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* Footnotes
- A.M. 2868, A.C. 1136.
*H And a while after, when the days of the wheat harvest were at hand, Samson came, meaning to visit his wife, and he brought her a kid of the flock. And when he would have gone into her chamber, as usual, her father would not suffer him, saying:
Ver. 1. After. The same term is used in the original as C. xiv. 8, which may be rendered "a year after," as it is not probable that the wife of Samson should be married to another, nor that he should lay aside his resentment much sooner. C.
*H I thought thou hadst hated her, and therefore I gave her to thy friend: but she hath a sister, who is younger and fairer than she, take her to wife instead of her.
Ver. 2. Sister. Jacob married two sisters, and such marriages were not uncommon among the eastern nations. C. — Samson does not accept the offer, as it was now contrary to the law. Lev. xviii. 18. M.
*H And Samson answered him: From this day I shall be blameless in what I do against the Philistines: for I will do you evils.
Ver. 3. Evils. This is a declaration of war, made by Samson in person, against a whole nation. H. — He does not wish to engage his countrymen in the quarrel, that they may not be more oppressed. God chose that he should weaken the Philistines by degrees. They had been apprised of the injustice done to Samson, and did not strive to hinder it, so that they all deserved to suffer. Grot. E. C.
*H And he went and caught three hundred foxes, and coupled them tail to tail, and fastened torches between the tails:
Ver. 4. Foxes. Being judge of the people, he might have many to assist him to catch with nets or otherwise a number of these animals; of which there were great numbers in that country, (Ch.) as we may gather from Cant. ii. 15. Lament. v. 15. M. — Hence many places received the name of Sual. Jos. xv. 28. and xix. 42. Pompey exhibited 600 lions at Rome, and the Emp. Probus 5000 ostriches, and as many wild boars, &. in the theatre. Vopisc. Plin. viii. 16. A. Lap. — Is it more incredible that Samson should collect 300 foxes? By this means he cleared his country of a pernicious animal, the most proper for carrying flambeaux, and spreading fire far and wide among the fields of the enemy. By tying the foxes together, he hindered them from retiring into their holes, and gave the fire time to take hold of the corn and vineyards. C. — Ovid mentions a Roman custom of burning foxes in the theatre, with torches tied upon their backs, in the month of April; which some have imagined was in memorial of this transaction. Serar, q. 7.
*H Then the Philistines said: Who hath done this thing? And it was answered: Samson, the son in law of the Thamnathite, because he took away his wife, and gave her to another, hath done these things. And the Philistines went up and burnt both the woman and her father.
Ver. 6. Father. Thus they met with the fate which the woman had endeavoured to avoid, by an infidelity to her husband. Salien. — The princes of the Philistines acknowledged the wrong which had been done to Samson, and thus testify their abhorrence of adultery. C. — Some Heb. MSS. confirm the Sept. Ar. and Syr. versions; and instead of "her father with her," read, "and her father's house," (Kennicott) or all his family.
*H But Samson said to them: Although you have done this, yet will I be revenged of you, and then I will be quiet.
Ver. 7. Of you. He intimates that they should answer for the injustice which they ought to have prevented, or punished sooner. H. — Heb. "If you had done like this," and slain the father and daughter, I should be quiet. D.
*H And he made a great slaughter of them, so that in astonishment they laid the calf of the leg upon the thigh. And going down he dwelt in a cavern of the rock Etam.
Ver. 8. Thigh. Striking this part is often mentioned as a mark of consternation. Jer. xxxi. 19. M. — Heb. "and he smote them thigh and leg, with a great slaughter." H. — Vatable supposes this means an entire destruction. Chaldee, "he smote both horse and foot." He rendered them incapable of fleeing, or of making resistance. Nah. ii. 5. C. — Cavern. Heb. sahiph, signifies, "the top, branch, &c. The rock might be covered with wood, (C.) and was situated in the confines of the tribes of Simeon, Juda, and Dan. 1 Par. iv. 32. M.
*H Then the Philistines going up into the land of Juda, camped in the place which afterwards was called Lechi, that is, the Jawbone, where their army was spread abroad.
Ver. 9. Spread. Heb. "encamped in Juda, and spread themselves in Lechi." H.
*H And they said to him: We are come to bind thee, and to deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them: Swear to me, and promise me that you will not kill me.
Ver. 12. Kill me, in a treacherous manner. He was not afraid of them. C.
*H They said: We will not kill thee: but we will deliver thee up bound. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him from the rock Etam.
Ver. 13. Cords. Heb. habothim, Sept. Καλωδιοις, denote strong ropes or cables. M. — Etam is not in Heb. or the Sept. H.
*H Now when he was come to the place of the Jawbone, and the Philistines shouting went to meet him, the Spirit of the Lord came strongly upon him: and as flax is wont to be consumed at the approach of fire, so the bands with which he was bound were broken and loosed.
Ver. 14. Bone. Heb. "Lechi," as it was called after the slaughter made by Samson, v. 15. It is about 20 miles to the east of Ascalon. C. — Approach: lit. "the smell." This expression is often used to denote burning. Sept. C. xvi. 9. Dan. iii. 94.
* Summa
*S Part 3, Ques 174, Article 3
[II-II, Q. 174, Art. 3]
Whether the Degrees of Prophecy Can Be Distinguished According to the Imaginary Vision?
Objection 1: It would seem that the degrees of prophecy cannot be distinguished according to the imaginary vision. For the degrees of a thing bear relation to something that is on its own account, not on account of something else. Now, in prophecy, intellectual vision is sought on its own account, and imaginary vision on account of something else, as stated above (A. 2, ad 2). Therefore it would seem that the degrees of prophecy are distinguished not according to imaginary, but only according to intellectual, vision.
Obj. 2: Further, seemingly for one prophet there is one degree of prophecy. Now one prophet receives revelation through various imaginary visions. Therefore a difference of imaginary visions does not entail a difference of prophecy.
Obj. 3: Further, according to a gloss [*Cassiodorus, super Prolog. Hieron. in Psalt.], prophecy consists of words, deeds, dreams, and visions. Therefore the degrees of prophecy should not be distinguished according to imaginary vision, to which vision and dreams pertain, rather than according to words and deeds.
_On the contrary,_ The medium differentiates the degrees of knowledge: thus science based on direct [*_Propter quid_] proofs is more excellent than science based on indirect [*_Quia_] premises or than opinion, because it comes through a more excellent medium. Now imaginary vision is a kind of medium in prophetic knowledge. Therefore the degrees of prophecy should be distinguished according to imaginary vision.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (Q. 173, A. 2), the prophecy wherein, by the intelligible light, a supernatural truth is revealed through an imaginary vision, holds the mean between the prophecy wherein a supernatural truth is revealed without imaginary vision, and that wherein through the intelligible light and without an imaginary vision, man is directed to know or do things pertaining to human conduct. Now knowledge is more proper to prophecy than is action; wherefore the lowest degree of prophecy is when a man, by an inward instinct, is moved to perform some outward action. Thus it is related of Samson (Judges 15:14) that "the Spirit of the Lord came strongly upon him, and as the flax [*_Lina._ St. Thomas apparently read _ligna_ ('wood')] is wont to be consumed at the approach of fire, so the bands with which he was bound were broken and loosed." The second degree of prophecy is when a man is enlightened by an inward light so as to know certain things, which, however, do not go beyond the bounds of natural knowledge: thus it is related of Solomon (3 Kings 4:32, 33) that "he spoke . . . parables . . . and he treated about trees from the cedar that is in Libanus unto the hyssop that cometh out of the wall, and he discoursed of beasts and of fowls, and of creeping things and of fishes": and all of this came from divine inspiration, for it was stated previously (3 Kings 4:29): "God gave to Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much."
Nevertheless these two degrees are beneath prophecy properly so called, because they do not attain to supernatural truth. The prophecy wherein supernatural truth is manifested through imaginary vision is differentiated first according to the difference between dreams which occur during sleep, and vision which occurs while one is awake. The latter belongs to a higher degree of prophecy, since the prophetic light that draws the soul away to supernatural things while it is awake and occupied with sensible things would seem to be stronger than that which finds a man's soul asleep and withdrawn from objects of sense. Secondly the degrees of this prophecy are differentiated according to the expressiveness of the imaginary signs whereby the intelligible truth is conveyed. And since words are the most expressive signs of intelligible truth, it would seem to be a higher degree of prophecy when the prophet, whether awake or asleep, hears words expressive of an intelligible truth, than when he sees things significative of truth, for instance "the seven full ears of corn" signified "seven years of plenty" (Gen. 41:22, 26). In such like signs prophecy would seem to be the more excellent, according as the signs are more expressive, for instance when Jeremias saw the burning of the city under the figure of a boiling cauldron (Jer. 1:13). Thirdly, it is evidently a still higher degree of prophecy when a prophet not only sees signs of words or deeds, but also, either awake or asleep, sees someone speaking or showing something to him, since this proves the prophet's mind to have approached nearer to the cause of the revelation. Fourthly, the height of a degree of prophecy may be measured according to the appearance of the person seen: for it is a higher degree of prophecy, if he who speaks or shows something to the waking or sleeping prophet be seen by him under the form of an angel, than if he be seen by him under the form of man: and higher still is it, if he be seen by the prophet whether asleep or awake, under the appearance of God, according to Isa. 6:1, "I saw the Lord sitting."
But above all these degrees there is a third kind of prophecy, wherein an intelligible and supernatural truth is shown without any imaginary vision. However, this goes beyond the bounds of prophecy properly so called, as stated above (A. 2, ad 3); and consequently the degrees of prophecy are properly distinguished according to imaginary vision.
Reply Obj. 1: We are unable to know how to distinguish the intellectual light, except by means of imaginary or sensible signs. Hence the difference in the intellectual light is gathered from the difference in the things presented to the imagination.
Reply Obj. 2: As stated above (Q. 171, A. 2), prophecy is by way, not of an abiding habit, but of a transitory passion; wherefore there is nothing inconsistent if one and the same prophet, at different times, receive various degrees of prophetic revelation.
Reply Obj. 3: The words and deeds mentioned there do not pertain to the prophetic revelation, but to the announcement, which is made according to the disposition of those to whom that which is revealed to the prophet is announced; and this is done sometimes by words, sometimes by deeds. Now this announcement, and the working of miracles, are something consequent upon prophecy, as stated above (Q. 171, A. 1). _______________________
FOURTH
*H And finding a jawbone, even the jawbone of an ass, which lay there, catching it up, he slew therewith a thousand men.
Ver. 15. There. The Sept. Josephus, and the Vulg. agree, reading Heb. truth, instead of the present teriya, "fresh," or raw, which seems an useless remark in this place. C. — Asses are very large in Palestine. M.
*H And he said: With the jawbone of an ass, with the jaw of the colt of asses, I have destroyed them, and have slain a thousand men.
Ver. 16. Asses. He insists on this particular, as such an unusual weapon rendered his victory more astonishing, and he would not leave any room for doubt. Heb. is variously translated, "with the jaw-bone of an ass, I have made a heap, yea two heaps; with the jaw-bone of an ass, I have defeated a thousand men." Syr. &c. Castalion and Bonfrere defend the Vulg. The Sept. have, "with the jaw-bone of an ass I have entirely taken them off, (H. defending them) with," &c. They have explained chamorathayim, as the first person of émor, rubefecit, or Chal. destruxit, "I have covered them with blood;" and indeed to understand it of "two she asses," is impossible. C. — This verse formed the chorus of Samson's song. H. — He did not take the glory to himself, as Josephus (v. 10,) would insinuate, but attributed the victory to God, v. 18. Salien, A.C. 1172. This miracle of strength can no more be accounted for by reason, than many others. W.
*H And when he had ended these words, singing, he threw the jawbone out of his hand, and called the name of that place Ramathlechi, which is interpreted the lifting up of the jawbone.
Ver. 17. Which is, &c. This is added by the Vulg. being the interpretation of the Sept. Λναιρησις; (C.) though it also signify, "the slaughter." S. Amb. ep. 19. H. — The Syr. and Arab. have read domoth, "the blood," instead of ramath Lechi, "the lifting up;" or as others would have it, "the throwing down of the jaw-bone." C. — Samson had snatched it from the ground, slew the thousand Philistines, and left it as a monument of his victory. H.
*H And being very thirsty, he cried to the Lord, and said: Thou hast given this very great deliverance and victory into the hand of thy servant: and behold I die for thirst, and shall fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.
Ver. 18. Thirsty. S. Ambrose (ep. 19 or 70) follows Josephus, (M.) in supposing that the arrogance of Samson, in attributing the victory to his own strength, was thus punished. But others are more favourable to the hero, (C.) and suppose that his thirst was occasioned by the extraordinary fatigue. He sufficiently testifies that he had received all from God, (M.) and he is immediately favoured with another miracle. H. — God is able to grant victory by the most feeble instruments, and he is never wanting when his presence is requisite. S. Aug. Doct. iv. 15. T.
*H Then the Lord opened a great tooth in the jaw of the ass and waters issued out of it. And when he had drunk them, he refreshed his spirit, and recovered his strength. Therefore the name of that place was called The Spring of him that invoked from the jawbone, until this present day.
Ver. 19. Then. Heb. "And God clave the Mactesh (H. hollow place, great tooth;" or the name of a rock, as Josephus and others understand it, perhaps on account of its resemblance with a tooth) which was at Lechi; and...he called it the fountain of him who cries out, (C. En-hakkore. Prot.) which is in Lechi, until this day." The translating of some proper names has given occasion to various difficulties. See 2 K. vi. 3. 1 Par. iv. 22. H. — Sophonias (i. 11,) mentions a place called (Mactesh, or) Machtes, in Hebrew, which seems to have been built where the fountain of Samson was. C. — It is a greater miracle to draw water out of a dry bone, than out of the earth or stones. But all things are possible to God. W.
*H And he judged Israel, in the days of the Philistines, twenty years.
Ver. 20. Years. Salien gathers from this remark being made here, that the Philistines still asserted their dominion over Israel, but with greater moderation than they had done before: and both nations acknowledged the judicial authority of Samson, who had now been giving them such proofs of his valour for two years, soon after he performed the feat at Gaza, A.C. 1169, being on some business. H.