Chapter 16:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Judges 16
Concise Complete
Samson's escape from Gaza. (1-3) Samson enticed to
declare his strength lay. (4-17) The Philistines take Samson, and put out his
eyes. (18-21) Samson's strength is renewed. (22-24) He destroys many of the
Philistines. (25-31)
Verses 1-3
Hitherto Samson's character has appeared glorious, though uncommon. In this
chapter we find him behaving in so wicked a manner, that many question whether
or not he were a godly man. But the apostle has determined this,
hebrews 11:32. By
adverting to the doctrines and examples of Scripture, the artifices of Satan,
the deceitfulness of the human heart, and the methods in which the Lord
frequently deals with his people, we may learn useful lessons from this history,
at which some needlessly stumble, while others cavil and object. The peculiar
time in which Samson lived may account for many things, which, if done in our
time, and without the special appointment of Heaven, would be highly criminal.
And there might have been in him many exercises of piety, which, if recorded,
would have reflected a different light upon his character. Observe Samson's
danger. Oh that all who indulge their sensual appetites in drunkenness, or any
fleshly lusts, would see themselves thus surrounded, way-laid, and marked for
ruin by their spiritual enemies! The faster they sleep, the more secure they
feel, the greater their danger. We hope it was with a pious resolution not to
return to his sin, that he rose under a fear of the danger he was in. Can I be
safe under this guilt? It was bad that he lay down without such checks; but it
would have been worse, if he had laid still under them.
Verses 4-17
Samson had been more than once brought into mischief and danger by the love of
women, yet he would not take warning, but is again taken in the same snare, and
this third time is fatal. Licentiousness is one of the things that take away the
heart. This is a deep pit into which many have fallen; but from which few have
escaped, and those by a miracle of mercy, with the loss of reputation and
usefulness, of almost all, except their souls. The anguish of the suffering is
ten thousand times greater than all the pleasures of the sin.
Verses 18-21 See
the fatal effects of false security. Satan ruins men by flattering them into a
good opinion of their own safety, and so bringing them to mind nothing, and fear
nothing; and then he robs them of their strength and honour, and leads them
captive at his will. When we sleep our spiritual enemies do not. Samson's eyes
were the inlets of his sin, (ver.
1,) and now his
punishment began there. Now the Philistines blinded him, he had time to remember
how his own lust had before blinded him. The best way to preserve the eyes, is,
to turn them away from beholding vanity. Take warning by his fall, carefully to
watch against all fleshly lusts; for all our glory is gone, and our defence
departed from us, when our separation to God, as spiritual Nazarites, is
profaned.
Verses 22-24
Samson's afflictions were the means of bringing him to deep repentance. By the
loss of his bodily sight the eyes of his understanding were opened; and by
depriving him of bodily strength, the Lord was pleased to renew his spiritual
strength. The Lord permits some few to wander wide and sink deep, yet he
recovers them at last, and marking his displeasure at sin in their severe
temporal sufferings, preserves them from sinking into the pit of destruction.
Hypocrites may abuse these examples, and infidels mock at them, but true
Christians will thereby be rendered more humble, watchful, and circumspect; more
simple in their dependence on the Lord, more fervent in prayer to be kept from
falling, and in praise for being preserved; and, if they fall, they will be kept
from sinking into despair.
Verses 25-31
Nothing fills up the sins of any person or people faster than mocking and
misusing the servants of God, even thought it is by their own folly that they
are brought low. God put it into Samson's heart, as a public person, thus to
avenge on them God's quarrel, Israel's, and his own. That strength which he had
lost by sin, he recovers by prayer. That it was not from passion or personal
revenge, but from holy zeal for the glory of God and Israel, appears from God's
accepting and answering the prayer. The house was pulled down, not by the
natural strength of Samson, but by the almighty power of God. In his case it was
right he should avenge the cause of God and Israel. Nor is he to be accused of
self-murder. He sought not his own death, but Israel's deliverance, and the
destruction of their enemies. Thus Samson died in bonds, and among the
Philistines, as an awful rebuke for his sins; but he died repentant. The effects
of his death typified those of the death of Christ, who, of his own will, laid
down his life among transgressors, and thus overturned the foundation of Satan's
kingdom, and provided for the deliverance of his people. Great as was the sin of
Samson, and justly as he deserved the judgments he brought upon himself, he
found mercy of the Lord at last; and every penitent shall obtain mercy, who
flees for refuge to that Saviour whose blood cleanses from all sin. But here is
nothing to encourage any to indulge sin, from a hope they shall at last repent
and be saved.
Chapter 16:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
