them, "Swear to me that you will not kill me (Literally - fall upon me yourselves) - Samson must have reasoned that, if he didn’t give himself up to the enemy, the Philistine army would bring untold suffering to the land and so he willingly surrendered, one of the most selfless actions of his 20 year judgeship! If he defended himself, he would have had to fight his own people. If he escaped, which he could easily have done, he would have left 3,000 men of Judah easy prey for the Philistine army. There was actually a touch of the heroic about Samson’s decision, but the men of Judah missed it because they were only worried about their own skin! George Bush - Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. Though he had abundant occasion to expostulate with them on account of their ingratitude, and to upbraid them with their cowardice and infatuation, yet he generously forbears reproaches, and merely demands assurance that he should receive no harm at their hands. He does not make the stipulation for fear of them, for he could as easily have freed himself from the hands of his brethren as from those of the Philistines, but he would avoid the necessity of acting towards them as enemies. His motive for consenting thus readily to be bound and delivered up to the Philistines undoubtedly was, that he knew the issue of it would be to afford him a new occasion of inflicting vengeance upon that oppressive race. ‘Samson abides to be tied by his own countrymen, that he may have the glory of freeing himself victoriously. Even so, O Saviour, our better Nazarite, thou, which couldst have called to thy father, and have had twelve legions of angels for thy rescue, wouldst be bound voluntarily that thou mightest triumph! So the blessed martyrs were racked and would not be loosed, because they expected a better resurrection. If we be not as well ready to suffer ill as to do good, we are not fit for the consecration of God.’ Bp. Hall. (resource) Judges 15.12 G Campbell Morgan (Borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible). We are come down to bind thee.—Judges 15.12 What a contemptible action is recorded here on the part of the men of Judah. Three thousand of them went down to bind Samson, in order to hand him over to the Philistines. Their words revealed their meanness of spirit. They said: "Knowest thou not that- the Philistines are rulers over us?" What terrible abjectness was this on the part of the people who had been made a nation having God as their one and only Ruler! So low had they sunk at this time that they were willing to bind, and hand over, the one man who Was a menace to their enemies. There is no situation more tragic than that in which the people of God, in cringing fear of their enemies, are prepared to sacrifice a man who alone among them has the courage and the ability to oppose those enemies. And yet the. same kind of thing has often been done in the long process of the enterprise of faith.. As we see Samson, the Spirit of Jehovah again coming upon him mightily, breaking the bonds, and then with terrific onslaught, armed only with the jawbone of an ass, slaying a thousand of their number, we are conscious of what he might have been and done, had he been wholly yielded to that "Spirit of Jehovah," instead of governed so largely by the fires of his own passion. No force employed against him, whether that of the direct hostility of his enemies, or that of the treachery of his kinsmen, Could have over-come him. In him was powerfully illustrated the truth of Shakespeare's words: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Judges 15:13 So they said to him, "No, but we will bind you fast and give you into their hands; yet surely we will not kill you." Then they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock. Judges 15 Resources WHAT A JOKE - 2 ROPES BOUND FAST So they said to him, "No, but we will bind you fast and give you into their hands; yet surely we will not kill you." Then they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock - Note what they do not say -- they do not say THEY will not kill you! As Davis quips "Oh, no, Samson, we don’t want to kill you; we only want to bind you and give you to the Philistines so they can kill you." Two new ropes were like two thin pieces of thread to Samson. The Judahites were not in touch with the reality that Samson had superhuman strength! Davis points out the sad declension in the tribe of Judah noting that "The tribe that had formerly waded into battle after battle (Jdg 1:1–20) has become a collection of spineless wimps (Jdg 15:13). They regard the Philistines as their rulers and Samson as their enemy. They don’t even want to be Yahweh’s free people; they don’t even see that as a possibility."