Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 1 · Judges · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII.
ANd Samson went downe to Timnath, and saw a woman of Timnath of the daughters of the Philistims, &c. Of Timnath see before Gen. 38. 12. V. 1, 2.where Judah is said to have gone thither to sheare his sheepe, and Josh. 24. 30. for H. Bunting will have this Timnath and that to bee all one, but forsomuch H. Bunt. Patria. travailes. Lyra.as that Timnath was in Mount Ephraim, but this, as Lyra saith, in the Philistims Countrey nearer to the Sea, see Josh. 19. 50. he was deceived. To this City of the Philistims Samson goeth downe, for now the Israelites being under their dominion, they might freely goe amongst them and returne. But whereas Samson is said to desire one of their daughters to wife, which is against the law, Deut. 7. it is said to have come of the Lord, that he might V. 4.take occasion to quarrell with the Philistims, which his parents knew not, and therefore disswaded him from it. But it seemeth, that Samson knew it, and it was revealed unto him, and he made his parents acquainted with it, whereupon they yeelded to his desire, for otherwise both hee and they had sinned herein, which is not to be thought of them, because they were godly and devout persons: thus also Lyra, who further inquireth, what neede there was, that Samson should seeke occasion to fight against the Philistims, seeing their unjust holding of any part of Israel inheritance from them was a sufficient occasion, and answereth, that they were now under the Philistims dominion, and so by covenant happily and oath obliged unto them, and therefore he could not without breach hereof make warre against them, unlesse some new occasion were offered.
Then went Samson downe to Timnath and his father and mother, and came to the V. 5.vineyards of Timnath, and behold a young Liou roared upon him, &c. Here is the first particular act expressed, whereby Samson gave proofe of his strength, and it seemeth, that hee was now gone aside from his Parents upon some occasion, for hee rent the lion in pieces, as a kid, having nothing in his hand, but V. 6.told not them of it, therefore they were not present, when hee did it. And when hee did this, it is said, the Spirit of God came upon him, to shew that hee had not this great strength of himselfe, but by the Spirit, as also appeared afterwards, when the Spirit of God left him, Judg. 16. 20. And it was by a singular providence, that a fierce young lion now encountred him, that hee might with the more courage, this valiant act being done, set upon the Philistims afterwards. In that Samson would not wed without his parents consent, all young men and women, saith Ferus, may learne their duty, viz, Note. Ferus.to obey their parents even in their marriages, and parents should not tyrannically force them to match contrary to their liking, as Samsons parents did not. And in that hee, which should deliver Israel from the Philistims, joyned himselfe in affinity with them, hee noteth well, that God goeth about such things, as hee will bring to passe the cleane contrary way: because matching into any stocke is a meanes commonly of the more amity and love, although it bee by some Princes perverted to an occasion of quarell to enlarge their dominions, wherein they marry as Samson did, but not having the same spirit to move them, but ambition and covetousnesse; although he did well, they sinne greatly herein.
After the Lion thus slaine, Samson having his parents with him agreeth to V. 7, 8, 9.marry that woman, and descending for the celebrating of the muptialls hee findeth bees and honey in the Lions carkass, whereof hee taketh and eateth and giveth some to his Parents. Wherefore did Samson goe to see the Lions Qu. carkass? Doubtlesse not out of curiosity, but that by seeing it againe he might bee the more confirmed; and hee was now also brought hither againe by a secret instinct of the Spirit, that hee might see another wonder, a swarme of bees making their neasts there, a thing, which they naturally abhorre from, for bees harbour not in stinking, but cleane places. OnelyOnly God, who can doe all things, caused it thus to bee at this time, that a foundation might bee laid of his riddle, and quarrell with the Philistims, which follow, v. 12, 13. &c. Of the bees being delighted in sweet flowers and cleane things, and abhorring from all stinking things, write Pliny, Varro, Collumella, and others; but Lyra and Lyra. Tostatus.Abulensis say, that there are two kinds of Bees, the City Bee, which indeed is so cleanly, and the Countrey Bee, which is not, and therefore these Bees might bee of this kinde. But no Naturalist writeth of any such kinde of bees, and therefore it is but a conjecture. Some thinke that the carkasse was consumed Bonfreriusto the bare bones, and so stanke not, and that the bees were bred of the putrifaction of the Lions dead body; but this was miraculous, because although bees breed of Bullocks, waspes of Horses, and hornets of Asses, yet of Lions no such thing hath ever been observed. The Vulg. Latine and Septuagint, for carkasse, have, the mouth of the Lion, but Hebr. it is the carkasse. Whereas it is said, Hee gave of the honey to his father and mother; Comestor addeth, and, Schol. Hist. V. 11.to his Spouse also. And whereas at the nuptialls it is said, That they brought unto him 30 young men to bee his companions, hee saith, that the men of Timnath did this, pretending that they should keep him company during the feast, and bee merry with him, but intending that they should bee his keepers, for feare of any attempt to bee made by him through his great strength: so likewise Ferus and Lyra, and others, they pretended to doe this in friendship, and Ferus. Lyra.to honour him, but they were indeed set to resist him, if the case should so require.
And Samson said, I will now put forth a riddle unto you, and if you can certainly V. 12.declare it unto mee within seven dayes of the feast, I will give you 30 sheets, and 30 changes of garments, &c. This is the onelyonly example of propounding a riddle in all the Scriptures, but amongst the Greekes it was a thing commonly used at feasts, but not upon such paines, but the condition was to drinke a cup of wine to him that resolved it, or salt water to him that could not resolve it; so Pollux, Atheneus, Aristophanes and others. Wee may see here how much our Ferus.marriage feasts are gone from that they were of old; for now they are kept with drinking and dancing, and wanton dalliances, but then with exercises of the wit, whereof some good might come. For sheets, the Septuagint and Vulgar Latine have syndones, linnen garments; and hereby are meant shirts, which goe next the body, covering it all over; by the other 30 change of garments, are meant coates, which are commonly worne above. The riddle propounded, (when the condition was agreed upon, viz. that if they could resolve it, hee would give them these garments, but if not, they should give so many to him) was this, Out of the eater came meat, and out of the strong came sweetnesse. V. 14.this he propounded, having in minde that marvailous thing before related, for the Lion eateth other creatures, and was most strong, but the sweet honey comb which is pleasant meate, came out of his dead body. Some make a question upon Samsons eating of that which came out of a Lion, which is an uncleane Qu. beast, whether he sinned not? because Levit. 11. 34. that which toucheth the carkasse of any uncleane beast, is uncleane, and may not bee eaten. I answer, God provided this honey here extraordinarily, that Samson might eate of it, and therefore it was no fault in him; as neither the taking up of the jawbone of an Asse, which was uncleane also, and drinking out of it, and other things that hee did, which were not lawfull ordinarily to bee done, but by Divine dispensation they might be done by him. The riddle propounded Samsons companions V. 15, 16, 17, 18.could not expound in three dayes, but afterwards comming to his wife and threatening her, shee with teares prevailed so, that before the 7 dayes of the Feast were ended, Samson expounded it to her, and shee to them, and they to Samson. Whereas shee is said to have wept before him 7 dayes, it may bee demanded how this could bee, seeing they came not to her with their threatenings Qu. till the 7 day? Answ. Although it is said, that they could not expound it in 3 dayes, and that they threatened not her till the 7 day, it followeth not, but that they might importune her, and shee her husband from the beginning; but Samson putting her off 3 dayes, and shee them, they set upon her afterwards with more violence, threatening destruction to her and her fathers house, unlesse shee learned out the exposition of the riddle for them. Or else they having studyed upon it by themselves 7 dayes in vaine, laboured with her about it by prayers and intreaties till the 7 day, and then threatened her, and shee all those 4 dayes laboured by teares with Samson, till shee prevailed; and these are said to bee 7 dayes, because the greater part of the 7 dayes of the feast; so Lyra. Or shee is said to have wept 7 dayes, that is, some of the 7, as Christ is said to have Lyra.appeared 40 dayes, that is, divers of the 40 from his resurrection to his ascension; Hugo Cardin.so Hugo. Touching their speaking to Samsons wife upon the 7 day, Lyra saith, it was not the 7 day of the feast, but the Sabbath day, which was one of the 7 festivall dayes, viz. the fourth, but called the 7, because the Sabbath was the 7 day: But I see not, how by the 7 day any other can bee understood then the 7 day of the feast, seeing the reckoning is altogether made hereby, and it was the 7 day towards Sun-setting, before that they could know the exposition of the riddle, so long did they labour with Samsons wife, and shee with her husband, before that hee would disclose it; but hee that was most strong in body, was not so strong in minde, but by a womans weeping and teares hee was at length overcome. For the feast of 7 dayes continuance, it was a thing Gen. 29. 27.then usuall at marriages. Samson having the exposition of his riddle brought unto him upon the 7 day before the Sun-set, said, If yee had not ploughed with V. 18. Lyra.my beifer, yee bad not found out my riddle: A metaphoricall speech to set forth the finding out of a mans secrets by the helpe of his wife; for hee that plougheth the ground, discovereth that which was before hidden; and hee likeneth his wife to an heifer, propter muliebrem insolentiam, saith Lyra. And hee that useth any thing of another mans to get advantage against him, may well have this proverb also applyed to him.
And the Spirit of God came upon him, and hee went up to Askelon, and V. 19.slew thirty men, &c. Here was a bold attempt, shewing invincible courage and strength, in that one man alone durst come into a populous City, and there slay 30 men, and take their spoile to give to those 30 that had expounded his riddle. What did all the rest of the Citizens whilst he was doing this? Verily, it is to bee thought, that for feare of him they ran away and hid themselves. But how was this justifiable, hee owing garments by covenant to some, to goe and take them from others being slaine, therewith to pay them? Answ. Qu. In all this Samson sinned not, because by the Spirit of God comming upon him he was moved unto it, but for us it is not lawfull, but a great sinne to doe the like. The thing that outwardly provoked Samson to this, was to bee revenged for the injury done unto him, in that by threatening his wife, they had wrested the exposition of the riddle from him, whereas the condition was, if they of themselves could find it out.
Then his wrath was kindled against the Philistims, and hee went away to his fathers V. 20.house, but his wife was given to his companion. Here that began to worke, for which the Lord moved him to marry a wife of the Philistims, hee was now made their professed enemy, but they themselves were the first cause hereof, both for the indirect meanes which they used to resolve his riddle, and in that his wives father, contrary to the law of marriage, gave her to another man. Samson was angry with the Philistims, who happily derided him when they received his gifts, and with his wife, for her treacherous dealing in bewraying his secrets, so he left her in his wrath for a time, and went to his fathers house; but her father taking it for a finall departing, and conceiving that Samson had quite rejected her, marryeth her to one of his companions, that is, one of the 30 brought to be his companions during the feast: for that this was the cause of giving her to another, may bee seen, Chap. 15. 2.