Verse 18:[1] And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, (Ps. 3:7) Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
[And thirsting greatly] Josephus[2] and Ambrose, Epistle 20, suppose that this thirst was sent by God as a punishment for his arrogance, because he ascribed the victory to himself, and not to God, verse 16 (Lapide, Bonfrerius). But they are refuted out of this eighteenth verse (Bonfrerius).
[Thou hast given…salvation, etc.] Therefore, he congratulated himself concerning the victory secured, but by the power of God (Bonfrerius on verse 17). From the violent commotion, heat, and sweat, thirst was able to arise (Menochius): both from the toil of the journey, and the slaughter of the Philistines (Lapide). God willed that he thirst, so that in such circumstances he might be mindful that he is mortal (Martyr).
He was sore athirst, so as he was ready to faint and die with thirst; which was partly natural, from his excessive toil and heat; partly sent by God, that by the experience of his own impotency he might be forced to ascribe the victory to God only, and not to himself. Now shall I die for thirst? Wilt thou not finish what thou hast begun? Wilt thou undo what thou hast done?
[1] Hebrew: וַיִּצְמָא֮ מְאֹד֒ וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֶל־יְהוָה֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אַתָּה֙ נָתַ֣תָּ בְיַֽד־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את וְעַתָּה֙ אָמ֣וּת בַּצָּמָ֔א וְנָפַלְתִּ֖י בְּיַ֥ד הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃
[2] Antiquities 5:8.
I actually don't remember this story. It's good to be refreshed on this.
Robert Hawker's Poor Man's Portion: '"And he was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised."—Judges 15:18
Here is a sweet thought, my soul, suggested in these words of Samson, and wilt thou not hope that the Holy Ghost may make it blessed to thy evening meditation? The Lord had wrought a great deliverance for Samson, in the discomfiture of his enemies: and now on a renewed pressing occasion, he makes this the plea of looking up for being again delivered. "Thou hast given," saith he, "this great deliverance into the hand…
Spurgeon's Morning and Evening: '"He was sore athirst, and called on the Lord, and said, thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst?"—Judges 15:18
Samson was thirsty and ready to die. The difficulty was totally different from any which the hero had met before. Merely to get thirst assuaged is nothing like so great a matter as to be delivered from a thousand Philistines! but when the thirst was upon him, Samson felt that little present difficulty more weighty than the great past difficulty out of which he had so specially been delivered. It is very usual for God's people, when they have enjoyed a great deliverance, to find…
Matthew Henry: '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 great pains he had taken; his zeal consumed him, ate him up, and made him forget himself, till, when he had time to pause a little, he found himself reduced to the last extremity for want of water and ready to faint. Perhaps there was a special hand of God in it, as there was in the whole transaction; and God would hereby keep him from being proud of his great strength and great achievements, and let him know that he was but …
Hebrew: This verse is relatively straight-forward, but affording good exercise nevertheless.
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