against us arises from his correspondence with our deceitful hearts and inbred lusts. This proved
an occasion of weaning Samson from his new relations. It were well for us, if the unkindness we
meet with from the world, and our disappointments in it, obliged us by faith and prayer to return
to our heavenly Father's house, and to rest there. See how little confidence is to be put in man.
Whatever pretence of friendship may be made, a real Philistine will soon be weary of a true Israelite.
Chapter 15
Chapter Outline
Samson is denied his wife, He smites the (1–8)
Philistines.
Samson kills a thousand of the Philistines (9–17)
with a jaw-bone.
His distress from thirst. (18–20)Verses 1–8
When there are differences between relations, let those be reckoned the wisest and best, who
are most forward to forgive or forget, and most willing to stoop and yield for the sake of peace. In
the means which Samson employed, we must look at the power of God supplying them, and making
them successful, to mortify the pride and punish the wickedness of the Philistines. The Philistines
threatened Samson's wife that they would burn her and her father's house. She, to save herself and
oblige her countrymen, betrayed her husband; and the very thing that she feared, and by sin sought
to avoid, came upon her! She, and her father's house, were burnt with fire, and by her countrymen,
whom she thought to oblige by the wrong she did to her husband. The mischief we seek to escape
by any unlawful practices, we often pull down upon our own heads.
Verses 9–17
Sin dispirits men, it hides from their eyes the things that belong to their peace. The Israelites
blamed Samson for what he had done against the Philistines, as if he had done them a great injury.
Thus our Lord Jesus did many good works, and for those the Jews were ready to stone him. When
the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, his cords were loosed: where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is liberty, and those are free indeed who are thus set free. Thus Christ triumphed over the
powers of darkness that shouted against him, as if they had him in their power. Samson made great
destruction among the Philistines. To take the bone of an ass for this, was to do wonders by the
foolish things of the world, that the excellency of the power might be of God, not of man. This
victory was not in the weapon, was not in the arm; but it was in the Spirit of God, which moved
the weapon by the arm. We can do all things through Him that strengtheneth us. Seest thou a poor
Christian, who is enabled to overcome a temptation by weak, feeble counsel, there is the Philistine
vanquished by a sorry jaw-bone.