Year: 1869

I


When boy. was puzzled with all
parts Of this affair. Thought I:


''Would not the fire. brand burn the
string, or the hair Of the tall how
could q dull brand, dragged fast
through the corn set it on 6rei Whv
not the foxes sent singIyS would not
two of them pull contrary ways, and
prevent their running at alli and how
could he catch so many foxes I" No
doubt thousands Of boys have felt these
difficulties, and thousands Of knowing
men have turned up their noses as the
account as unworthy Of serious belief
But let US look again. Skepticism is
study.


In the original Hebrew, the word
means jackals, doubtless. This animal
is not solitary like the foxes, but goes
in large packs. They take shelter in
the deep caverns abounding in that
country of limestone bills. Samson,
being chief, could easily command
the assistance of large number of mem
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 well. The word transla-
ted fire-brand, means torch. In many
parts of the East, the torch is often
made several feet long, of combustible
materials tied tightly together so as TO
blaze out strongly at one end, while IL
is held at the end by the hand, and lasts
for many hours. If dragged along on
the ground, it would still blaze fiercely.
These large, glaring torches were what
Gideon's men had, for their night at
tack upon the camp; not the little fine
fame of house-lamp, put out by q
fast walk, or BREATH Suppose Sam,
son had tied the torch to single jack
all the frightened animal would have
bounded along with such velocity as
might not have set fire to the grain
while two of them with their tails tied,
must inclose enough of the stiff stalks
to impede them considerably, and 80
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 go on.
If Samson had sent his men to set the
fields on fire with their own hands, the
Philistines would have caught and kill
ed some of them but they could not
catch the jackals.


The southern sleeps of Dan over
looked the land of the Philistines.--
Even at this day, we are told, that
same plain is vast grainfeld. Sam
son might station his different parties
Of men, with their jaCkals, along the
side of the hills for considerable dis
tance. 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
jackal must 60 down the hill; the men
would not allow them to turn and 90
back to the caverns. They would nat
urally steer for the tall grain to hide
themselves; there were no fences to
stop them. Presently there would be
a hundred and fifty lines of cracking
fire spreading to the right and left over
miles of yellow grain. The enraged
owners, living here and there in villa
ges, would naturally chase the jackals.
This would only spread the ruin still
more widely.


All this shows how intently Samson
must have thought out the different
parts of the cunning contrivauce. It
agrees with his character, which eyi-
IDENTIFY had in it a considerable spice Of
reckless fun. We can see him sitting
on the rocky brow of his native hills,
looking down on the rich fields of bis
enemies, pondering his plan, and smiling
to think how he would serve them.


This is beautiful instance of the
clear light which may be thrown on an
obscure passage of Scripture by making
ourselves acquainted with its geogfa-
ply and the circumstances of its time,