Dalila, a Philistine woman, after many pleadings[1], extracted from him the secret of his strength. “The razor hath never come upon my head, for I am a Nazarite: that is to say, consecrated to God. If my head be shaven[2] my strength will depart, and I shall be like other men.” During his sleep Dalila cut off his hair, called the Philistines, who captured him, put out his eyes, and cast him into prison[3]. Some time after, a great feast was celebrated in honour of the idol Dagon (Fig. 39) [4], when more than three thousand Philistines were assembled in the house. Blind Samson, whose hair had grown again, was brought out that he might amuse them by feats[5] of his strength. He told the boy who led him to bring him to the pillars upon which the whole house rested. Then he prayed: “O Lord God, remember me and restore to me my former strength.” Then grasping the pillars, he shook them so strongly that the whole house rocked and fell upon himself and all the people. In this manner he killed many more enemies of God at his death[6] than he had killed during life.
COMMENTARY.
Justice, Patience, and Mercy of God. The Chanaanites, if they had had a right will, could have learnt to know the true God by means of the wonders which He wrought before their very eyes. As, however, in spite of this, they persevered in impiety and immorality, the judgments of God overtook them, and they were rooted out by the Israelites.
- ↑ Many pleadings. Because the princes of the Philistines had promised her much money if she would extract Samson’s secret from him.
- ↑ Shaven. By shaving his head Samson would break his vow and would no longer be consecrated to God.
- ↑ Into prison. They treated him as a slave and set him to the most servile works. How, in his misery, Samson must have repented of his folly, and prayed to God for pardon !
- ↑ Dagon . A fish-god. They said: “Our god (Dagon) hath delivered our enemy Samson into our hands” (Judg. 16, 23). The feast was, therefore, held to celebrate the triumph of the idol Dagon over the God of Samson.
- ↑ By feats. And by singing and dancing. They wished to make sport of him whom God had chosen to be judge over His people! What a humiliation for Samson!
- ↑ At his death. He sacrificed his own life, so as to destroy the despisers of God and the oppressors of his people.
