Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-08-16
Our 4loun9 folks.
SanlSOn'S Foxes.

When a boy, l was puzzled with all
parts of this affair Thought
Would not the fire-brand burn the string
or the hair of the tail (? how could a duh
brand, dragged fast through the corn, set
it on fire why not the foxes sent sIngly
would not two Of them pull contrary ways,
and prevent their running at ALL and how
could he catch SO many foxes No doubt
thousands Of boys have felt these difficult
ties, and thousands Of knowing men have
turned up their noses at the account, as
unworthy Of serious belief But let u
look again. Shepticism Is generally "a lazy
thing, not pleased with study.
u the original Hebrew, the word means
JqcLaLy, doubtless. The animal Is not Soi-
tary, IKE the foxes, but goes in large packs.
( They take shelter IN the deep cavern=
Astounding IN that country of limestone
hills. Samson beng a chief, could easily
command the assistance OF a large number
Of men block up the entrance OF the caves
and catch as many as he pleased. In that
rude state OF society, such sport would
please them we'll the word translated
6re-brand, means t0rcb. ia many parts OF
tie East, the torch is often made seycraI
feet long Of combustI1ic materials tied
tightly together, So az to blaze out -troug.y
1t one end, while il Is held at the other end
by the hand, and Will last iOr many hours
Ii dragged a.oug on the ground, Il would
still blaze fercciy. These large @.aunE
torches, were what Gideon men mad, for
their night attack upon the camp, not thc
little fine flame OF a house lamp. put out
by a fast walk or breath Suppose Samson
mad tied the torch to a single Jackai; the
frightened animal would have bounded
along with such velocity as might not have
set ire to the gram while two Of them
with their tails tied. must enclose enough
OF the stiff stalks to impede them consider
ably, and so give the blaze time to kIndle
all along their course. They could not
stand still. because the burning straw close
behind would compel them to 20 on. 1t
Samson had sent his men to set the fields
on ire with their own hands, the PhIhs-
; tines would have caught and killed some
of them; but they could not catch the
jackals.
, The southern sleeps Of Dan overlook the
: land OF the Phihstines Even at this day
we are told, that same plain Is vast
t grainfeld. Samson might station his dit
i terent parties Of men, with their jackaIs
along the side Of the hills for consldera
bic distance. When they had made the
: long hair Of the two tails fast to the small
: end of the torch by many knots, they would
} light the other end, perhaps with few
extra drops of oil; the Jackals must g
!. down the hill the men would not allow
them to turn and 60 back to the caverns
They would naturally steer for the tai
: grain to hide them. Presently there would
. be hundred and fifty lines of cracking
tire, spreading to the right and eft, Over
miles of yellow grain. The enraged owners
living here and there in villages, woulC
naturally chase the jackals; this would
only spread the uin still more widely.
Ali this shows how intently Samson mus
have thought out the different parts of the
: cunning contrivance. 1t agrees with hi
d character, which evidently had IN it con
) siderable spice of reckless fun. We car
see him sitting on the rocky brow of his
0 native hills, looking down on the rict
fields Of his enemies, bordering his plan
= and laughing to think how he would serve
3 them.
This is a beautiful instance Of the clear
light which may be thrown on an obscure
passage of Scripture, by making ourselve,
acquainted with its geography, and the
, circumstances Of its time.