A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on the book of Judges · Chapter 14
Judges CHAP. XIV.
JUdges the Fourteenth contains Samſon's Marriage, whereof the Antecedents, the Concomitants, and the Conſequents are very conſiderable.
Firſt, The Antecedents of it afford Remarks. As,
Firſt, Samſon went down to Timnath, ver. 1. a City given by Lot to the Tribe of Dan, Joſh. 19.43. but they being not able (it ſeems) to drive out its Inhabitants, the Philiſtines lived there ſtill, and now by God's Juſt Judgements for Iſrael's new ſins they were Lords over Iſrael, ver. 4. yet they paying their Tribute duly and truly, they were ſuffered to Trade with them; therefore Samſon, when grown up to Maturity, went down thither, whether to the Market or to the Sports, or to ſome great Feaſt, &c. is not recorded, but this is written. That there Samſon's Licentious Wandring and Wanton Eye, became a Burning-glaſs to ſet his Heart on fire to Marry a Daughter of the Philiſtines, and upon his return home, he begs his Parents to get him her for a Wife, ver. 2.
N. B. Though he lived in times of Ignorance, and Prophaneneſs, and though he had ſix'd his Affections upon this Timnath-Maid, yea, and though he had a Warrant from God (as ſome do ſenſe, ver. 4.) to do what he did, yet would he not take a Wife without his Parents conſent, as Gen. 21.21. and 24.3, 26, 34, 35. The very Light of Nature, and the dim Light of the Law, can convince Men's Conſciences of this neceſſary Duty in the worſt of times: Oh then what a ſhame is it, that this Law of Nature, is no more, yea, ſo little obſerved in our Land of Goſhen, &c.
N. B. Samſon's Parents at the firſt Diſſented from it, and that upon good grounds (becauſe God had forbid the Iſraelites to make Marriages with thoſe Curſed Ʋncircumciſed Nations, Exod. 34.12.16. Deut. 7.3. whereof the Philiſtines were a part, ver. 3. But when they underſtood by Samſon's Information, that it was of the Lord, who could diſpenſe with his own Law, as in Hoſ. 12. for his own glorious ends, they then conſented to it, ver. 4. and went down with their Son to Timnath, ver. 5. underſtanding that God in their Son Samſon, was ſeeking an occaſion againſt the Philiſtines, in his Marriage with one of their Daughters.
N. B. For by a particular Inſpiration Samſon might argue with his Parents in this Dilemma, or double-horned Argument, which puſheth both ways; the Philiſtines will either grant me their Daughter, which I deſire to Marry, or they will deny it; if they deny to give her me, then ſhall I take an occaſion to aſſault them, for the Affront offered to me, becauſe they have diſgraced me; and if they grant her, and gratifie my Deſires, then will they be bound to more Benignity and Benevolence towards me and all my People Iſrael in the Bonds of Affinity, contracted by the Marriage.
N. B. But if they hereafter break thoſe Bonds of Affinity, this will adminiſter another occaſion of a new Quarrel againſt them: By the Importance of theſe Arguments (together with his Importunity) his Parents were overcome to accompany him, that Samſon, though a Nazarite, might carry on his Courtſhip to a Lady of the Philiſtines, though an Heathen and an Infidel, becauſe they now ſay, ſhe pleaſed their Son well, not only for her Beauty, but for the deſign of God in Order to Iſrael's Deliverante, more eſpecially therein.
The Second Remark upon the Antecedents of his Marriage is, Manoah, his Wife and Son go down together to Timnath, that a Solemn Contract might be made betwixt Samſon and his Sweet-heart. But in their joynt-Journeying toward the City, Samſon ſteps aſide at the Vineyards from his Parents, upon ſome occaſion not expreſs'd, (it may be to eaſe Nature;) or,
N. B. By ſome Divine Impulſe for the following Encounter; for a Young Lyon (in the prime of his ſtrength) ruſhed out of the Vineyards, and roared fiercely againſt him, when found alone, [then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him,] both ſtirring up and augmenting his Strength and Valour, ſo that he takes the Lion by the Chaps, and rent him as ſpeedily and as ſafely, as if he had been but ſome Tender Kid, though he had no Weapon in his hand, ver. 5, 6. This Miraculous Exploit was to Confirm Samſon's Faith, in his great undertaking, unto which the Lord was now calling him to be a Judge for Iſrael againſt the Philiſtines; as it befel David in the like caſe afterwards, 1 Sam. 17.34.
N. B. And this Eſſay did far exceed the Poet's Story of their Hereules's Encountring of a Lyon, for they ſay, he had a Club in his Hand: And ſuch was Samſon's Modeſty, that when he came up to his Parents again from this Diverſion,
N. B. He told not them of this wonderful Work he had wrought (as many Braggadocio's would have done) not ſo much, leſt his Parents ſhould reprove him therein; but more eſpecially, leſt they ſhould divulge it at Timnath, prudently pondering the prejudice that might ariſe thereby, conſidering 'twas not yet a fit ſeaſon to create Jealouſies, and to awaken the fears of the Philiſtines. Therefore Samſon keeps ſilent, and ſteps on in the Company of his Father and Mother to Timnath, and there to Solemnize this Contract with the Woman, 'tis ſaid, [he talked with her,] ver. 7. from whence the Rabbins Report, that Samſon Converted her to the true Religion, by this Conference.
N. B. But that is an uncertain Report. It may more probably be ſaid, That they were now Contracted by Conſent of Parents on both ſides, (for that was in uſe among the Heathens. Placuit Deſpondi, Nuptiis hic dictus eſt Dies. Terence.) And their Marriage-Day was at this firſt Meeting concluded, when their Wedding together might be ſolemnized, and fully compleated for their Bedding together alſo.
The Second Part is the Concomitants of Samſon's Marriage: Remarks hereon are,
Firſt, When this convenient time was come for Solemnizing the Marriage according to the Unanimous Agreement of the laſt Meeting, Samſon goes down with his Parents to be Married, and turning aſide to ſee the Carcaſe of the Lyon, behold there was a Swarm of Bees, and Honey in the Carcaſe, ver. 8.
N. B. Becauſe this muſt require a long time in the Courſe of Nature, therefore ſome ſay there was a great Space betwixt the Time of his Contract, and the Time of his Marriage, otherwiſe Honey-Combs could not have been found in the Carcaſe, &c.
N. B. But ſuch as ſo ſay, do forget that Lovers Hours are full of Eternity, every Hour is a Day, every Day a Week, every Week a Month, and every Month a Year.
N. B. Many Reaſons may be rendred, why that Interſpace ought not to be over-long: 'Twas only but a few Days that were deſired betwixt the Agreement of Marriage, and Rebecca's going to be Married to Iſaac, Gen. 24.55. Yet Eleazer being in Marriage-haſte for his Young Maſter, would not admit of that ſmall Delay.
N. B. As to the Honey-Combs in the Carcaſe, it cannot be imagined, that this was done in an ordinary and common Courſe of Nature, for Bees do naturally abhor all ill ſmells, ſuch as this new ſlain Carcaſe could not want, &c. All this came to paſs by an overruling Providence of God, acting herein after a Supernatural manner, in Subſerviency to his following Deſign.
N. B. No doubt but Samſon turn'd aſide to ſee it, that he might Recognize God's Great Work in his Deliverance from ſo great a Danger, and be accordingly thankful for it, as Pſal. 77.10. to remember former Favours of God, &c. Samſon took of the Honey-Comb in his hand, and went on Eating till he came to his Father and Mother.
N. B. Oh, that we could feed upon that Pabulum Fidei, the Heavenly-Honey-Comb and Manna of the pretious Promiſes, until we come to our Father who is in Heaven; and he gave thereof to them, and they did eat, ver. 9. ſtill Samſon keeps ſilent, not telling his Parents either how he had killed the Lyon, or how he came by the Honey out of the Carcaſe of the Lyon which he had ſlain; his Taciturnity in this caſe was his deep Policy, and his Sublime Prudence, for had his Parents reported it at the following Marriage-Feaſt, (as many Parents love to tell of the Exploits of their Children) it had quite ſpoil'd the Myſtery of his Riddle, &c.
The Second Remark upon the Concomitants of Samſon's Marriage is, Samſon made a Marriage-Feaſt, according to the Cuſtome of the Countrey, ver. 10. and ſuch a Cuſtome is the more laudable, conſidering that Feaſting can never be more ſeaſonable, than when Man recovers his loſt Rib.
N. B. At which Feaſt the Philiſtines obſerving Samſon's Stature and Strength, his Countenance and Carriage, under pretence of gracing him in his Feaſt, brought Thirty Companions to be as Bride-men, as Matth. 9.13. Mark 2.19. John 3.29. but in truth thoſe Companions were not ſet there, ſo much for Samſon's Honour, as for their own Security, for theſe Men they appointed as a Guard to watch his Motions, and to bind him to good behaviour, ver. 11.
N. B. For had theſe Men been Friends, they ſhould have been choſen by himſelf, and not by Enemies: And that which might be the ground of their Fears, was, what they had heard of his Heroick Actions in the Camp of Dan, Judg. 13.25. though they had heard nothing of his Maſtering a Lyon hand to hand, &c. yet the Feats he play'd there might fill them with jealouſies, and cauſe them to ſuſpect him.
The Third Remark upon this ſecond part is, Samſon from the Magnanimous Temper of his mind, takes no notice of the Philiſtins Jealouſies, nor of the Guard ſet over himſelf. But.
N. B. As one altogether unconcerned, he gives his Gueſts a pleaſant Diverſion at his Feaſt, he ſquibs forth an Aenigmatical Sentence, an obſcure Riddle for them to reſolve and Explain, (promiſing them Thirty Sheets, and Thirty Cloaks or Gowns, if they could Interpret it,) which was this, [out of the Eater came forth Meat, and out of the Strong came forth Sweetneſs,] and gave them all the Seven Days that the Feaſt laſted to untye the Knot, and to unfold the Myſtery, but they could not find it out, ver. 12, 13, 14. For the firſt three Days they were at a Non-plus, though they had beaten their Brains, and well-nigh crack'd their Skulls, yet could not Ʋnriddle it, ſeeing the ſame ſenſe was delivered to them in two Branches, on purpoſe to diſtract their Fancies while they imagined ſeveral Senſes lay couched up therein: Three Days they preſumed upon their own Wit, and when that fail'd them, they make Application to Samſon's Wife upon the fourth Day.
N. B. Whom, (as ſome ſay) they found alone, becauſe it being the Sabbath-day, Samſon was taken up in the Worſhip of God, with his Father and Mother, (which ſhews ſhe was but a ſorry Convert as Rabbins call her) ſo had a fair opportunity to work Wilely upon his Wife, with Enticing Promiſes till the Seventh Day came, (for ſo long Marriage-Feaſts laſted, Gen. 29.22, 27.)
N. B. And being loth to loſe their Wager, though it was but little in it ſelf, and thirty times leſs than Samſon's was like to be, ſhould he prove the loſer; and therefore was it a great unkindneſs in this new Bride to have any hand in promoting ſo great a loſs to her New Bridegroom: But they not prevailing with her (as Charity would free her from the Churliſhneſs aforeſaid) till the laſt pinch; or rather, it may be ſaid, ſhe not prevailing with her Husband all the laſt four Days to tell it her, then they preſs upon her with frightful Threatnings to burn her, ver. 15. Telling her, that her pretended kindneſs of Inviting them to the Feaſt, would prove Injurious Unkindneſs, whereby they were like to be undone, &c. whereas one Shirt and Cloak a-piece was far from undoing them.
N. B. However the Timerous Woman was frighted with thoſe big words of being Burnt, (though Burning was her end at laſt, Judg. 15.6.) and hereupon the uſeth the Womens Weapon of Weeping to her Husband, hoping her Tears might prevail more with him, than her Words had done.
N. B. This Weeping was no leſs abſurd and unſeaſonable ata Mirthful Marriage, than is Muſick at a Mournful Funeral; then Samſon had not ſtill loſt his Vertue of Taciturnity, but repulſeth her once and again with this Argument, [Shall I reveal it to thee, what I have conceal'd from my Parents?] ver. 15, 16. as if he had ſaid to her thus;
N. B. I have had long Experience of my Parents Piety and Fidelity, yet told I them nothing of my Matters, ver. 6, 9. and ſhall I tell thee my Miſteries, though a Wife, yet of ſhort Acquaintance and ſmall knowledge of thy Secreſie and Faithfulneſs to me? At this ſhe weeps louder, taking ſo ſore on for this renewed Repulſe, as to become troubleſome to him (ſo the Hebr. word [Hetſikathedu] ſignifies) hanging about his Neck, &c.
N. B. Yea, and probably ſhe not only promiſed him, but alſo bound her Promiſe with a Solemn Oath, that ſhe would not declare his Secret to any Mortal Man; inſomuch, in fine, ſuch was her Invincible Importunity, that at laſt it overcame Samſon, who was otherwiſe Invincible himſelf, by any other means, ver. 17.
N. B. When Satan the grand Tempter is at a loſs at any time, he ſetteth a Woman at work, whereby he drives his Nail of Temptation to the head; he hath broke many a Man's Head by his own Rib, as he did Adam's by his Wife Eve, who was made of a Rib out of his ſide, and this Bait he hath found to take ſo well, that he never hath changed it, ſince he crept into Paradiſe.
N. B. As he found this Ingine ſucceſsful againſt the Innocenteſt Man Adam, and againſt the Wiſeſt Man Solomon, ſo here againſt the Strongeſt Man Samſon; inſomuch as he who was able by his Valour to Vanquiſh a fierce Lyon, and to deſtroy Thouſands of his Enemies, Men of War, afterwards was himſelf here Vanquiſhed by a weak weeping Woman.
N. B. Which ſheweth, That the moſt Martial Men may be Venereous and Ʋxorious: Samſon never bewray'd much Infirmity, but in caſe of his Ʋxoriouſneſs, both now and afterwards; better had it been for him, had he been as prudent to beware the Wiles of a Woman, as he was Valiant to ſtrangle a furious and aſſaulting Lyon: Though the luſty Lyon could not over-power Samſon, yet this Wilely Woman did over wit him; for ſhe betrayed her Truſt, and told the meaning of his Myſtical Riddle to the Fore-Man of his Thirty Companions, (who were Bride-Men.)
N. B. When Samſon in a pang of paſſion had withdrawn himſelf from her, his Chief Bride-man Marry'd her, as afterwards, with whom Samſon ſuſpected (as is ſuppoſed) his Wife had before over-much familiarity, ver. 20. which cauſed him to compare her to a Wanton Heifer, ver. 18.
The Fourth Remark upon the Concomitants is, the Solution of Samſon's Aenigmatical Sentence, which is twofold.
N. B. Firſt, Literal, which the Bride-men (by the Bride's Treachery to her Bride-groom) openly declared before the Sun was ſet upon the Seventh and laſt Day of the Feaſt, ver. 18. that they might win the Wager; Samſon hereupon acknowledgeth he had loſt; yet telleth them, [Had they not plowed with his Heifer, they could not have found out his Riddle.]
N. B. Which is an Allegory wherein he reproves both his Wife's Perfidiouſneſs, and their Fraudulency, in firſt Inticing, and then in Forcing his Wife, to diſcover her Husband's Secrets: They Expounded the Riddle indeed, yet but in dark words, ſaying, [What is ſweeter than Honey, &c?]
N. B. To which might be anſwered, [Sugar,] had it been known in thoſe times as it is in our days: Nor could they have hit upon Honey, had Samſon's Heifer drawn even in the Yoke of Wedlock with himſelf, which ſhe did not, but drew a contrary way
N. B. As befalleth ſuch Married Couples that are unequally Yoked, 2 Cor. 6.14. or Samſon might call her his Heifer, becauſe he ſuſpected that his Friend (ſo called, ver. 20.) had been too familiar with her, as above.
N. B. Some Criticks rendring the Hebrew word [Begnanalti,] in Vitula meâ, in my Heifer; this Chief Bride-man had been Plowing in her, as well as with her; but the plain meaning of that Allegorical Expreſſion is, As the Plowing with Heifers turns up and diſcovers the Treaſure that is hid in the Ground, ſo they had made uſe of his Wife (both by their Fawns and Frowns) to Plow up and bring to light that Myſtery which lay hid in his Obſcure Problem he had put forth to puzzle them.
N. B. Secondly, The Myſtical Senſe of Samſon's Riddle, is twofold. The firſt Myſtical Senſe is, 'Tis an expreſs Figure of the Myſtery of the Death of Chriſt, who is the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, Revel. 5.5. and oft call'd a Lyon, as well as a Lamb.
N. B. Now out of the Carcaſe of this Crucified Chriſt, comes forth that ſweet and ſaving food for the Soul of Man, far ſweeter than Honey, or the Honey-Comb, Pſal. 19.10. and 119. ver. 103. his fleſh is Meat indeed, &c. John 6.51. And by his Death he ſlew the Devil of Death, Mors mortis morti mortem quoque morte dediſſet; there's Honey out of the Rock indeed, Pſal. 81.16. to wit, the Rock Chriſt, Hebr. 2.14. O Death, I will be thy Death. Hoſ. 13.14.
N. B. The Second is, It covertly implyed likewiſe, That the Philiſtines, though now they had ſtrength on their ſide, and exerciſed a rigorous Dominion over Iſrael, and thereby did devour them upon all occaſions, yet at the laſt they ſhould become Meat to the Iſraelites, Pſal. 74.14. whoſe preſent Afflictions (when Sanctified) may be compared to Honey, which alway hath its beſt in the bottom, leaving a ſweet Bleſſing behind them, though grievous at preſent, Hebr. 12.11. God's Rod drops Honey more than Jonathans, 1 Sam. 14.27, 43.
The Third part is the Conſequents, which be Three.
Firſt, Samſon pays the Wager (he had loſt by Treachery) to the Thirty Men with Honeſty, but not without Cruelty, ver. 19.
N. B. For he went in a great pang of Paſſion to Askelon (one of the Principal Cities of the five Lords of the Philiſtines) and finding the Citizens gathered together at their Sports in the Fields, he falls furiouſly upon them, ſlays Thirty of them, and ſtrips them, all the reſt running away in a Fright, and not daring to make a Reſcue.
N. B. Theſe Men that Samſon Murdered, might be Innocent in the matters acted at Timnath; all that can be ſaid to clear Samſon from Cruelty is, That he acted not herein as a private perſon from a Spirit of Revenge, but as a Conſtituted Judge over Iſrael, againſt their Enemies, under the Conduct of God's Spirit.
N. B. The Second is, When he had honeſtly paid what he had deceitfully loſt, with thoſe Spoils he carried from Askelon to Timnath, he packs up his All, and departs from thence to his Father's Houſe.
N. B. Wiſhing (it may be) that he had followed his Father's Advice, in not Marrying that Ʋncircumciſed Philiſtines Daughter, which had ſo betray'd him; and for ſo doing, he left her behind him in Anger.
N. B. The Third is, The Perfidiouſneſs of Samſon's Ʋntamed Heifer; no ſooner had her Husband turn'd his Back, but ſhe Marries the chief Paranymph, or Bride-man, whom Samſon had choſe as his Friend, to be the Maſter of the Ceremonies at his Marriage, and who had ſo ſordidly Influenc'd his Wanton Wife to diſcover her Husband's Secrets: Samſon had made this Man his Alter-Ego, his Second-Self, as a Friend is called, yet he Marries her, ver. 20. and ſo became Samſon's Second-Self indeed. How much more unſufferable was ſuch a Wrong that was done by ſuch a Friend? This made David himſelf cry out, [It was thou my Friend,] Pſal. 55.12, 13.