i. to the end and thereupon conclude, that Gideon's crime, in making this ephod, was not to esta- From Judges blish idolatry, but only to institute another priesthood, besides that which God had ap- the pointed in Aaron and his posterity: And to this purpose they suppose, that he erected. a private tabernacle, an altar, a mercy-seat, with cherubims, &c. that being now made the supreme governor, he might consult God at his own house, in such difficult points as occurred in his administration. But besides that it is not easy to imagine, that a man familiar with God, and chosen by him, as Gideon was, should, after so signal a victory as he had obtained, immediately apostatize, as he must have done, had he set up an oracle in his own house; there seems to have been no manner of necessity for it, because Shiloh (where the tabernacle stood) was in the tribe of Ephraim, which adjoined to that of Manasseh, whereunto Gideon belonged. (a) Nor should it be forgotten, that this ephod was (b) set up in Ophrah, which place Gideon (c) quitted as soon as he had resigned his public employ, and retiring to a country-house of his own, in all probability left this ephod behind him: There is reason therefore to believe, that the design of setting it up, was merely to be a monument of his remarkable victory over the Midianites, in like manner as other conquerors had done before him; only, as the common custom was, to erect a pillar, or hang up trophies upon the like occasion, he chose rather to make an ephod or priest's habit, (perhaps all of solid gold) as a token that he ascribed this victory only to God, and triumphed in nothing so much, as in the reformation of the true religion by that means.. This was an action of no bad intent in Gideon, though, in after-times, when the people began to return to idolatry, and had this fancy among others, that God would answer them at Ophrah, where this ephod was, as well as at his tabernacle in Shiloh, it was perverted to a bad purpose. But as this abuse arose from the mad caprice of the people, and not from any ill intent in Gideon, he is no more chargeable therewith, than Moses was with the idolatrous worship which the Israelites, in future ages, paid to the brazen-serpent, which he, for very beneficial purposes, at first set up. It is generally supposed, (d) that the Sacred History has not furnished us with a compleat catalogue of the several judges that governed Israel, from the death of Joshua to the reign of Saul; and that even of those whom it takes notice of, it relates nothing but what was most remarkable in their lives and actions: And yet, notwithstanding this conciseness, it is far more exact and instructive than the history of Josephus, to which (e) Scaliger seems to give a preference above all others. The fault of Josephus (as any one may perceive it) is this:-That he omits the account of several miracles which the Holy Scripture relates, for fear that other nations, to whom he writes, should think he gives too much into the marvellous, though, at the same time, he makes no scruple of sacrificing the glory of God to his own private character. For this reason it is, that (f) he says nothing of the angel's touching with the end of his rod the sacrifice which Gideon had prepared, and so causing fire to flame out of the rock and consume it; nothing of the two signs which God was pleased to grant him for the confirmation of his and his confederates faith, exhibited in the fleece's being at one time wet, and at another dry; nothing of his zeal in demolishing the altar and grove of Baal, for which he drew upon himself the indignation of all the abettors of idolatry; and here, in the matter of Shamgar, he suppresses the circumstance of his slaying six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad, though this be the only remarkable action recorded of him, and what may not improbably be thus accounted for. In not many ages after this, we read, that these very Philistines, with whom he had here to do, had disarmed the Israelites to that degree, that (g) none in their whole army, when they came to action, had either sword or spear, but only Saul and Jona (a) Patrick's Commentary. leglon tué par Ehud. (g) 1 Sam. xiii. 20, &c. (b) Judg. viii. 27. (c) Ver. 29. (d) Saurin's Dissert. sur Ant. Chris. or 1222. A. M. 2561. than his son; nay, that they would not so much as suffer a smith to live among them, &c. or 419. for fear of their providing themselves with military weapons, but obliged them to re1443, &c. pair to them, whenever they wanted to sharpen or repair their instruments of husbandry. Now it must be allowed, that the Scriptures say nothing of any such reduction as this in the days of Shamgar: But if such was the policy of the Philistines in the beginning of Saul's reign, why may we not suppose that it commenced some time sooner? This certainly the Scripture tells us expressly, that (a)" in the days of Shamgar, the highways were unoccupied, and the inhabitants of villages ceased," by reason of the Philistines, who came and plundered the country, and carried off what booty they pleased without molestation; and therefore it is not unlikely, that, for want of some regular arms, (whereof the Philistines had stripped the Israelites) Shamgar might make himself a goad so well contrived, that with it he could kill any man, without any manner of suspicion that it was made for that purpose, but only for common use ;* that with this instrument he usually went to plow; and when at any time the Philistines made their inroads into his lands, he, with the assistance of his servants, (who perhaps were armed in the like manner) fell upon them, and, at several times, killed to the number of six hundred of them in the space of about twenty years. This is a fair analysis of the sense of the words; and where is the great incongruity of this? Or what indeed is there in the whole, that an ordinary master of a family, with his domestics about him, might not do, even though we should not call in any supernatural strength to his assistance? There is more reason, however, why we should have recourse to the supernatural aid of God, in Samson's slaying a thousand of these Philistines at one heat as it were, with no other weapon than the jaw-bone of an ass. (b) For though asses in Syria (as the learned affirm) are both stronger and larger than what we have with us, and their bones consequently better fitted for such hard service as this; yet it must be owned, that it was by the wonderful strength that God infused into him, and not any aptitude of the instrument he made use of, that he was enabled to do all this execution, which is only incredible to those (c) that do not consider the power of God, who can raise our natural strength to what degree he pleases, and at the same time enfeeble the spirits of those who oppose his designs in such a manner, that they shall have no power to help themselves. It must be owned, however, that there are some circumstances in this transaction which might possibly intimidate the Philistines, and thereby contribute to facilitate the slaughter which Samson made among them. The people of Judah had now prevailed with him to suffer himself to be bound, and conducted to the Philistines camp: The Philistines, as soon as they saw him coming, ran out with joy to receive him, and very likely forgot to take their arms with them, as knowing for certainty, that he was safe enough now, and bound, as we say, to his good behaviour. But when, contrary to their expectation, they saw him first break the cords so easily and suddenly, and then coming upon them with such fury and vengeance, (d) it is not unlikely, that this might put them in no small confusion, and as they straggled about in their flight, give him the opportunity of slaying them one by one as he came up with them. [There is likewise reason to believe, that the ass, if not a sacred animal itself among the Philistines, was an animal which they offered in sacrifice to their god, and on which (a) Judg v. 6, 7. [The goads for common use at this day in Syria are very fit for such a purpose. They are about eight feet long, and, at the bigger end about six inches in circumference. At that end they are armed with a small spade, or paddle of iron, for cleaning the plough from the clay that encumbers it in working; and at the other or smaller end, with a sharp prickle for driving the oxen.] Burder's Oriental Customs, No. 79. (b) Pool & Annotations (c) Patrick's Comment, (d) Patrick's Commentary. i. to the end they were accustomed to feast themselves. Pallas assures us that, among the Kirgi- From Judges sians, the roasted flesh of the wild ass is deemed one of the greatest dainties; and we of Ruth know from Pliny, (a) that the flesh of the young onager was in great request among. the Roman epicures. We have already seen that the ass was deemed sacred at Pethor where Balam officiated as high priest; and nothing is better known than that among the idolaters of high antiquity, the animal, which was itself the emblem of a divinity in one country, or even in one province of a country, was offered in sacrifice in another at no great distance. The ass, which was a god or the emblem of a god at Pethor, may have been sacrificed to Dagon by the Philistines at Lehi; and from the circumstance of the jaw-bone being fresh and moist, with which Samson routed the Philistines, Mr Bryant infers, (b) and I think with great reason, that an ass had been just sacrificed by that people, who had been regaling themselves on its flesh, in gratitude to their god for delivering into their hands their most formidable enemy bound, and rendered incapable of defending himself, by his own countrymen. But if such was the case, the miraculous exploit of Samson was a conspicuous manifestation of the superiority of Jehovah over the gods of the Philistines; and when that people saw him not only burst the bands with which he had been bound by his own countrymen, but also convert the jaw-bone of that very animal which they had just offered in sacrifice to their tutelary gods, into an instrument of their destruction, it was natural for them to be confounded, and rendered utterly incapable of defending themselves.] This, we must allow, is the highest instance of personal prowess that we any where read of; and yet profane historians inform us of other men, who, by their mere natural courage, unassisted by any Divine power (as the Scripture informs us Samson was), have made great havock among their enemies: For Flavius Vopiscus reports, that in the Sarmatic war, Aurelian slew forty-eight men in one day, and in several days * 950, which diminishes the wonder of this achievement of Samson's not a little; especially considering, that the Philistines, in their surprise, might think that this was all a trick and management of his conductors to get so many unarmed men into their power, and that they too were ready to fall upon them, and assist him, in case they should make any opposition against their champion. That Samson, after so long a fatigue, should be almost ready to #2 die with thirst, is no strange thing at all; but the question is, how, in a place where no water was, he came to have his thirst allayed? The Hebrew word Mactes does properly signify the socket, in which the great teeth in the jaw are fastened; and from hence Bochart, among many others, endeavours to maintain by arguments, that God made one of these teeth drop out of the jaw, wherewith samson had done all this execution, and immediately a stream of water gushed out from thence: But with all due deference to the learning of so great a man, (c) it is somewhat strange, that he should not observe (when he had (a) Lib. viii. c. 44. (b) Observ. on some passages in Sacred Scripture. part ii. * Upon this occasion the boys made a song, (not much unlike that which Samson made of himself, Judg. xv. 16.) which, after a military manner, they shouted in their dances. "Mille, mille, mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus unus homo; Mille, mille, mille, mille, decollavimus; Mille, mille, mille: Vivat, qui mille, mille occidit: tantum vini habet nemo, quantum effudit sanguinis. Vid. Patrick's Comment. ** Josephus gives us a strange account of the reason of Samson's thirst, and what there is no manner of foundation for in the Scripture. "Samson (says he) was so transported with the thoughts of this victory, that he had the vanity to assume the honour of the action to himself, without ascribing the glory of His Ant. Chris. A. M. 2561, this passage under consideration), that such a miracle as this would be inconsistent &c. or 4189. with the words which follow, (a)" wherefore he called the name thereof," i. e. of 1443, &c. the fountain of water which gushed out, "En-hakkor, or the well of him that cried to God, which is in Lehi even unto this day." Lehi is here therefore the proper name of a place. That place had doubtless its appellation from this adventure of Samson's with the jaw bone, and from this place God caused a spring to arise, that he might allay his hero's thirst. For it is incongruous to think, that the jaw of an ass, or any other creature, could have subsisted to the time when the author of this book of Judges lived; or (if all this while none should have had the curiosity to take away this wonderful bone) that God should, out of the socket of one of its teeth, cause a stream of water to flow, by one continual, useless miracle. * It must then be a mistake in our version, to render the words, "God clave an hollow place, which was in the jaw," when (according to the sense of the ancients upon this place) they should be translated, which was in Lehi. For the truth of the matter is, that though this jaw be long extinct and gone, yet those who have travelled through this part of Palestine, do inform us, that in the suburbs of Eleutheropolis, where Lehi very likely stood, the fountain which arose upon this occasion, is still remaining, and called the fountain of the jaw, to this day. But be that as it will, whether the water which refreshed Samson in this his distress came from the jaw-bone, or (as others think) from a cliff in a rock, or an hollow in the earth, the miracle is the same, though it may not be improper (whenever we can by an easier interpretation) to take away occasion from those that seek occasion to disparage the oracles of God. We are not however concerned to vindicate Samson in all his extravagant and outrageous actions; such as his marrying an idolatress, and then leaving her; his loving lewd women, and discovering the great secret, whereon his all depended, to a common prostitute; his killing some and maiming others, who perhaps had never done him any personal injury; and setting the whole country on fire to burn their corn-fields and vineyards, with many other things that might be alleged against him. All that we have to say is, that God raised him up to be a scourge to the Philistines, and that, had there not been some peculiarities in his temper, he had not been so proper an instrument in his hand; or that had he not run himself so often into difficulties, he would not have had so frequent occasion to employ the strength which God had given him in extricating himself from thence by the death and destruction of his enemies. Though therefore there was no fatality in making him of this unruly disposition, (for that he contracted himself) yet there was a wise direction of God's Providence in making his rugged temper subservient to his purposes, and even out of his faults and enormities extracting the plagues and punishment of his foes; for (b) " surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, (says the Psalmist) and the remainder of his wrath shalt thou restrain." This we may lay down as a general reason for God's making use of so furious an instrument as Samson was, in the execution of his will: And now let us examine a little into the other inconsistencies, which some pretend to espy in the sequel of this story. (a) Judg. xv. 19. *To this purpose we may observe, that the Seventy Interpreters, the Chaldee Paraphrast, and Josephus in his history, make it to be a proper name of a place whence the waters gushed out. The words in the Septuagint are, Καὶ ἔῤῥηξεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἐν Σιαγόνι, και ἐξηλθεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ὕδωρ, "God clave an hollow place" in the ground, which was afterwards called lehi, or siagon, and out of it issued water. Josephus is quoted be fore, only he had these words farther, or Eaμyarns to the end. th A certain anonymous author, † in a dissertation upon Samson's foxes, has solved From Judges the whole difficulty of that piece of history, if we will but admit of his suppositions. He supposes, that the word Schualim, which we render foxes, should, with a little variation, be written Schoulim, which denotes sheaves, or rather shocks of corn; and that the word Zanab, which in our translation is a tail, equally signifies the extreme or outermost part of any thing. Thus, in an orchard planted in the form of a quincunx, the farthermost tree is called Zanab; and in like manner, the extreme or outside shocks in a field may be so called here; and then the sense of the words will be,-" That Samson, at different places, set fire to three hundred shocks of corn, which stood in the outparts of the fields, belonging to the Philistines, and so, by the fire's spreading from shock to shock, destroyed, in a manner, all their crop." But without entertaining any novel interpretation, and which upon examination perhaps will hardly bear the test, we may adventure to say, that these three hundred foxes which Samson is said to have caught, are not, even in a literal sense, so incredible a thing, nor so liable to ridicule as some may imagine. For we are to consider, (as the learned (a) Bochart, from the account of several travellers, evinces) that the whole country, especially that part of it which belonged to the tribe' of Gad, so abounded with foxes, that from them (b) several places took their names: that under the name of foxes may not improperly be comprehended a creature, very much like them, called thous, which go in such herds, that two hundred of them have been seen together at once; that the manner of catching them was not (as we may imagine) by hunting only, but by snares and nets, as the above mentioned author plainly demonstrates; and that Samson did not do this alone by himself, in a day and night's time, but that, being assisted by his servants and neighbours, (as he was a man of considerable eminence in his country) he might possibly be some weeks in accomplishing his design. ["There is indeed reason to think, that there was nothing new or uncommon in this operation, as it was the most obvious for the end proposed that the wit of men could de We accordingly find, that Ovid alludes to the practice, and mentions, that foxes and fire-brands were every year exhibited at Rome, and killed in the circus. It is al luded to proverbially, more than once, by Lycophron, and seems to have been well known in Greece. He makes Cassandra represent Ulysses as a man both of cunning and mischief; and styles him xaμoupos, a fox with a fire-brand at his tail; because whereever he went, mischief followed. In another place, he speaks of a woman equally artful and mischievous, and calls her-Baσrapa raμougis, a she-fox with the like fire behind (c).”] To catch foxes in great numbers, and to employ them, with fire-brands at their tails, as instruments of destruction, appears therefore to have been an exploit by no means peculiar to Samson. It was an exploit indeed far from being incredible or even romantic, if we consider what collections have been made of creatures much wilder and rarer than foxes; that (d) Lucius Sylla, when he was prætor, ordered to be shewn on the amphitheatre an hundred lions; Julius Cæsar, when he was dictator, four hundred ; and that (e) the emperor Probus, at one spectacle, exhibited a thousand ostriches, a thousand stags, an hundred Lybian, and a hundred Syrian leopards, and an infinite number of other strange creatures: and why then should it be thought to be a thing so incredible, as to need the intervention of a miracle (as some contend) for Samson, with + Mr Bernard, in his Repub. des Lettres, Oct 1707, p. 407. makes mention of a small treatise in 12mo, entitled, Dissertation sur l' Annesse de Balaam, les Renards de Samson, la Machoire d'âne, &c. from whom I have extracted the author's sentiment, as Mr Bernard has represented it, but could by no means meet with the book itself, and cannot therefore properly enter into an examination of the author's opiVOL. II. M nion: however, I thought convenient to make men- |