Part 16 (1/2)

CHAPTER VIII.

SAMSON AND HIS EXPLOITS.

This Israelite hero is said to have been born at a time when the children of Israel were in the hands of the Philistines. His mother, who had been barren for a number of years, is entertained by an angel, who informs her that she shall conceive, and bear a son,[62:1] and that the child shall be a _Nazarite_ unto G.o.d, from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.

According to the prediction of the angel, ”the woman bore a son, and called his name _Samson_; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.”

”And Samson (after he had grown to man's estate), went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore get her for me to wife.”

Samson's father and mother preferred that he should take a woman among the daughters of their own tribe, but Samson wished for the maid of the Philistines, ”for,” said he, ”she pleaseth me well.”

The parents, after coming to the conclusion that it was the will of the Lord, that he should marry the maid of the Philistines, consented.

”Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath, and, behold, a young lion roared against him (Samson). And the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him (the lion) as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand.”

This was Samson's _first_ exploit, which he told not to any one, not even his father, or his mother.

He then continued on his way, and went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased him well.

And, after a time, he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carca.s.s of the lion, and behold, ”there was a swarm of bees, and honey, in the carca.s.s of the lion.”

Samson made a feast at his wedding, which lasted for _seven_ days. At this feast, there were brought thirty companions to be with him, unto whom he said: ”I will now put forth a riddle unto you, if ye can certainly declare it me, within the _seven_ days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets, and thirty changes of garments. But, if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets, and thirty changes of garments.” And they said unto him, ”Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.” And he answered them: ”Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.”

This riddle the thirty companions could not solve.

”And it came to pa.s.s, on the _seventh_ day, that they said unto Samson's wife: 'Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle.'”

She accordingly went to Samson, and told him that he could not love her; if it were so, he would tell her the answer to the riddle. After she had wept and entreated of him, he finally told her, and she gave the answer to the children of her people. ”And the men of the city said unto him, on the _seventh_ day, before the sun went down, 'What is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion?'”

Samson, upon hearing this, suspected how they managed to find out the answer, whereupon he said unto them: ”If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.”

Samson was then at a loss to know where to get the thirty sheets, and the thirty changes of garments; but, ”the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, _and slew thirty men of them_, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle.”

This was the hero's _second_ exploit.

His anger being kindled, he went up to his father's house, instead of returning to his wife.[64:1] But it came to pa.s.s, that, after a while, Samson repented of his actions, and returned to his wife's house, and wished to go in to his wife in the chamber; but her father would not suffer him to go. And her father said: ”I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her, therefore, I gave her to thy companion. Is not her younger sister fairer than she? Take her, I pray thee, instead of her.”

This did not seem to please Samson, even though the younger was fairer than the older, for he ”went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned (the foxes) tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.”

This was Samson's _third_ exploit.

When the Philistines found their corn, their vineyards, and their olives burned, they said: ”Who hath done this?”

”And they answered, 'Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion.' And the Philistines came up, and burned her and her father with fire. And Samson said unto them: 'Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.' _And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter_, and he went and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.”

This ”great slaughter” was Samson's _fourth_ exploit.

”Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. And the men of Judah said: 'Why are ye come up against us?' And they answered: 'To bind Samson are we come up, and to do to him as he hath done to us.' Then three thousand men of Judah went up to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson: 'Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us?' And he said unto them: 'As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.' And they said unto him: 'We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines.' And Samson said unto them: 'Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.' And they spake unto him, saying, 'No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hands: but surely we will not kill thee.' And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock. And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, _and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burned with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands_. And he found a new jaw-bone of an a.s.s, and put forth his hand and took it, _and slew a thousand men with it_.”

This was Samson's _fifth_ exploit.