SAMSON
them
tight
with
the
pin,"
etc.
We
are
to
imagine
an
upright
loom
with
a
piece
of
unfinished
stuff;
Delilah
weaves
the
hair
into
this,
and
beats
it
tight
with
the
'pin.'
Samson
pulls
up
the
posts
of
the
loom
by
his
hair
which
is
fastened
to
the
web.
For
v.2»,
ct.
the
blinding
of
captives
as
shown
on
Assyr.
monuments;
to
be
put
to
the
mill
was
a
frequent
punishment
of
slaves.
Nothing
is
known
of
the
worship
of
Dagon
(cf.
18
6);
the
etymology
'flsh-god'
and
the
con-nexion
with
the
Assyr.
god
'Dagan'
are
uncertain.
2.
Origin
and
nature
of
the
story.
—
(a)
The
narrative
seems
to
belong
entirely
to
J,
the
Judsan
source
of
the
early
history
of
Israel;
there
are
no
traces
of
a
double
source,
as
in
other
parts
of
Judges.
It
has
been
but
slightly
revised
by
the
Deuteronomio
editor.
Ch.
16,
though
an
integral
part
of
the
original
cycle
of
stories,
was
apparently
at
one
time
omitted
by
the
compiler;
see
the
repeated
note
in
15™
16".
Perhaps
it
gave
too
unfavourable
a
picture
of
the
hero's
love-affairs.
(6)
Though
it
is
said
that
Samson
'judged
Israel
twenty
years'
(IS'"),
and
that
he
should
'begin
to
deliver'
his
nation
from
the
Philistines
(13'),
there
is
no
hint
of
his
ever
haying
held
any
ofBcial
position,
nor
does
he
appear
as
a
leader
of
his
people;
on
the
contrary,
he
is
disowned
byhis
neighbours
of
Judah
(15").
His
exploits
have
only
a
local
significance,
and
are
performed
single-handed
in
revenge
for
his
private
quarrels.
The
story
evidently
belongs
to
the
class
of
popular
tales,
common
to
every
country-side.
Every
people
has
its
hero
of
prodigious
strength,
to
whom
marvellous
feats
are
ascribed,
and
it
becomes
a
hopeless
task
to
discover
the
precise
historical
basis
of
the
legends,
which
in
this
case
are
undoubtedly
of
great
antiquity,
(c)
It
is
not
necessary
to
look
for
a
further
explanation
in
the
theory
of
a
'solar
myth.'
The
name
'Samson,'
and
the
existence
of
a
'Beth-shemesh'
('house
of
the
sun')
near
his
home,
offer
an
obvious
temptation
to
such
a
theory,
but
it
is
entirely
unnecessary
and
is
now
generally
abandoned,
(d)
It
is
more
probable
that
in
ch.
15
we
find
the
workings
of
folk-
etymology
('Etiological
myth'),
i.e.
stories
suggested
by
the
fancied
meaning
of
names.
Bamath-Lehi
('
the
height
of
Lehi')
is
taken
to
mean
'the
casting
away
of
the
jawbone';
En-hakkore
('Partridge
spring'),
'the
spring
of
him
who
called';
and
incidents
are
suggested
to
explain
the
supposed
meanings,
(e)
The
parallels
with
other
popular
stories,
especially
the
exploits
of
Hercules,
are
obvious,
e.g.
the
killing
of
the
lion,
the
miraculous
satisfying
of
the
hero's
thirst,
and
his
ruin
at
the
hand
of
a
woman.
For
the
lion
episode,
cf.,
further,
the
stories
of
Polydamas,
David
(1
B
17"),
Benaiah
(2
S
23»);
tor
the
sacred
hair
or
lock,
cf.
the
story
of
Nisus.
Ovid
(.Fasti,
iv.
681-712)
has
a
remarkable
parallel
to
the
burning
of
the
corn
by
the
foxes
(or
jackals?);
at
the
Cerealia,
foxes
with
lighted
torches
tied
to
their
tails
were
let
loose
In
the
Circus;
be
explains
the
custom
as
originally
due
to
the
act
of
a
mischievous
boy,
who
burned
his
father's
corn
in
the
same
way.
The
conclusion
to
be
drawn
from
such
parallels
is
not
necessarily
Identity
of
origin,
but
the
similar
working
of
the
mind
and
Imagination
imder
similar
conditions.
3.
Historical
value.
—
Regarded
as
a
picture
of
early
conditions
and
customs,
the
narrative
is
of
the
greatest
significance.
Politically
it
takes
us
to
the
time
when
Dan,
perhaps
weakened
by
the
departure
of
its
600
men
of
war
(Jg
1"
18\
acquiesces
in
the
ruleof
the
Philistines;
Timnah
is
in
theto
hands.
There
is
no
state
of
war
be-tween
the
two
peoples,
but
free
intercourse
and
even
intermarriage.
As
already
pointed
out,
Samson
is
in
no
sense
the
leader
of
a
revolt
against
the
foreign
dominion,
and
his
neighbours
of
Judah
show
no
desire
to
make
his
private
quarrels
an
excuse
for
a
rising
(IS");
there
is
no
union
even
between
the
tribes
of
the
south.
None
the
less,
his
exploits
would
be
secretly
welcomed
as
directed
against
the
common
foe,
and
remembering
that
Jg
17-21
Is
an
appendix,
we
see
how
the
narrative
paves
the
way
SAMUEL
tor
the
more
defined
efforts
of
Saul
and
David
in
1
Samuel
to
shake
off
the
foreign
yoke.
Socially
the
story
gives
us
a
picture
ol
primitive
marriage
customs.
Ch.
14
is
the
clearest
OT
example
of
a
sadika
marriage
(see
Mabhiaqe,
§
1).
We
get
a
good
idea
of
the
proceedings,
essen-''ally
the
same
as
in
the
East
to-day.
The
feast
lasts
'■or
a
week,
and
is
marked
by
lavish
eating
and
drinking,
songs,
riddles,
and
not
very
refined
merriment.
The
whole
story
gives
us
a
valuable
insight
uito
the
life
of
the
people;
we
note
the
grim
rough
humour
of
its
hero,
so
entirely
natural
(ch.
14,
the
three
deceptions
of
ch.
16,
16™
RVm).
4.
Religious
significance.
—
Samson
is
a
popular
hero,
and
we
shall
expect
the
directly
religious
interest
of
the
story
to
be
subordinate.
It
appears
in
the
account
of
his
birth,
perhaps
hardly
a
part
of
the
original
cycle,
but
added
later
to
justify
his
inclusion
among
the
Judges.
As
a
child
of
promise,
he
is
in'
a
peculiar
sense
a
gift
of
God,
born
to
do
a
special
work;
an
overruling
prov-idence
governs
his
acts
(14*
16'°).
The
source
of
his
strength
is
supernatural;
at
times
it
is
represented
as
due
to
a
demonic
frenzy,
an
invasion
of
the
spirit
of
J"
(13i!6
14«.
IS
15"),
but
in
13.
16
it
lies
in
his
hair;
he
is
a
Nazirite
of
God.
The
rules
for
the
Nazirite
are
given
in
Nu
6';
those
in
Jg
13
are
the
same,
with
the
general
prohibition
of
'
unclean
'
food.
The
essence
of
the
con-ception
lay
in
a
vow
to
sacrifice
the
hair
at
a
sacred
shrine,
the
life-long
vow
being
probably
a
vow
to
do
so
at
stated
periods.
The
hair,
like
the
blood,
was
regarded
as
a
seat
of
life,
and
was
a
common
offering
not
only
among
the
Semites,
but
in
all
parts
of
the
world.
In
Arabia
the
vow
to
leave
the
locks
unshorn
was
particularly
connected
with
wars
of
revenge
(Dt
32«
RVm,
Ps
682').
As
soon
as
a
vow
was
taken,
the
life
of
the
votary
became
a
continuous
act
of
religion;
particularly
must
the
body,
which
nourishes
the
hair
(now
the
property
of
the
deity)
,
be
kept
clean
from
all
defilement;
the
taboo
of
the
vine
and
its
products
is
esp.
common
(cf.
Am
2"-
").
In
the
story
itself
no
stress
is
laid
on
any
such
precautions
on
the
part
of
Samson
(e.g.
in
14'
he
eats
from
a
carcase),
and
hence
no
doubt
the
taboos
were
transferred
to
his
mother
(13*).
There
is
unfortunately
little
basis
for
the
religious
feeling
with
which
Milton
has
invested
the
character
of
Samson.
He
is
a
popular
hero,
and
the
permanent
value
of
the
story
is
to
be
sought
in
its
ethical
lessons.
It
is
true,
its
morality
is
on
a
low
level
;
revenge
is
Samson's
ruling
idea,
and
his
relations
with
women
have
been
a
stumbling-block
to
apologists.
But
once
we
recognize
the
origin
of
the
story,
we
shall
not
feel
bound
to
justify
or
explain
away
these
traits,
and
the
lessons
stand
out
clearly.
The
story
emphasizes
the
evils
of
foreign
marriages
(14'),
of
laxity
in
sexual
rela-tions,
and
of
toying
with
temptation.
It
teaches
that
bodily
endowments,
no
less
than
spiritual,
are
a
gift
from
God,
however
different
may
be
our
modern
conception
of
the
way
in
which
they
are
bestowed,
and
that
their
retention
depends
on
obedience
to
His
laws.
But
if
Samson
stands
as
an
example
'of
impotence
of
mind
in
body
strong,'
he
also
stands,
in
MUton's
magnificent
conception,
as
an
example
of
patriotism
and
heroism
in
death,
to
all
who
'
from
his
memory
inflame
their
breast
to
matchless
valour
and
adventures
high."
C.
W.
Emmet.
SAMUEL.
—
The
life
of
Samuel
is
viewed
from
widely
differing
standpoints
in
different
sections
of
the
books
that
bear
his
name.
In
the
oldest
narrative,
found
in
1
S
9,
he
appears
as
a
seer
from
the
land
of
Zuph,
to
whom
Saul
and
his
servant,
who
are
seeking
the
lost
asses
of
Kish,
Saul's
father,
apply
for
help.
Saul
had
hesitated
about
applying
to
the
man
of
God,
on
the
score
of
not
having
a
gift
to
present,
but
the
servant
produced
the
fourth
part
of
a
shekel
of
silver
with
which
to
compensate
the
seer.
Samuel,
who
had
been
Divinely
apprised
of
their
coming,
met
them
while
he
was
on
his
way
to
worship
at
the
high
place,
and
after
they
had
partaken
of
his
hospitality
and
passed
the
night
with
