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place Ramath-lehi,or high place of Lehi. It is the same as Lehi before mentioned.

The authors of our version have done no better with verse 19th than with the 16th. God clave a hollow place that was in the jaw; as if the water were produced in the jaw-bone, which he had thrown away, and not in the place that had been named after it. He called the place En-hakkore (the fountain of one that calls) alluding to his calling out for water in his distress.

Which is in Lehi. Why were not the translators consistent, and render "Which is in the jaw-bone unto this day." Modern travelers inform us that there is a fountain at this day, called the "fountain of the jaw," near the city of Eleutheropolis, which is understood to be the ancient Lehi. So says Benson.

SECTION IV. - SAMSON IS BETRAYED BY DELILAH.

JUD. XVI.

1. Then went Samson to Gaza, | against him, that we may bind him and saw there an harlot, and went to afflict him; and we will give thee in unto her. every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

2. And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. 6. And Delilah said to Samson, And they compassed him in, and Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy laid wait for him all night in the great strength lieth, and wherewith gate of the city, and were quiet all thou mightest be bound to afflict the night, saying, In the morning thee. when it is day we shall kill him. 7. And Samson said unto her, If 3. And Samson lay till midnight, they bind me with seven green and arose at midnight, and took the withs, that were never dried, then doors of the gate of the city, and shall I be weak, and be as another the two posts, and went away with man. them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.

4. And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

8. Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withs, which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

9. (Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber.) And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. 5. And the lords of the Philis- And he brake the withs as a thread tines came up unto her, and said of tow is broken when it toucheth unto her, Entice him, and see the fire So his strength was not wherein his great strength lieth, known.

and by what means we may prevail | 10. And Delilah said unto Sam

son, Behold, thou hast mocked me, 16. And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

11. And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that were never occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

17. 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 12. Delilah therefore took new my mother's womb: if I be shaven ropes, and bound him therewith, then my strength will go from me, and said unto him, The Philistines and I shall become weak, and be be upon thee, Samson. (And there like any other man.

were liers in wait abiding in the 18. And when Delilah saw that chamber.) And he brake them he had told her all his heart, she from off his arms like a thread. sent and called for the lords of the 13. And Delilah said unto Sam-Philistines, saying, Come up this son, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, once, for he hath shewed me all his and told me lies: tell me where- heart. Then the lords of the Philswith thou mightest be bound. And tines came up unto her, and brought he said unto her, If thou weavest money in their hand. the seven locks of my head with a web.

19. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a 14. And she fastened it with the man, and she caused him to shave pin, and said unto him, The Philis-off the seven locks of his head; and tines be upon thee, Samson. And she began to afflict him, and his he awaked out of his sleep, and strength went from him. went away with the pin of the beam, 20. And she said, The Philisand with the web. tines be upon thee, Samson. And 15. And she said unto him, How he awoke out of his sleep, and said, canst thou say, I love thee, when I will go out as at other times bethine heart is not with me? Thou fore, and shake myself. And he hast mocked me these three times, wist not that the Lord was departand hast not told me wherein thy ed from him.

great strength lieth.

We have seen that Gaza was one of the chief cities of the Philistines.

The woman is called a harlot. But the probability is, that the word denotes an inn-keeper, and not a harlot. See the subject discussed on page 175. Samson visited Gaza, and calling on a female inn-keeper, he fell in love with her. He appears to have been very susceptible to the tender passion. We are not informed whether the lady reciprocated his regard. He left the place to prevent falling into the hands of the Philistines.

The doors of the gate. It should be observed that

Samson did not carry off the gate of the city, but the doors of the gate. The gate was probably for chariots and other large vehicles; but within the gate there was a door for persons to go in and out. It was this door, and not the gate, that Samson took off and carried upon the mountain. The word is doors in the plural, but it is probably to be taken in the singular. Or the door may have consisted of two parts, opening right and left, and called doors. Even with these qualifications, the feat was a wonderful one, as we must suppose these doors had very strong brass or iron fastenings.

What is meant by the two posts and the bar we cannot say, as we do not know exactly how such doors were made.

He carried these to the top of a hill that was before Hebron in the direction of Hebron; but not probably as far as Hebron.

Samson

Sorek was celebrated for its excellent wine. loved Delilah, but it is not probable that she returned his affection, though she doubtless made him think so.

The lords of the Philistines had by this time learned what were some of the weak points in Samson's character. He had yielded to the importunity of his wife, on a former occasion; he might be entrapped by a woman the second time. The great object to be gained, was, to know the source of his marvelous strength.

Eleven hundred pieces of silver is the same as that number of shekels. A shekel is fifty cents, American money. The lords appear to promise this sum from each in all five.

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Seven was a sacred number with the Hebrews. Samson endeavors to make the matter appear as strange and marvelous as possible. Seven would not naturally be stronger than eight or ten.

There is something left out of verse 13th. The last sentence is incomplete. If thou weavest the seven locks. of my hair with a web -The Septuagint supplies the omitted words; "and shall fasten them with a pin in

And so

the wall, I shall become weak like other men. it was that when he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head, and wove them with the web," &c.

To make this story appear at all consistent, we must suppose some things, that would be likely to occur, that are not reported. It is not probable that Samson told his lady-love all his heart, without some assurance on her part, that she would not use his secret to his disadvantage, since she had already several times abused his confidence. Samson was not a fool, though he acted very foolishly at times. He did not allow himself to be put to sleep, on a woman's lap, with the express understanding, as might be inferred from this history, that she was about to have his locks cut off, and then to deliver him to the Philistines.

No: all this was kept in the dark. Not only so, we may reasonably suppose that Samson was assured, over and over again, that no harm was intended that all thought of delivering him to the Philistines had been. relinquished.

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This and much more must be understood, to give the story an air of probability and consistency. And why may we not presume this? We know that the history here given us is very brief, touching only a few of the main points. The web is furnished; the filling we must supply; only let us be careful not to put in any thing that does not come within the legitimate rules of the art. Every history, besides what is expressed, has much that is implied; and the latter is as essential to a full and complete knowledge of the subject as the former. There are, however, certain laws and limitations that must be observed in this business. What is supplied in this way must be determined on, with due regard to the times, persons, and circumstances, that are brought before us in the record. It requires judgment, diseretion, and prudence, to do this work properly. And these qualities the expounders of Bible history have not

always possessed, to an extent that would have been desirable.

She began to afflict him. She began to hurt him so as to awaken him, and see the result of her experiment. He knew not that the Lord had departed from him. He did not at first discover that his locks were missing. When he was sufficiently awake to know his real condition, he knew that his strength was gone. The Philistines feared that his strength would return; and they put out his eyes, while he was still in their power. They did not kill him; for they intended to subject him to abuse and humiliation, before they took his life. Killing him outright was not sufficient to gratify their intense revenge.

Grinding was usually done by women; and these were slaves. It was not to make him useful, but to humble him, that they set him at this business. Besides, he could do this without eyes. Job says "Let my wife grind unto another," to indicate the lowest and most degraded condition that could be conceived of Job. xxxi. 10.

SECTION V.-SAMSON'S DEATH AND BURIAL.

JUD. XVI.

22. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

many of us.

21. But the Philistines took him, |stroyer of our country: which slew and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him 25 And it came to pass, when with fetters of brass: and he did their hearts were merry, that they grind in the prison-house. said, Call for Samson that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house: and he made them sport; and they 23. Then the lords of the Philis- set him between the pillars. tines gathered them together, for to 26. And Samson said unto the offer a great sactifice unto Dagon lad that held him by the hand, their god, and to rejoice; for they Suffer me that I may feel the pilsaid, Our god hath delivered Sam-lars whereupon the house standeth, son our enemy into our hand. that I may lean upon them.

24. And when the people saw him 27. Now the house was full of they praised their god: for they men and women; and all the lords said, Our god hath delivered into of the Philistines were there: and our hands our enemy, and the de-there were upon the roof about three

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