XIII.
THE BIRTH OF SAMSON.
1. Fresh apostasy of Israel. Judges 13:2-5. Appearance of an angel to the wife of Manoah, and prophecy that she is to bear a son, who is to be a Nazarite and a deliverer. Judges 13:6-7. She tells her husband. Judges 13:8-10. At the prayer of Manoah the angel again appears. Judges 13:11-14. His conversation with Manoah. Judges 13:15-18. Manoah offers a kid. Judges 13:19-20. Disappearance of the angel. Judges 13:21-23. Fears of Manoah set at rest by his wife. Judges 13:24-25. Birth and first actions of Samson.
Endeavours have been made to arrange the acts of Samson in the following four Chapter s in the form of a drama in five acts, each containing three incidents (Ewald); but the arrangement is arbitrary, for it counts Judges 13:25 as one of the incidents, and supposes that two are accidentally omitted after the carrying away of the gates of Gaza. Nor can it be made out, without arbitrary combination, that twelve of his acts are recorded (Bertheau). The attempts to draw out a parallel (as Roskoff has done) between the acts of Samson and the labours of Hercules is entirely valueless and unsuccessful, although, as will be seen from the notes on Judges 14:6-12; Judges 15:4-14; Judges 16:6, parts of his story may have crept into Greek legends through the agency of Phœnician traders, and though certain features in his character — e.g., its genial simplicity and amorous weakness — resemble those of the legendary Greek hero. The narrative is in great measure biographical. It illustrates Samson’s dedication to God as the source of his strength (Judges 14:15.), and his own personal sins and follies as the source of his ruin (Judges 16). The first section contains six incidents: — (1) The slaying a lion (Judges 14:5). (2) The slaughter of the Philistines (Judges 14:19). (3) The burning of the Philistines’ corn-fields (Judges 15:4-5). (4) Slaughter of the Philistines (Judges 15:8). (5) The breaking of the cords (Judges 15:14). (6) Slaughter of a thousand Philistines (Judges 15:14-17). The chief incidents in the second section are: — (1) The gates of Gaza (Judges 16:3). (2) The breaking of the Philistines’ bonds (Judges 16:6-14). (3) The pulling down the temple of Dagon (Judges 16:22). Samson shows greater personal prowess than any of the judges, but a less noble personal character.