The Spirit of the Lord. — Implying here an access of courage and strength. The verb rendered “came mightily” literally means pervaded, as in Judges 14:19; Judges 15:14; 1 Samuel 10:10. (Comp. 1 Samuel 18:10 — of the evil spirit rushing upon Saul; LXX., “leapt upon him;” Vulg., irruit.)
Rent him. — Josephus (with the intention of making his Greek readers think of Hercules and the Nemean lion) says “he throttled him.” Of course this was a most heroic exploit, but it is not unparalleled. Pausanias, in his Eliaca (ap. Suid. Lex. s.v Polydamas), related a feat of the athlete Polydamas, who in his youth slew, while unarmed, a great and strong lion in Olympus, B.C. 400. Cases are recorded in which Arabs have done the same. Similar acts of prowess are attributed to David (1 Samuel 17:54) and to Benaiah (2 Samuel 23:28).
He told not his father or his mother. — This reticence shows how free he was from all boastfulness.