Year: 1870

men poy, was puZZied Win ail
parts of this affair. ThoughtI:


would not the fire brand burn the
string, or the hair Of the tail? How
could a dull 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 atall? aud how could he
catch SO many foxes?"


No doubt thousands Of boys have felt
these difficulties, and thousands Of
knowing men have turned up their
noses ut the account, rs unworthy of
serious belief But let us look again.
Skcplicism is generally u lazy thing,
not plea,ed with study.


In the original Hebrew, the word
means jackals, doubtless. This animal
is not solitary like the foxes, but 60 in
large packs. They take shelter in the
deep caverns abounding in that country
of limestone hills. Samson, being II
chief, could easily command the assist
ance ofa 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
well. The word translated 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 strong
ly at one end, while it is held at the
other end by the hand, and lasts for
/ many hours. If dragged along on the
! ground, 1t would still blaze tiercely.
Gideon's men had, for their night at
tack upon the camp; not the little fine
flame of the house lamp, put out by
fast walk, or a breath. Suppose Samson
had tied the torch to Il single jackal; 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 inclosc
enough Of the stiff stalks to impede
them considerably and so give the blaze
! time to kindle all along their course.
they could not stand still because the
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 killed some of
them; but they could not catch the
jackals.


! The southern sleeps Of Dan overlook
ed the land of the Philistines. Even at
this day, we are told, that that same
plain is vast grain-tield. Samson
might station his different parties Of
men, with their jackals, along the side
of the hills for considerable 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 othe- end, perhaps, with u few extra
drops Of oil. The jackal must go down
hill; the men would not allow them to
turn and go back to the caverns. They
would naturally steer for the tall grain
to hide themselves; there were no fences
to stop them. Presently there would
b. a hundred aud fifty lines Of crack
ling fire spreading to the right aud left
over miles of yellow grain. The en-
ragged owners, living here and there in.
villages, Z. 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 contrivance. II
agrees with his character, which evi.
IDENTIFY had in it u considerable spice Of
reckless fun. We can.scc. him sitting
on the rocky brow of his native hills,
locking down on the rich fields of his
enemies, pondering his plan, and
smiling to think how he would serve
them.


This isa beautiful instance Of the
clear light which may be thrown on All
obscure passage Of Scripture By making
ourselves acquainted with its geogra.
phy and the circumstances Of its time
Selected.