Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XVI.

Vers. 1. THen went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in un∣to her.) This mention that is made of his seeing the harlot, to whom he went in, implies, that he went not thither for that purpose, but going secretly thither with some other intent, he was on a sudden intangled with the sight of this harlot, and so drawn to commit folly with her.

Vers. 2. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate, &c.] That is, hearing by some that had taken notice of him, that he was come into the citie, but not knowing into what house he was entred, they took order that the gates should be shut, and narrowly watched, to make sure that he should not escape away in the night, and then at each gate, especially at that gate out of which his way lay, being to go to his own countrey, they set certain men who should the next morning diligently wait for him, and as he came out, should suddenly kill him, as being afraid any other way to set upon him.

Vers. 3. And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the

doors of the gate of the city, &c.] Knowing it seems by the secret instinct of Gods spirit, that he was descryed, and that there was wait laid for him, in the dead of the night he arose, and going to the gate of the city, which was fast shut to prevent his escape, took the doors of the gate of the citie, and the two posts, and went away with them, barre and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the hill that is before Hebron, and it is thought by some, that Hebron was at least seven Germane miles from Gaza, the citie whose gates he carried away, which was not farre from the sea-coast; an act of the greatest wonder that ever Samson did, and wherein he was a notable type of Christ, in that glorious act of his resurrection; when being shut up dead in the grave, the sepulchre being sealed, and a companie of souldiers set to watch it, notwithstanding all these barres of death, because, as the Apostle said, Acts 2.24. it was not possible that he should be holden of it; early the next morning the stone was removed; and so he arose again by his own Almighty power, carrying away, as it were, the gates and posts of hell and death, and so with∣in a while, ascended up triumphantly into heaven. Indeed, it may seem very strange, that Samson arising newly from the bed of fornication, should have such wonderfull assistance from God, as to be enabled to do so glorious and admirable a work: but we must consider, first, that God suffered his holy Nazarite to fall into this sinne, to shew the weaknesse of the best and strongest, if left unto themselves: secondly, that God is not wont alwayes to deal with his servants according to their sinnes; nor presently to withdraw the gifts of his Spirit, though they sometimes greatly provoke him: and thirdly, that God had respect herein to glorifie himself, in this triumph of his servant over the Philistines, though afterwards he took his time to correct him, and that sharply too for his sinne.

Vers. 4. And it came to passe afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.] It is plainly enough implyed, though it be not expressed, that this Delilah was a Philistine Harlot, as the other was, and not his wife, or of the stock of Israel, as some have thought; first, because this story is so immediately brought in, just as another story of the like nature that went before; And it came to passe that afterward he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, &c. even as if it were purposely added to shew how prone the best are, if once intangled in this sinne, to proceed still to further degrees of uncleannesse; and what miserie God suffered his progresse in this sinne to bring upon him, though he spared him at first: secondly, because the phrase the Spirit of God here useth, he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, doth not sound as spoken of the love of a wife, but of the love of a harlot: thirdly, because the free intercourse that was betwixt her and the lords of the Philistines, and her hiding the Philistines that were to seize upon him, again and again in a chamber in her house, makes it clear, that Samson was there as a stranger, not in his own house, and amongst his own familie: and fourthly, because her whorish; qualities in that she was so readily wone by the hire of money to betray him into the hands of the Philistines, and that by dandling him upon her l••p, doth proclaim her to have been neither wife, nor Israelite, but a Philistine and harlot.

Vers. 6. Tell me I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.] She asked him this question doubtlesse in

such a manner, that he might not suspect any thought she had of delivering him into the power of his enemies: It is likely, that with many flattering speeches she told him, how much not her self onely, but the whole land of the Philistines were asto∣nished, at the report of his admirable strength; and those wonders which he had wrought thereby amongst them, and how happy she thought her self in having such a lover, that was the wonder of the world for strength of body; and then withall, as onely out of a desire to satisfie her own curiosity (and the rather because the great affection she bore him, made her long to know as much as she might concerning him) she desires him to tell her wherein his strength lay, and whether any thing could weaken his strength, and make him like other men.

Vers. 7. And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs, &c.] Thus he answered her, thereby to evade the telling of that which he meant not to dis∣cover, and that either as thinking she would be satisfied with this answer, and not attempt to make proof whether it were so indeed or no; or else, as intending to make himself sport with her, if she would make triall of the truth of what he had told; but whilst he thus dallies with her, and assayes to put her off with a jeast, and did not re∣solutely deny her as he might have done, at last she prevailed over him, and in good earnest bound him, and delivered him up into the hands of the Philistines.

Vers. 9. Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber.] They durst not come near him to take him, no not when he was asleep, no more then men dare venture upon a sleeping lion; Delilah hid them therefore in some place near at hand, intending to call them forth, if she found he could not break his bands, if otherwise to laugh it out, and make merry with him, as if all done, had been done in sport, to see whether he had told her true.

Vers. 10. And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: new tell me, &c.] This doubtlesse Delilah said, not immediately upon his breaking the green withes, but at some other time; for had all this been done at one time, it might have bred some suspition in Samson; and besides, it is evident she did appoint the Philistines severall times to come unto her, as we may see vers. 18. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines saying, Come up this once, &c.

Vers. 11. And he said unto her, If they bind me with new ropes, &c.] Though he had now found by experience that she would not take what he said for truth, but would try the truth of what he said; yet either because he was content to make him∣self sport in deluding her, or rather because her importunity was such, that without pretending to satisfie her, he could not be rid of her, (for that he was troubled with her importunity, is evident, vers 16.) he again fained a false way how he might be bound; and so again a third time, vers. 13.

Vers. 14. And she fastned it with the pin, &c.] That is, having woven his locks with the web, and so rolled the web whereunto his locks were woven about the beam, as Samson had appointed her, she fastned the beam with the pin, that so the beam might not turn back, when he should lift up his head, & then wakened him, &c.

Vers. 16. When she pressed him dayly with her words, and urged him so that his soul was vexed unto the death, &c.] The meaning of this is, either that through the distraction of his thoughts and affections, being exceeding loth to reveal this secret

unto her, and yet as loth still to deny her, he was indeed ready to faint, or at least was even weary of his life, so that he had rather have died then have continued still in such perplexity; or rather, that it was even death to him to deny her any longer; especially when she began to upbraid him now with mocking her as he had done, and to challenge him that he did not love her, and so thereupon he told her all his heart, as it follows in the next verse. Indeed considering the usuall unfaithfulnesse and trea∣cherie of harlots, it is strange, that neither her importunate desiring to know a secret, the discoverie whereof might prove so perillous to him, nor her assaying three seve∣rall times, to bind him in those wayes which he had propounded, onely to deceive her, should not make him begin to suspect her, or fear some mischief plotting against him; but for this we must remember, that the love of harlots doth usually besot men, and make them very slaves to those their mistresses; especially when God intends to bring some mischief upon them, as now he intended to have Samson punished for his sinne.

Vers. 17. If I be shaven then my strength will go from me, &c.] Thus Samson at last told her the truth of that secret, which he was so loth to disclose. Yet this was not because his strength proceeded from his long hair; (for it was merely the gift of God in a supernaturall way; and therefore, vers. 20. where the reason is given, why he lost his strength upon the cutting of his hair; it is said, that the Lord was departed from him) nor was it, because by the ordinary law of a Nazarite, if his head were shaven he was to lose his strength (for neither had all Nazarites this gift of such admirable strength as Samson had, nor was there any such thing in the law of the Nazarite, that those that had their hair cut off, should lose such gifts as God by his Spirit had conferred upon them): But it seems God had bestowed this as a singular gift upon Samson; and that upon condition of his strict observing this law of the Nazarite, in keeping his hair uncut (to wit, that he might be herein a type of Christ, in regard of his invincible strength, and to signifie also that the Spirit of grace de∣prived from Christ to his members, is a Spirit of power, 2. Tim. 1.7.) and it seems too, either by revelation or otherwise, God had expressely declared thus much to Samson; and hence it was, that he told Delilah now, that if he were shaven, he should become weak like any other man.

Vers. 18. When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, &c.] Before she perswaded her self, or was at least in great hopes that he had dealt truly with her; but now it seems, she might perceive by his countenance, gesture, and the manner of his expressing himself, that he did indeed tell her the truth from his heart.

Then the Lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought money in their hand.) That is, the money promised, vers. 5. that is, each of them eleven hundred pieces of silver, which was five thousand and five hundred pieces of silver, if there were five Lords of the Philistines, as afterwards, 1. Sam. 6.16. it is said there were. Perhaps they conceited that hitherto she had dallied with them, because she saw not the reward promised tendered to her, and therefore they brought the money now with them the more strongly to tempt her.

Vers, 19. And she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.] That is, she shock him to awake him out of his sleep, and scared him with crying out as formerly, the Philistines be upon thee Samson; yea, it is likely that she bound him

whilst he slept: for how else could she perceive that his strength was gone from him, that she might call the Philistines that were lying in wait to come in and set up∣on him.

Vers. 20. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.] To wit, be∣cause on a sudden, at his first waking, he perceived not that his locks were cut off. As for this expression, the Lord was departed from him, thereby onely is meant, that God had withdrawn himself from yielding him that supernaturall strength, which formerly he had given him; for it is evident, that it cannot be understood of the totall losse of Gods favour, or the graces of his sanctifying Spirit.

Vers. 21. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, &c.] Thus no doubt, God by his providence did dispose of it, that his eyes might first smart for his sinnes, by means whereof he was first intangled and drawn into sinne; and that thither he might be carried away captive, where first his lustfull eyes had made him a slave to an harlot. As for the Philistines, first they put out his eyes onely by way of revenge, and to make sure he might not hurt them, if he recovered his strength: secondly, they carryed him to Gaza, a sea coast town, because being carried so farre through the land of the Philistines, the more of the people might come out to see him, and rejoyce in the shamefull captivitie of that their invincible enemie: thirdly, because he should be there furthest out of the reach of the Israelites, if they should think to attempt his rescue: and fourthly, that they might wipe off the stain of that dishonour, which lately he had there done them; by carry∣ing him as a prisoner through that gate, which he had ere while to their great infa∣mie, taken up in his arms and carryed away. As for their putting him to grind in the prison house, that was according to the custome of those times: for then, it seems, they would not suffer their prisoners to live idely, but made them grind at the mill; and thence is that expression, where Babylons captivitie is threatned, Isa. 47.2. Take the milstones and grind meal, uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, &c. Yet withall it is likely, they chuckered themselves, to think what good use they should make herein of his great strength.

Vers. 22. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again, after he was sha∣ven.] This shews that Samson was kept a good while in prison, ere he was brought out to this their solemne festivitie; and it is noted, not as if his strength lay merely in the length of his hair, but to implie his repentance, the reassuming of his vow of the Nazarite, which he had broken, the recoverie of Gods former favour, and the restoring of his former strength, together with the signe of his reassumed vow, his Nazarites hair.

Vers. 23. Then the Lords of the Philistines gathered themselves together, for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god.] This Dagon was an idol-god amongst the Philistines, and his image was in the upper part like a man, and in the nether part like a fish (as many gather from 1. Sam. 5.4. concerning which see the note upon that place) and that, because happely the Philistines, whose land lay al∣together on the sea-coast, did worship him as the god of the sea; he had a temple in Ashdod, 1. Sam. 5.4. And by this which is said here, that all the lords of the Phi∣listines met here together, from all the severall lordships of their countrey, to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon; to wit, for delivering Samson into their hands; it seems he had another temple in Gaza too.

Vers. 25. And they called for Samson out of the prison house, and he made them sport.] To wit, passively, as being abused, derided, buffered, and happely forced to run up and down, that he might dash his head against the pillars; yea, and gene∣rally by suffering whatever such a poore blind prisoner can expect from enraged, proud, insulting enemies, when they were now flushed with wine and good chear; and herein was Samson also a type of Christ; for thus did they sport themselves with our Saviour, Matth. 26, 67, 68. Then did they spit in his face and buffeted him, and others smote him with the palms of their hands: Saying, Prophecie unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee: and Matth. 27.29. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail King of the Jews.

And they set him between the pillars.] To wit, because there he might be most conveniently seen by the princes and people that were met together; but withall, by the secret providence of God this was so ordered, that he might by thrusting away those pillars, pull down the house upon the heads of the Philistines.

Vers. 26. Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.] This he spake to the lad that led him, that the lad might think it was onely wearinesse; partly through his continuall grinding at the mill, and partly through their turmoyling him at present to make themselves sport, that made him now desire to rest his hands upon the two pillars.

Vers. 28. And strengthen me, I pray thee, onely this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.] Thus by his calling upon God for help, it was evident, that he relyed not upon his grown hair, but expected the renewing of his strength merely from God, Neither did Samson by seeking to re∣venge his own wrong, take Gods work out of his hand; contrary to that precept, Rom. 12.19. Avenge not your selves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is writ∣ten, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay it, saith the Lord; and that because he was a publick person raised of God, to punish those that wronged his people; and besides, what he did now, it is likely, he did it by the speciall instinct of Gods Spirit.

Vers. 30. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines, and he bowed himself, &c.] This is onely an expression of his contempt of death, upon this consi∣deration that he should execute such a remarkable judgement upon the Philistines. His primary and direct intention was not such as is theirs that make away them∣selves, but his direct aim was to destroy the Philistines; onely he was content to lose his life in an action so advantageous to the people of God, and whereby he should give such a deadly blow to their enemies; which is expressed in the following words; so that the dead which he slew at his death, were mo then they that he slew in his life; and herein doubtlesse, he was a type of Christ, who by death overcame death, Heb. 2.14. And him that had the power of death, which is the devil. To which some adde also, that dying thus, with one hand reaching out to one pillar, and the other to another, and so bowing himself, he did the more fitly shadow forth Christ dying with his hands stretched out upon the crosse; John 19.30. When Jesus therefore had received the vineger, he said, It is finished, and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Vers. 31. Then his brethren, and all the house of his father, came down and took him, &c.] It is indeed strange that the Philistines should yield his body to his kind∣red to be buried by them. But for this we must consider; first, that happely the Phi∣listines did not know, or would not acknowledge that this house fell by Samsons means, but rather by some other casualty: secondly, that the power of the Philistines, as also their pride and wrath against Gods people, must needs by this fatall blow gi∣ven to all their princes, and so many of the people, be much abated and pulled down, so that this was no time to domineer over the Israelites, or to provoke them by any harsh answer, but rather to provide by all means for their own safety: thirdly, that the hearts of all men are in Gods hands: Prov. 16.1. The preparations of the heart of man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord: who might therefore move them to yield Samsons body to his brethren, as he did Pilate to yield to the like suit concerning Christ, John 19.38. Joseph of Arimathea (being a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews) besought Pilate, that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him leave.

And he judged Israel twenty years.] See the note chap. 13. vers. 1.