taken from him and given “to his companion” (Judges 14:20). For this
Samson took revenge by burning the “standing corn of the Philistines”
(15:1-8), who, in their turn, in revenge “burnt her and her father with fire.”
Her death he terribly avenged (15:7-19). During the twenty years
following this he judged Israel; but we have no record of his life. Probably
these twenty years may have been simultaneous with the last twenty
years of Eli’s life. After this we have an account of his exploits at Gaza
(16:1-3), and of his infatuation for Delilah, and her treachery (16:4-20),
and then of his melancholy death (16:21-31). He perished in the last
terrible destruction he brought upon his enemies. “So the dead which he
slew at his death were more [in social and political importance=the elite of
the people] than they which he slew in his life.”
“Straining all his nerves, he bowed: As with the force of winds and waters
pent, When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars With horrible
convulsion to and fro He tugged, he shook, till down they came, and drew
The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder Upon the heads of all
who sat beneath, Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests, Their
choice nobility and flower.” Milton’s Samson Agonistes.
- SAMUEL heard of God. The peculiar circumstances connected with his
birth are recorded in 1 Samuel 1:20. Hannah, one of the two wives of
Elkanah, who came up to Shiloh to worship before the Lord, earnestly
prayed to God that she might become the mother of a son. Her prayer was
graciously granted; and after the child was weaned she brought him to
Shiloh nd consecrated him to the Lord as a perpetual Nazarite (1:23-2:11).
Here his bodily wants and training were attended to by the women who
served in the tabernacle, while Eli cared for his religious culture. Thus,
probably, twelve years of his life passed away. “The child Samuel grew
on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men” (2:26; comp.
Luke 2:52). It was a time of great and growing degeneracy in Israel (Judges
21:19-21; 1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22). The Philistines, who of late had greatly
increased in number and in power, were practically masters of the country,
and kept the people in subjection (1 Samuel 10:5; 13:3).
At this time new communications from God began to be made to the pious
child. A mysterious voice came to him in the night season, calling him by
name, and, instructed by Eli, he answered, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant
heareth.” The message that came from the Lord was one of woe and ruin to
Eli and his profligate sons. Samuel told it all to Eli, whose only answer to