Shìshījì 16

1 Cānsūn dào le Jiāsà , zaì nàli kànjian yī gè jìnǚ , jiù yǔ tā qīnjìn .

2 Yǒu rén gàosu Jiāsà rén shuō , Cānsūn dào zhèlǐ lái le . tāmen jiù bǎ tā tuán tuán wéi zhù , zhōng yè zaì chéng mén qiāoqiāo máifu , shuō , dĕng dào tiān liàng wǒmen biàn shā tā .

3 Cānsūn shuì dào bàn yè , qǐlai , jiāng chéng mén de mén shān , ménkuàng , mén shuān , yī qí chāi xià lái , káng zaì jiān shàng , káng dào Xībǎilún qián de shāndǐng shàng .

4 Hòulái Cānsūn zaì suō liè yù xǐaì yī gè fùrén , míng jiào dà lì là .

5 Fēilìshì rén de shǒulǐng shàng qù jiàn nà fùrén , duì tā shuō , qiú nǐ kuāng hōng Cānsūn , tàn tàn tā yīn hé yǒu zhème dà de lì qì , wǒmen yòng hé fǎ néng shēng tā , kúnbǎng kèzhì tā . wǒmen jiù mĕi rén gĕi nǐ yī qiā yī bǎi Shĕkèlè yínzi .

6 Dà lì lā duì Cānsūn shuō , qiú nǐ gàosu wǒ , nǐ yīn hé yǒu zhème dà de lì qì , dāng yòng hé fǎ kúnbǎng kèzhì nǐ .

7 Cānsūn huídá shuō , rén ruò yòng qī tiaó wèi gān de qīng shéngzi kúnbǎng wǒ , wǒ jiù ruǎnfuò xiàng biérén yíyàng .

8 Yúshì Fēilìshì rén de shǒulǐng ná le qī tiaó wèi gān de qīng shéngzi lái , jiāo gĕi fùrén , tā jiù yòng shéngzi kúnbǎng Cānsūn .

9 Yǒu rén yùxiān máifu zaì fùrén de neì shì lǐ . fùrén shuō , Cānsūn nǎ . Fēilìshì rén ná nǐ lái le . Cānsūn jiù zhēng duàn shéngzi , rú zhēng duàn jīng huǒ de má xiàn yìbān . zhèyàng , tā lì qì de gēn yóu rén háishì bù zhīdào .

10 Dà lì là duì Cānsūn shuō , nǐ qī hōng wǒ , xiàng wǒ shuōhuǎng yán . xiànzaì qiú nǐ gàosu wǒ dāng yòng hé fǎ kúnbǎng nǐ .

11 Cānsūn huídá shuō , rén ruò yòng méiyǒu shǐ guō de xīn shéng kúnbǎng wǒ , wǒ jiù ruǎnfuò xiàng biérén yíyàng .

12 Dà lì là jiù yòng xīn shéng kúnbǎng tā . duì tā shuō , Cānsūn nǎ . Fēilìshì rén ná nǐ lái le . yǒu rén yùxiān máifu zaì neì shì lǐ . Cānsūn jiāng bì shàng de shéng zhēng duàn le , rú zhēng duàn yī tiaó xiàn yíyàng .

13 Dà lì là duì Cānsūn shuō , nǐ dào rújīn háishì qī hōng wǒ , xiàng wǒ shuōhuǎng yán . qiú nǐ gàosu wǒ , dāng yòng hé fǎ kúnbǎng nǐ . Cānsūn huídá shuō , nǐ ruò jiāng wǒ tóu shàng de qī tiaó fā liǔ , yǔ wĕi xiàn tóng zhī jiù kĕyǐ le .

14 Yúshì dà lì là jiāng tāde fā liǔ yǔ wĕi xiàn tóngzhī , yòng juézi dīng zhù , duì tā shuō , Cānsūn nǎ . Fēilìshì rén ná nǐ lái le . Cānsūn cóng shuì zhōng xǐng lái , jiāng Jīshàng de juézi hé wĕi xiàn yī qídōu bá chūlai le .

15 Dà lì là duì Cānsūn shuō , nǐ jì bù yǔ wǒ tóngxīn , zĕnme shuō nǐ aì wǒ ne . nǐ zhè sān cì qī hōng wǒ , méiyǒu gàosu wǒ , nǐ yīn hé yǒu zhème dà de lì qì .

16 Dà lì là tiāntiān yòng huà cuībī tā , shènzhì tā xīnli fán mēn yào sǐ .

17 Cānsūn jiù bǎ xīn zhōng suǒ cáng de dōu gàosu le tā , duì tā shuō , xiàng lái rén méiyǒu yòng tì tóu dāo tì wǒde tóu , yīnwei wǒ zì chū mǔ tāi jiù guī shén zuò ná xì ĕr rén . ruò tì le wǒde tóufa , wǒde lì qì jiù líkāi wǒ , wǒ biàn ruǎnfuò xiàng biérén yíyàng .

18 Dà lì là jiàn tā bǎ xīn zhōng suǒ cáng de dōu gàosu le tā , jiù dǎfa rén dào Fēilìshì rén de shǒulǐng nàli , duì tāmen shuō , tā yǐjing bǎ xīn zhōng suǒ cáng de dōu gàosu le wǒ , qǐng nǐmen zaì shàng lái yī cì . yúshì Fēilìshì rén de shǒulǐng shǒu lǐ ná zhe yínzi , shàng dào fùrén nàli .

19 Dà lì là shǐ Cānsūn zhĕn zhe tāde xī shuìjiào , jiào le yī gèrén lái tì chú tā tóu shàng de qī tiaó fā liǔ . yúshì dà lì là kèzhì tā , tāde lì qì jiù líkāi tā le .

20 Dà lì là shuō , Cānsūn nǎ . Fēilìshì rén ná nǐ lái le . Cānsūn cóng shuì zhōng xǐng lái , xīnli shuō , wǒ yào xiàng qián jǐ cì chū qù huó dòng shēntǐ . tā què bù zhīdào Yēhéhuá yǐjing líkāi tā le .

21 Fēilìshì rén jiāng tā ná zhù , wān le tāde yǎnjing , daì tā xià dào Jiāsà , yòng tóng liàn jū suǒ tā . tā jiù zaì jiānlǐ tuī mó .

22 Ránér tāde tóufa beì tì zhī hòu , yòu jiànjiàn zhǎng qǐlai le .

23 Fēilìshì rén de shǒulǐng jùjí , yào gĕi tāmende shén dà gún xiàn dà jì , bìngqiĕ huānlè , yīnwei tāmen shuō , wǒmen de shén jiāng wǒmen de chóudí Cānsūn jiāo zaì wǒmen shǒu zhōng le .

24 Zhòngrén kànjian Cānsūn , jiù zànmĕi tāmende shén shuō , wǒmen de shén jiāng huǐhuaì wǒmen dì , shāhaì wǒmen xǔduō rén de chóudí jiāo zaì wǒmen shǒu zhōng le .

25 Tāmen zhēng yàn lè de shíhou , jiù shuō , jiào Cānsūn lái , zaì wǒmen miànqián xì shuǎ xì shuǎ . yúshì jiāng Cānsūn cóng jiānlǐ tíchū lái , tā jiù zaì zhòngrén miànqián xì shuǎ . tāmen shǐ tā zhàn zaì liǎng zhù zhōngjiān .

26 Cānsūn xiàng là tā shǒu de tóngzǐ shuō , qiú nǐ ràng wǒ mó zhe tuō fáng de zhùzi , wǒ yào kào yī kào .

27 Nàshí fáng neì chōngmǎn nánnǚ , Fēilìshì rén de zhòng shǒulǐng yĕ dōu zaì nàli . fáng de píng dǐng shàng yuē yǒu sān qiā nánnǚ , guānkàn Cānsūn xì shuǎ .

28 Cānsūn qiúgào Yēhéhuá shuō , zhǔ Yēhéhuá a , qiú nǐ juàn niàn wǒ . shén a , qiú nǐ cì wǒ zhè yī cì de lìliang , shǐ wǒ zaì Fēilìshì rénshēn shàng bào nà wān wǒ shuāng yǎn de qiú .

29 Cānsūn jiù bào zhù tuō fáng de nà liǎng gēn zhùzi , zuǒshǒu bào yī gēn , yòushǒu bào yī gēn ,

30 Shuō , wǒ qíngyuàn yǔ Fēilìshì rén tóng sǐ . jiù jìnlì qū shēn , fángzi dǎotā , yē zhù shǒulǐng hé fáng neì de zhòngrén . zhèyàng , Cānsūn sǐ shí suǒ shā de rén , bǐ huó zhe suǒ shā de hái duō .

31 Cānsūn de dìxiōng hé tā fù de quán jiā , dōu xià qù qǔ tāde shī shǒu , tái shàng lái zàng zaì Suǒlà hé Yǐshí taó zhōngjiān , zaì tā fù mǎ Nuóyà de fùnmù lǐ . Cānsūn zuò Yǐsèliè de shì shī èr shí nián .

Shìshījì 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

Samson's escape from Gaza. (1-3) Samson enticed to declare his strength lay. (4-17) The Philistines take Samson, and put out his eyes. (18-21) Samson's strength is renewed. (22-24) He destroys many of the Philistines. (25-31)

Verses 1-3 Hitherto Samson's character has appeared glorious, though uncommon. In this chapter we find him behaving in so wicked a manner, that many question whether or not he were a godly man. But the apostle has determined this, ( Hebrews 11:32 ) . By adverting to the doctrines and examples of Scripture, the artifices of Satan, the deceitfulness of the human heart, and the methods in which the Lord frequently deals with his people, we may learn useful lessons from this history, at which some needlessly stumble, while others cavil and object. The peculiar time in which Samson lived may account for many things, which, if done in our time, and without the special appointment of Heaven, would be highly criminal. And there might have been in him many exercises of piety, which, if recorded, would have reflected a different light upon his character. Observe Samson's danger. Oh that all who indulge their sensual appetites in drunkenness, or any fleshly lusts, would see themselves thus surrounded, way-laid, and marked for ruin by their spiritual enemies! The faster they sleep, the more secure they feel, the greater their danger. We hope it was with a pious resolution not to return to his sin, that he rose under a fear of the danger he was in. Can I be safe under this guilt? It was bad that he lay down without such checks; but it would have been worse, if he had laid still under them.

Verses 4-17 Samson had been more than once brought into mischief and danger by the love of women, yet he would not take warning, but is again taken in the same snare, and this third time is fatal. Licentiousness is one of the things that take away the heart. This is a deep pit into which many have fallen; but from which few have escaped, and those by a miracle of mercy, with the loss of reputation and usefulness, of almost all, except their souls. The anguish of the suffering is ten thousand times greater than all the pleasures of the sin.

Verses 18-21 See the fatal effects of false security. Satan ruins men by flattering them into a good opinion of their own safety, and so bringing them to mind nothing, and fear nothing; and then he robs them of their strength and honour, and leads them captive at his will. When we sleep our spiritual enemies do not. Samson's eyes were the inlets of his sin, (ver. ( Judges 16:1 ) ,) and now his punishment began there. Now the Philistines blinded him, he had time to remember how his own lust had before blinded him. The best way to preserve the eyes, is, to turn them away from beholding vanity. Take warning by his fall, carefully to watch against all fleshly lusts; for all our glory is gone, and our defence departed from us, when our separation to God, as spiritual Nazarites, is profaned.

Verses 22-24 Samson's afflictions were the means of bringing him to deep repentance. By the loss of his bodily sight the eyes of his understanding were opened; and by depriving him of bodily strength, the Lord was pleased to renew his spiritual strength. The Lord permits some few to wander wide and sink deep, yet he recovers them at last, and marking his displeasure at sin in their severe temporal sufferings, preserves them from sinking into the pit of destruction. Hypocrites may abuse these examples, and infidels mock at them, but true Christians will thereby be rendered more humble, watchful, and circumspect; more simple in their dependence on the Lord, more fervent in prayer to be kept from falling, and in praise for being preserved; and, if they fall, they will be kept from sinking into despair.

Verses 25-31 Nothing fills up the sins of any person or people faster than mocking and misusing the servants of God, even thought it is by their own folly that they are brought low. God put it into Samson's heart, as a public person, thus to avenge on them God's quarrel, Israel's, and his own. That strength which he had lost by sin, he recovers by prayer. That it was not from passion or personal revenge, but from holy zeal for the glory of God and Israel, appears from God's accepting and answering the prayer. The house was pulled down, not by the natural strength of Samson, but by the almighty power of God. In his case it was right he should avenge the cause of God and Israel. Nor is he to be accused of self-murder. He sought not his own death, but Israel's deliverance, and the destruction of their enemies. Thus Samson died in bonds, and among the Philistines, as an awful rebuke for his sins; but he died repentant. The effects of his death typified those of the death of Christ, who, of his own will, laid down his life among transgressors, and thus overturned the foundation of Satan's kingdom, and provided for the deliverance of his people. Great as was the sin of Samson, and justly as he deserved the judgments he brought upon himself, he found mercy of the Lord at last; and every penitent shall obtain mercy, who flees for refuge to that Saviour whose blood cleanses from all sin. But here is nothing to encourage any to indulge sin, from a hope they shall at last repent and be saved.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 16

In this chapter we have an account of Samson's too great familiarity with two harlots; by the one he was brought into great danger, and narrowly escaped, Jud 16:1-3, and by the other he was betrayed into the hands of the Philistines, having got the secret out of him wherein his great strength lay, Jud 16:4-20 who having him in their hands, put out his eyes, imprisoned him, and in their idol temple made sport of him, Jud 16:21-25, where praying for renewed strength from the Lord, he pulled down the temple, and destroyed multitudes with the loss of his own life, Jud 16:26-31.