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3,811 commentary entries
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible
The Birth of Samson. (b. c. 1161.)
THE BIRTH OF SAMSON. (B. C. 1161.) Here is, 1. Samson's birth. The woman that had been long barren bore a son, according to the promise; for no word of God shall fall to the ground. Hath he spoken, and shall he not make…
Samson Chooses a Philistine Wife; A Lion Slain by Samson. (b. c. 1141.)
SAMSON CHOOSES A PHILISTINE WIFE; A LION SLAIN BY SAMSON. (B. C. 1141.) Here, I. Samson, under the extraordinary guidance of Providence, seeks an occasion of quarrelling with the Philistines, by joining in affinity with…
Samson's Riddle; Slaughter of the Philistines. (b. c. 1141.)
SAMSON'S RIDDLE; SLAUGHTER OF THE PHILISTINES. (B. C. 1141.) We have here an account of Samson's wedding feast and the occasion it gave him to fall foul upon the Philistines. I. Samson conformed to the custom of the cou…
Samson's Firebrands. (b. c. 1141.)
SAMSON'S FIREBRANDS. (B. C. 1141.) Here is, I. Samson's return to his wife, whom he had left in displeasure; not hearing perhaps that she was given to another, when time had a little cooled his resentments, he came back…
Samson Bound by the Men of Judah. (b. c. 1140.)
SAMSON BOUND BY THE MEN OF JUDAH. (B. C. 1140.) Here is, I. Samson violently pursued by the Philistine. They went up in a body, a more formidable force than they had together when Samson smote them hip and thigh; and th…
Samson's Thirst Relieved. (b. c. 1140.)
SAMSON'S THIRST RELIEVED. (B. C. 1140.) Here is, I. The distress which Samson was in after this great performance (Judges 15:18): He was sore athirst. It was a natural effect of the great heat he had been in, and the gr…
Samson's Escape from Gaza. (b. c. 1120.)
SAMSON'S ESCAPE FROM GAZA. (B. C. 1120.) Here is, 1. Samson's sin, Judges 16:1. His taking a Philistine to wife, in the beginning of his time, was in some degree excusable, but to join himself to a harlot that he accide…
Delilah's Treachery. (b. c. 1120.)
DELILAH'S TREACHERY. (B. C. 1120.) The burnt child dreads the fire; yet Samson, that has more than the strength of a man, in this comes short of the wisdom of a child; for, though he had been more than once brought into…
Samson Betrayed. (b. c. 1120.)
SAMSON BETRAYED. (B. C. 1120.) We have here the fatal consequences of Samson's folly in betraying his own strength; he soon paid dearly for it. A whore is a deep ditch; he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein…
The Death of Samson; Samson's Triumph in Death. (b. c. 1120.)
THE DEATH OF SAMSON; SAMSON'S TRIUMPH IN DEATH. (B. C. 1120.) Though the last stage of Samson's life was inglorious, and one could wish there were a veil drawn over it, yet this account here given of his death may be al…
Micah and His Gods. (b. c. 1406.)
MICAH AND HIS GODS. (B. C. 1406.) Here we have, I. Micah and his mother quarrelling. 1. The son robs the mother. The old woman had hoarded, with long scraping and saving, a great sum of money, 1100 pieces of silver. It…
Matthew Henry on Judges 17:7-13
We have here an account of Micah's furnishing himself with a Levite for his chaplain, either thinking his son, because the heir of his estate, too good to officiate, or rather, because not of God's tribe, not good enoug…
The Expedition of the Danites. (b. c. 1406.)
THE EXPEDITION OF THE DANITES. (B. C. 1406.) Here is, 1. The eye which these Danites had upon Laish, not the whole tribe of Dan, but one family of them, to whose lot, in the subdivision of Canaan, that city fell. Hither…
Matthew Henry on Judges 18:7-13
Here is, I. The observation which the spies made upon the city of Laish, and the posture of its inhabitants, Judges 18:7. Never was place so ill governed and so ill guarded, which would make it a very easy prey to the i…
Micah's Gods Stolen; Micah's Attempt to Recover His Idols. (b. c. 1406.)
MICAH'S GODS STOLEN; MICAH'S ATTEMPT TO RECOVER HIS IDOLS. (B. C. 1406.) The Danites had sent out their spies to find out a country for them, and they sped well in their search; but here, now that they came to the place…
The Conquest of Laish. (b. c. 1406.)
THE CONQUEST OF LAISH. (B. C. 1406.) Here is, I. Laish conquered by the Danites. They proceeded on their march, and, because they met with no disaster, perhaps concluded they had not done amiss in robbing Micah. Many ju…
Elopement of the Levite's Concubine; The Levite Reconciled to His Concubine; The Levite Benighted at Gibeah. (b. c. 1410.)
ELOPEMENT OF THE LEVITE'S CONCUBINE; THE LEVITE RECONCILED TO HIS CONCUBINE; THE LEVITE BENIGHTED AT GIBEAH. (B. C. 1410.) The domestic affairs of this Levite would not have been related thus largely but to make way for…
The Levite Entertained at Gibeah. (b. c. 1410.)
THE LEVITE ENTERTAINED AT GIBEAH. (B. C. 1410.) Though there as not one of Gibeah, yet it proved there was one in Gibeah, that showed some civility to this distressed Levite, who was glad that any one took notice of him…
The Wickedness of Gibeah; The Israelites Roused to Revenge. (b. c. 1410.)
THE WICKEDNESS OF GIBEAH; THE ISRAELITES ROUSED TO REVENGE. (B. C. 1410.) Here is, I. The great wickedness of the men of Gibeah. One could not imagine that ever it should enter into the heart of men that had the use of…
The Combination Against Gibeah. (b. c. 1410.)
THE COMBINATION AGAINST GIBEAH. (B. C. 1410.) Here is, I. A general meeting of all the congregation of Israel to examine the matter concerning the Levite's concubine, and to consider what was to be done upon it, Judges…
The War with the Benjamites. (b. c. 1410.)
THE WAR WITH THE BENJAMITES. (B. C. 1410.) Here is, I. The fair and just demand which the tribes of Israel, now encamped, sent to the tribe of Benjamin, to deliver up the malefactors of Gibeah to justice, Judges 20:12-1…
Matthew Henry on Judges 20:18-25
We have here the defeat of the men of Israel in their first and second battle with the Benjamites. I. Before their first engagement they asked counsel of God concerning the order of their battle and were directed, and y…
The Defeat of the Benjamites. (b. c. 1410.)
THE DEFEAT OF THE BENJAMITES. (B. C. 1410.) We have here a full account of the complete victory which the Israelites obtained over the Benjamites in the third engagement: the righteous cause was victorious at last, when…
Lamentation for the Benjamites; Wives Provided for the Benjamites. (b. c. 1409.)
LAMENTATION FOR THE BENJAMITES; WIVES PROVIDED FOR THE BENJAMITES. (B. C. 1409.) We may observe in these verses, I. The ardent zeal which the Israelites had expressed against the wickedness of the men of Gibeah, as it w…