The story of Samson and Delilah is described in the Book of Judges of Israel. Samson's birth was foretold by an angel. He was born from a barren woman. His father was Manoah from the family of Dan. According to the Angel, the baby will be a “Nazarite of God” and will “save Israel from the hand of the Philistines” (Book of Judges of Israel, chapter 13). Soon an Angel appeared to Manoah and said that when the baby grows up, he must beware of everything that the vine produces and not eat anything unclean, then he will be able to resist the Philistines.
A little history. The Philistines were not a big nation in those days, but they were strategic thinkers. Capitalizing on the weaknesses of the Israelites, who at that time were poorly organized, the Philistines penetrated into the territories of Israel, parasitizing on the weaker tribes, until the day came when they completely surrounded and enslaved all the tribes of Israel.
When the boy was born, he was named Samson (Shimshon). Having matured, Samson saw a woman from the daughters of the Philistines, who at that time ruled over Israel, and began to ask his father to take this woman as his wife.
Samson went with his father and mother to Timnatha, where a woman lived. Soon they saw a young lion coming towards them. Samson defeated the lion with his bare hands. Here Samson’s enormous physical strength, which he subsequently often used, was revealed for the first time. Samson met his chosen one, and he began to like her even more.
A few days later, Samson again went to his chosen one along the same road and saw that a swarm of bees had appeared in the lion’s corpse. Samson took honey from the corpse and ate it himself, and treated it to his parents.
Soon a wedding was held, at which Samson asked a riddle to the Philistines present:
From the eater came the poisonous, and from the strong came the sweet. ( Book of Judges of Israel, chapter 14 )
As you probably already guessed, this riddle was about a lion and honey. The Philistines could not solve the riddle and sent their wife to Samson to find out the answer. For seven days she cried and asked Samson to solve the riddle, until he finally gave up. Samson's wife told the answer to the sons of her people.
Samson became angry and punished 30 Philistines with death. Thus began the confrontation between Samson and the Philistines, which is described in detail in chapter 15 of the Book of Judges. Samson was a judge of Israel in the days of the Philistines for twenty years.
It is important to understand what " judge of Israel " means. The Age of the Judges was a troubled time after the death of Joshua, characterized by tribal hostilities. The judges are authority figures among the Israelis, active representatives of the national consciousness who resisted the assimilation of the Israelis into local tribes. Judges commanded the people's militia and also performed legal functions. The power of judges was based either on high authority or on force.
Let's return to the legend of Samson and Delilah. Delilah lived in the Sorek Valley. Samson fell in love with her. The Philistines, having learned about Samson's feelings, decided to bribe Delilah so that she would find out the secret of Samson's enormous physical strength. Modern scholars have calculated that Delilah received 5,500 shekels of silver (62,700 grams) for her betrayal.
Samson revealed to Delilah the secret of his strength, and it was in Samson’s hair.
...if you shave me, my strength will depart from me; I will become weak and be like other people. (Book of Judges of Israel, chapter 16)
Delilah cut the hair of the sleeping Samson and handed him over to the Philistines, who bound him with copper chains, blinded him, and took him to Gaza to a house of prisoners. Soon many Philistines gathered here to sacrifice Samson to their god Dagon. Meanwhile, the hair on Samson's head began to grow back, and he moved the two supporting pillars that supported the entire house and brought the house down on the Philistines, thereby killing more Philistines than in his 20 years as a judge. Samson was also buried under the rubble. They buried him next to his father.
Based on the book Shoftim 13-16 and the Talmud
Shlomo Chaim Kesselman
The mighty Shimshon (Samson) was the leader of the Jewish people during the era of the reign of the judges. He saved the Jews from the oppression of the Philistines, who then occupied the Land of Israel. Being a nazir (Nazarite) from birth, Shimshon was endowed by God with unprecedented physical strength, which he used to fight the Philistines. He ruled the people for 20 years until his beloved wife Delilah betrayed him and the Philistines captured him. Blinded and abused by his captors, he died a hero, collapsing the columns supporting the building where he stood, thus killing himself and the thousands of Philistines inside the building.
History of the relationship between the Philistines and Israel
The Philistines, believed to have originated from Cyprus, settled throughout the area from modern Tel Aviv to Gaza in the 12th century BC. Possessing the secret of steel smelting, the ancient tribes are considered the ancestors of the Iron Age in the Middle East. It is known from sources that when the Jews left Egypt, the Philistines were already living in the lands of Canaan.
In the 10th century BC, the Philistines invaded the strong kingdom of Israel, but were forced to return to the coastal lands called Pentapolis, “Pentapolis”, since they united five city-states. It was during this period that the Philistines repeatedly attempted to militaryly conquer the lands on both banks of the Jordan River, where Semitic Israeli tribes lived. It was especially hard on the representatives of the tribe of Dan, who lived next to the Philistines near the sea coast.
The legendary Samson, who took revenge on the Philistines for the murder of his fellow tribesmen, met a heroic death in the city of Gaza. The Israelites, in order to fight off the conquerors, united under the rule of the king, but this did not save them from the capture of the Ark of the Covenant, sacred to the Jews, by the Philistines. True, as the Old Testament says, the ark brought terrible troubles to the Philistines, and they returned it to its owners.
At different times, the Philistines were subjugated by the Persians, Babylonians and Assyrians, and as a result, the Philistines, like the Israelites, went down in history as a small people of the Middle East. Since the era of the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Philistines have completely disappeared into the mass of conquered peoples. But long before this, the mighty representative of the Israelis managed to resist the uninvited tribes and forever went down in history as a hero.
Historical background
After Moshe's successor, Joshua, died, the era of the judges began. It lasted about 350 years, in 2516-2871 from the creation of the world (1245-890 BC). Samson was the seventh judge and ruled his people for what was said to be 20 years, from 2811 to 2831 (951-931 BC).
The story of Shimshon is recorded in the book of Shoftim (Judges), chapters 13-16. And although little is known about his role as the leader of the Jews, in the verses of Ketuvim (Scriptures) we see amazing stories that reveal to us the personality of Shimshon, telling of his great strength and clashes with the Philistines.
(Note that the Philistines mentioned in the Tanakh (called Plishtim in Hebrew) have no relation to the present-day Palestinians.)
Birth of a Hero
Shimshon's family was from the tribe of Dan. His parents, Manoah and Tzlelponit, who lived in the small town of Tzora, did not have children for a long time. One day, an angel appeared to Tzelelponit and announced that after so many years of infertility, she would finally become pregnant and give birth to a son who would save the Jews from the Philistines. However, the boy will be special; from the moment of his birth he must be dedicated to the Almighty as a nazir for his entire life. He was not to consume wine or any grape products at all, and his hair was never to be touched by a razor. And therefore, from the moment of meeting the angel, his mother should not have consumed grapes or anything made from them, and also be careful not to touch anything unclean.
Returning home, the woman told her husband about the amazing meeting with the angel. Manoah began to fervently pray to the Almighty to send the angel to them again, because then he would be able to tell them what needed to be done with the newborn. And so it happened. When meeting with the angel, Manoah, on his instructions, made a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Almighty.
At the appointed time, Tslelponit became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Shimshon - this is from the words “shemesh u-magen” - “sun” and “protector”. This name predicted the boy’s future fate: a large, powerful sun that led the people, protected them and shielded them from enemies.(1)
early years
Even in his early youth, Shimshon showed considerable physical strength. One day, while he was wandering through the forest, a lion suddenly attacked him. Feeling that the spirit of the Almighty was with him, Shimshon was able to defeat the lion with his bare hands. He understood that he was endowed with such power not by chance, but to help his people, so he was looking for a reason to fight the enemies of the Jews, the Philistines.
The Philistines were a people of marauders who lived in the west of the Holy Land. They constantly persecuted and robbed Jews. For 40 long years(2), the people of Israel suffered terribly from the Philistine hand that overtook them everywhere, until, finally, Shimshon went on the warpath against the robbers.
The young man was too humble to take over the leadership of a large Jewish army. And he also did not want to provoke the Philistines to further terrorize their people. Therefore, he decided that he himself would avenge his brethren, involving the Philistines in personal conflicts, intimidating them and thereby preventing them from persecuting the Jews. He began to look for ways to establish close contact with the Philistines.
Historical analogues of Samson
In Russian history, Alexander Zass, the Russian Samson, a strongman and a giant, became famous for his circus achievements. Of course, Alexander is not a professional warrior, but he also defeated the enemies of his country during the battles of the First World War. Russian Samson broke the chains with the help of unprecedented strength given to him by nature. Zass died, saving during a terrible fire not people, but his beloved animals, which he trained.
The one who definitely resembles the biblical Samson is the Volga barge hauler Nikita Lomov. There were legends about Lomov’s strength and power throughout the Volga and the Caspian Sea; hundreds of people came to see the miracles Lomov performed. One legend said that once Nikitushka, whose ship was attacked by the “Trukhmenites,” knocked twenty enemies off the deck in one fell swoop. When the attackers made another attempt, the hero took a spare anchor and threw it into the enemy boat, sinking it in one fell swoop.
The Russian fleet was proud of Captain Dmitry Lukin, who had not only merits as an officer, but also enormous physical strength. Eyewitnesses enthusiastically told how, while in England, Lukin defeated twelve British sailors who attacked him in the port. “Russian Samson” was killed in a heavy battle with the Turks in 1807. Captain first rank Lukin was remembered with great respect by sailors from different countries for a long time.
The French military leader Gilles de Rais is known to us from the fascinating fairy tale “Bluebeard” by Charles Perrault - it was he who became the prototype of the main character. How is the terrible duke similar to Samson? Let's name four common features:
- famous warrior, strong and mighty;
- both were distinguished by their cruelty towards their enemies (Samson towards the Philistines, the Duke towards the English);
- the presence of a magical principle: the magical power of Samson’s hair and Gilles’ beard;
- the captivity of heroes by enemies (Samson by the Philistines, Gilles by the Catholic Church);
— the heroes’ lives take place in similar circumstances: wars, betrayals, torture, revenge.
Wedding and mystery
Shimshon's first encounter with the Philistines occurred on one of his frequent expeditions, when he arrived at Timnah, a Philistine village. There he saw a beautiful local girl, whom he immediately decided to marry. Although his parents tried to dissuade their son from a hasty marriage, Shimshon still decided to marry (after she converted).(3)
At the wedding celebration, Shimshon realized that he had the opportunity to bring his plan to life. He challenged 30 Philistine guests to guess his riddle, and if they guessed the answer, Shimshon would give each of them a new suit, and if not, they would give him a total of 30 suits. The Philistines agreed. Shimshon uttered his riddle, but the Philistines could not solve it. (4) The fact is that on the way to Timna he passed by the very place where he had once killed a lion, and noticed that a swarm of bees had turned the animal’s carcass into a hive. Shimshon took some honey from there, ate it and moved on. And at the wedding he asked the following riddle: “From the one who ate came food, and from the strong came sweets. What it is?" The one who eats is a lion, the king of all animals, and the sweet is honey. So, despite the fact that the Philistines could not find the answer all week, on the seventh day they came to Shimshon, they answered him: “What is sweeter than honey and who is stronger than a lion?”
How did they know the answer? After asking for several days to think and not coming up with a single version, the Philistines turned to Shimshon’s wife. They demanded that she persuade her husband to give her the right answer, otherwise they would burn her and her father's house. Shimshon's wife got scared, began to cry and put pressure on her husband, and at some point he gave up. And she immediately conveyed the correct answer to the Philistines.
Therefore, when the Philistines came to Shimshon with an answer, he immediately understood what had happened. Leaving the city in anger, he went to Ashkelon, which at that time belonged to the Philistines, killed 30 people, took their costumes and sent them to those who “guessed the riddle.” And then he went to his father's house.
The extraordinary story and mystery of the missing Samson statue
The composition “Samson Tearing the Lion” by the famous Carlo Rastrelli was installed in Peterhof during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, in 1735. The statue was dedicated to one of Peter's victories in the Northern War, the Battle of Poltava, which ended on the day of St. Samson and symbolized the power of the Russian army.
After 60 years, the dilapidated statue was ordered to be restored by the grandson of Peter the Great, Paul I, and the Russian architect Mikhail Kozlovsky coped with this task perfectly. The group was cast in bronze and covered with gold leaf. During the 19th century, the composition was updated several times and again covered with gold, and in 1930, after the opening of the Museum-Reserve, a complete reconstruction of the Peterhof fountains was carried out.
In 1941, when the Germans occupied the Leningrad region, museum staff removed all the bronze sculptures and sent them to the rear. They did not have time to hide the statue of Samson, and it fell into the hands of the Nazis.
When the siege of Leningrad was lifted in January 1944 and Soviet troops entered Peterhof, the palaces were in ruins, and the statue of Samson with the lion disappeared without a trace. After the end of the war, a group was created to search for the famous statue of “Samson Tearing the Lion.” There is a version that the monument was cut into pieces and melted down along with other stolen valuables in Germany.
In the 21st century, German historians joined the search for documents about the export of the statue to Germany, but the matter did not move forward. The compositional group that today decorates the Grand Cascade in Peterhof was reconstructed in 1947 based on photographs and sketches stored in the archive. The group of reenactors was led by St. Petersburg professor, sculptor Vasily Simonov. The updated sculpture became a symbol of victory not only in the Battle of Poltava, but also in the Great Patriotic War.
Pavel Simonov dedicated the following lines to the new monument:
“...We believed: the enemy’s malice is powerless, the day will come - our Samson will rise again. In its beauty lies the greatness of the people, And, like a people, it is immortal forever...”
It is interesting that the statue of Samson with a lion has its own prototype: a marble sculptural group in one of the castles of Copenhagen “Hercules defeating the Nemean lion” by the sculptor Giovanni Barat.
Other fountain statues erected in European cities are also dedicated to Samson:
— in Kyiv on Podol, works by sculptors Ivan Zubov and Mikhail Karnovsky;
— on the main street of Swiss Bern;
— on the market square of the town of Gera in Germany;
- in the Austrian palace park Burggarten, located in Vienna.
What did the image of Samson give to humanity? Hope for the appearance of a hero in the most difficult life situations. Samson is an example of physical and mental strength and courage, faith and courage, dedication and bravery.
Revenge
A few days later, Shimshon returned to Timna to his young wife, but it turned out that in his absence she had been handed over to another man. When he asked his father-in-law what was going on, he said that he didn’t think that Shimshon would return, and if so, then he could take his wife’s younger sister. Shimshon was furious when he realized that not a single person spoke out against such a scandalous act. It was wheat harvest time, so he went into the fields and caught 300 foxes. Shimshon tied them up in pairs and stuck torches between the animals' tails, and then released them into the fields of the Philistines, and they ran in all directions, burning the crops.
In addition to the fact that he thus avenged his offense, he did this to teach the Philistines a lesson for their regular attacks on the Jews and robbery.
Shimshon the Righteous
The sages of the Talmud teach that Shimshon was not just a man with brute strength. He was a Nazir, one whose life is dedicated to the Almighty. Therefore, his power was supernatural and depended on the degree of his devotion to God. Everything he did was dictated by the Almighty, including his marriage to a Philistine woman who converted. The Talmud describes how the Divine Presence, the Shechina, walked before him, ringing like a bell and accompanying him wherever he went. Shimshon was an incredibly humble man and during the 20 years of his reign he never used his position to ask anyone to do anything for him.(5)
Some say that Shimshon was actually lame in both legs and had difficulty walking. However, when necessary, the spirit of God descended on him, and at this time he was healed, in addition receiving supernatural strength to resist his enemies.(6)
Interpretation of the legend
Many people mistakenly believe that the legend of Samson and Delilah is a story of betrayal. This motif, of course, is repeated quite often in the Bible, but it is not the main one here.
The parable of Samson and Delilah teaches you to control your emotions. After all, in fact, Samson was destroyed by a feeling of rage and revenge.
Samson died because he allowed his emotions to “take over” and control him. And a person has no right to cause harm because his anger is uncontrollable. Justice must always remain in the hands of God.
Samson resisted the Philistines for many years. He destroyed many, many things. And anger distracted him from God's plan. The mission entrusted by the Almighty turned into his personal battle, naked, furious, all-consuming. She changed his soul and the direction of his whole life.
The best article for you, go to: Interpretation of the Book of Micah
And Samson’s physical blindness described in the Bible is a symbolic description of spiritual blindness. After all, it is not entirely clear at what point in his life he stopped following the path of God and chose the path of his own revenge, using the power given to him by the Lord for good deeds.
Samson and Delilah is not just a story from the Bible, it is a story of the eternal search for oneself, the eternal struggle between good and evil, the eternal choice between the word of the Almighty and internal torment. Harmony. Almighty, great and deep. Not everyone can recognize it as a gift from the Lord, but those who approach it will receive the highest grace - themselves in God and God in themselves.
May the Lord protect you!
Shimshon's special power
There are many other stories in the Holy Scriptures related to the power of Shimshon. One day, when he came to Aza, one of the main cities of the Philistines, and stayed there overnight, his enemies surrounded him and closed the city gates, intending to attack in the morning. Shimshon guessed about their villainous plans, so he got up at midnight, tore the giant locked city gates out of the ground, put them on his shoulders and carried them far from there, to the top of the mountain.
Another time, immediately after the incident with the foxes, the Philistines tried to soften Shimshon's anger and burned the house of his unfaithful wife and her father, implying that they were thus avenging him. But when Samson heard what they had done, he became even more angry and attacked the Philistines and killed many of them.
The Philistines gathered a huge army and camped in the Judah city of Lehi, where Shimshon was hiding. They told the local residents that they were either obliged to hand over Shimshon to them as soon as possible, or they would be killed.
When the frightened people of Judah came to Shimshon and told him about the threat of the Philistines, he remained unperturbed. At his own request, he was tied up and brought to the Philistine camp. The joyful Philistines stood up to kill him, but at that moment the spirit of the Most High descended on him, and then he tore off the ropes that bound him, as if they were old and decayed, and, grabbing the first thing he saw - the jaw of a donkey - he killed a thousand people.
After this spectacular victory, the entire Jewish people realized that Shimshon had been chosen by the Almighty to lead them, and they appointed him as their judge.
Cult of Samson in Galilee
Galilee is the northern part of the ancient Israeli lands, bounded in the west by the Mediterranean Sea. Galilee entered the Kingdom of Israel in the 10th century, then became first the possession of the Assyrian power, then of Persia, and in the 3rd century BC it was captured by the troops of Alexander the Great.
In Galilee, Samson was revered as the forerunner of the Messiah and the deliverer of Israel from foreign oppression and constant attacks from various nations. Archaeologists have excavated four mosaics depicting Samson, two in Asia Minor, and two more in the Galilean village of Huqoq. In one mosaic from Huqoq, Samson carries on his shoulders the gates of the city of Gaza, a stronghold of the Philistines, in the second he sets the tails of foxes on fire, launching them into the fields of his enemies, as described in the Bible. In both cases, mosaics depicting Samson as a strong giant were in synagogues, indicating the spread of a local cult.
In the Babylonian Talmud (one of the two Talmuds sacred to the Jews), the strength of Samson (Shimshon) is compared to divine power.
Delilah and the Fall of Shimshon
Shimshon's downfall did ultimately come at the hands of the Philistines - the woman he married, Delilah. The trouble was that Shimshon loved her very much, and his enemies realized that thanks to this they could defeat him.
One day, noble Philistines came to Delilah while she was alone and offered her truly enormous money if she would reveal to them the secret of her husband’s strength and help them organize his capture. And the treacherous Delilah agreed.
Every day Delilah tormented her husband with questions, trying in various ways to lure out his secret. Several times Shimshon tried to laugh it off, but Delilah was adamant and demanded the truth.
“If you tie me to seven damp bowstrings, then my strength will disappear,” Shimshon answered her. “If you tie me with new ropes that have never been used, I will become an ordinary person.” “If you tie my seven strands into a cloth, I will become weak.” Each time Delilah tried these methods while Shimshon was sleeping. Each time she cried out: “Shimshon, the Philistines have attacked you!”, and Shimshon abruptly woke up, demonstrating her strength, which made it obvious that her methods were not working.
Delilah cried in front of him: “How can you say “I love you” if your heart is not really with me? You’ve mocked me three times already, but you still haven’t admitted what the secret of your strength is!” And she tormented him so much that one day Shimshon gave up.
Finally, he told her the secret of his strength. “The razor has never touched my head because I have been a nazir to God since the time I was in my mother’s womb. If I shave, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak like any other person.”
This time the traitor Delilah understood for sure that her husband was telling her the truth. She hastened to call the Philistines to her house. While Shimshon was sleeping, Delilah cut his hair and then exclaimed, “Shimshon, the Philistines have attacked you!”
Shimshon jumped up, ready to defend himself. But the Divine power that he previously possessed departed from him, and the people who were sitting in ambush easily overpowered him. The cruel Philistines gouged out his eyes and, chaining him, took him to Aza.
The Talmud teaches that Shimshon was punished with blindness because he had previously looked at the Philistine women with lust. Although God wanted Shimshon to marry the Philistine women, his personal motives were not entirely pure, since he dreamed of possessing them.(7)
Why did Delilah betray Samson?
Many Bible students wonder why Delilah so easily betrayed the man who loved her? In fact, the reason is still the same. Delilah, like Samson, was obsessed with the desire for revenge. Of course, Delilah knew about Samson and his actions, including many unpleasant ones. So, as we know from the Bible, Samson burned his first wife alive, killed many Philistines, and was known for his promiscuity and bragging. Taking all this into account, one can understand why Delilah's action does not seem illogical.
Delilah was also motivated by revenge, just like Samson. She hated the Israelites as much as Samson hated the Philistines.
When we feel bad or hurt, we want those who offended us to be also offended. Such a position seems fair only at first glance. The desire to get even is a desire for revenge, which should have no place in our hearts. God's ways are higher than our ways, and we should not question them.
The story of Samson and Delilah reminds us of the importance of having pure hearts and following God's path!
Death of a Hero
After being captured, Shimshon was assigned to threshing. One day, on the day when all the Philistines gathered for a big holiday to make a special sacrifice to their idol, they decided at the same time to celebrate their victory over Shimshon. They sang, danced and thanked their god for delivering the hero into their hands. At one point they sent for blind Shimshon to entertain them. Exhausted and humiliated, he came and entertained them, but realized that he could no longer endure these rude ridicule, but even more disgusting to him was the worship of the Philistines to idols.
Turning to the one who was leading him, Shimshon asked: “Lead me to the columns so that I can lean on them and rest a little.” The boy obeyed.
And the hair on his head has already grown a little during his captivity. Burning with anger and pain, but full of hope, Shimshon prayed to the Almighty: “Oh, Lord, God, please remember me and give me strength, please, just this time! Let me take revenge on these cruel idolaters, so that they will know that you are the only God. And it doesn’t matter if I die with them!”
Suddenly he felt the spirit of God upon him again. Having thanked the Almighty, Shimshon stretched out his hands, grabbed the columns supporting the building, and leaned against them with all his strength. The next moment, the walls and roof collapsed, destroying the entire building. All the Philistines present there, along with Shimshon himself, died during the crash. Shimshon sacrificed himself that day, but was able to kill more Philistines than in his entire life.
After this, his brothers and all his father's household went down to that place, took his body and brought him back home, burying him between Zorah and Eshtaol - in the land where he fought so valiantly to protect his people - in the tomb of Manoah his father . Shimshon was the recognized leader of the Jewish people for 20 years.
Samson is a great hero of ancient Israel. His name means "strong". Samson was born into the family of the Israeli judge Manoah and his beautiful wife. There is the following legend about the birth of a boy. One day an angel appeared to Manoah in a dream and predicted that soon his childless wife would give birth to an heir who would save the Jews from the Philistines, who had been attacking them for several decades.
In exchange for the divine miracle, Samson had to remain a Nazirite for the rest of his life, serve God, not drink alcohol, and never cut his hair. The happy father promised the angel to fulfill God's will and raised his son according to this order.
The boy grew up surprisingly brave and courageous, and unprecedented rumors began to spread throughout the land of Judea about his heroic strength. They said that once a brave young man tore apart the mouth of a living lion with his hands, and in one of the battles with the Philistines he killed about a thousand enemies. There were legends around Samson, some tried to unravel the secret of his strength, others admired the unusual young man, others offered him to reveal his secret for a large reward. But he remained adamant.
Soon the young man was appointed a judge, and a few years later he was already leading the enslaved Israeli people. Although the hero led an unrighteous life, he enjoyed great respect among the citizens. In addition, they were afraid of him and did not want to start arguments with the hot-tempered, stubborn and wayward Samson.
He often entered into battles with the Philistines and did not allow them, who arrived from the distant island of Crete and dominated his native land for forty years, to continue their invasion of the south and capture more and more Judean lands. The Philistine commanders could not cope with the Jewish hero. The fame of Samson's unprecedented physical strength spread faster and faster throughout cities and villages.
Women idolized him, he responded to their feelings and, falling in love with another beauty, he lost his head, became submissive, humble and meek. One day Samson came to the Philistine city of Gaza and met the beautiful Philistine Delilah there. She, too, was not distinguished by piety and was even known as a particularly cunning and insidious girl. However, the Jewish hero fell in love with Delilah and spent the whole evening with her.
The Philistines, having learned that their worst enemy was in the city, decided to lure Samson into a trap: close the main gates of the city and place several dozen armed guards next to them. The conspirators expected the appearance of the Jewish hero only in the morning and fell asleep peacefully, placing their weapons next to them.
However, Samson, sensing something was wrong, went to the city gates at midnight, killed all the guards, removed the gates and took them to the top of the mountain. In the morning, the Philistines, discouraged by their failure, discovered dead soldiers near the entrance to the city, and the fearless hero has since visited Gaza without hindrance.
For several months, the loving hero enjoyed the passion of love with Delilah and almost never left her chambers. Let us remember that Delilah was considered the most sophisticated harlot in the Philistine kingdom. Beautiful, black-eyed, with a sly, enchanting smile, Delilah so bewitched Samson that he, already weak in the female sex, completely lost his head.
The cunning Philistines took advantage of Samson's weakness of heart and persuaded Delilah, for a large fee, to learn the secret secret of the heroic strength of the invincible hero. The insidious woman agreed and that same evening, resorting to the most cunning methods, began to pry out his secret from her lover. For a long time he did not dare to reveal the secret; he told lies several times, sensing something was wrong.
At first he said that he would lose his strength if his body was tied with seven ropes. When her lover fell asleep, Delilah ordered her servants to tie him up and sent for the Philistine leaders. They broke into the harlot's house at midnight, but Samson easily broke the ropes and dealt with the enemies. The Philistines fled away in horror, and Delilah swore her innocence to her lover. A man in love believed the insidious traitor.
A few days later, the harlot again gave her lover wine to drink and cried so bitterly, cruelly reproaching Samson for his distrust and dislike for her, that the simple-minded giant gave in for the second time. He nevertheless told Delilah that his strength lies in his long, thick hair and if he cuts it, he will become helpless and weak. The shameless mistress, having given the hero sleepy wine, cut off all seven of his braids and handed Samson over to the Philistines. Having shackled the exhausted hero in chains, the enemies gouged out his eyes and put him in prison. Meanwhile, Delilah, having received an impressive sum, wallowed in luxury and enjoyed the acquired wealth. Only once did she visit her former lover in prison and with bitter speeches, sobbing on his shoulder, asked Samson to forgive her.
She said that she did this for the sake of love for him, out of fear that the hero would stop loving her and leave her, that now she wanted to ransom him from the Philistines and be with him for the rest of her life. But Samson no longer wanted to listen to the false speeches of his beloved, who had destroyed him in one night, and asked her never to come to him in prison again. Blinded and weakened, he remained in captivity for several months by the Philistines, who forced him to work at night and came up with new and new punishments. Neither Samson's friends nor relatives were able to ransom the captive from his enemies. The Philistines, celebrating the victory over the famous hero, did not want to hear about any ransom and continued to mock the defeated hero. However, they did not take into account that if Samson’s hair grew back, his irresistible powers would return to the hero with it.
Once in Gaza, where the Philistines kept the hated Israeli giant, they held a holiday in honor of some pagan god. The most notable leaders of the Philistine people gathered for a magnificent feast, where they decided to bring Samson chained in chains in order to laugh at him once again. The hero entered the temple and asked to be led to the column on which the roof of the building was supported. Samson pulled down the support in one motion, and the temple collapsed. They said that several thousand people died then. Samson also died under the ruins.
The hero was buried in his homeland, in the city of Sarias. And the legend about the strongest man, who was destroyed by blind love for a woman, has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.
Heritage
Shimshon became the one on whom Jacob’s blessing came true to his son Dan, Shimshon’s ancestor: “Dan will judge his people, like every tribe of Israel. Dan will be a serpent on the road, an asp on the way, which stings the horse’s leg, and its rider falls backward.”(8) He was a real warrior, and his method of attack was similar to the method of a snake that bites a man’s leg. He lived among the Philistines and attacked them from behind, harming them. And yet, at the same time, as our sages teach, Shimshon was a great righteous judge who led and judged his people like the Most High himself, with perfect justice.(9)
How long did Shimshon rule?
Many sources in our tradition say that although the verse says that Shimshon reigned for 20 years, in reality there were 40.(10) The reason for this, as the Talmud explains, is that Shimshon's influence over both his fellows and and the effect on the Philistines was so strong that it was felt for another 20 years after his death. His instructions continued to inspire and serve as laws for the Jews long after Shimshon's death, with the same force as during his lifetime, so that he is said to have virtually ruled all these years. In addition, the fear that he was able to sow among the Philistines was so strong that for another 20 years after the death of Shimshon, they were afraid to attack the Jews and harm them, and therefore the people of Israel could live in peace and quiet.
Footnotes
- Cell 10a. and Rashi's comment on this.
- Although the verse speaks of 40 years, some commentators interpret this to mean that the 40 years mentioned also include the 20 years already under the rule of Shimshon. See Rabbi David Kimchi's (Radak) commentary on Shoftim 13:1.
- Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Forbidden Relationships 13:16. Radak na Shoftim 13:4.
- Shoftim 14:14.
- Cell 9b-10a.
- Sota is right there.
- Cell 9b.
- Bereshit 49:16. See Rashba's commentary on this verse for an alternative explanation.
- See Sforno's commentary on Bereshit 49:17.
- Jerusalem Talmud, Sotah 1:8. Bemidbar Rabbah 14:9 teaches that since two verses say that Shimshon reigned for twenty years, this means that he reigned twice for 20 years, that is, a total of 40. From this we teach that he reigned for twenty years during his life and another twenty years after his death. However, in the Tosafot commentary on Shabbat 55:b it is said that the scripture mentions only the number 20 and no other, which means that Shimshon reigned for 20 years.
Report
Book of Judges of Israel, Chapter 16, verses 1-22
Historical books
According to the division of Old Testament books according to content accepted in the Greek-Slavic and Latin Bibles, the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, four books of Kings, two Chronicles, 1st book of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther are considered historical (canonical) books. A similar calculation is found already in the 85th apostolic canon 1, the fourth catechumen teaching of Cyril of Jerusalem, the Sinai list of the LXX translation and partly in the 60th canon of the Council of Laodicea in 350: Esther is placed in it between the books of Ruth and Kings 2. Likewise, the term “historical books” is known from the same fourth catechetical teaching of Cyril of Jerusalem and the work of Gregory the Theologian “On what is due to the honor of a prince. Old and New Testaments" (book of Rules, pp. 372–373). Among the named church fathers, it has, however, a slightly different meaning than it does now: the name “historical books” is given by them not only to the “historical books” of the Greek-Slavic and Latin translation, but also to the entire Pentateuch. “There are twelve historical books of ancient Jewish wisdom,” says Gregory the Theologian. The first is Genesis, then Exodus, Leviticus, then Numbers, Deuteronomy, then Jesus and Judges, the eighth Ruth. The ninth and tenth books are Acts of Kings, Chronicles, and lastly you have Ezra.” “Read,” answers Cyril of Jerusalem, “the divine writings of the Old Testament, 22 books translated by LXX interpreters, and do not confuse them with the Apocrypha... These twenty-two books are the essence of the Law of Moses, the first five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Then Joshua the son of Nun, Judges and Ruth make up one seventh book. Other historical books include the first and second Kings, which among the Jews constitute one book, and also the third and fourth, which constitute one book. Likewise, they count the first and second Chronicles as one book, and the first and second Esdras (according to our Nehemiah) count as one book. The twelfth book is Esther. That's what history books are like."
As for the Hebrew Bible, both the very section of “historical books” and their Greek-Slavic and Latin distribution are alien to it. The books of Joshua, Judges and the four books of Kings are classified in it as “prophets”, and Ruth, two books of Chronicles, Ezra - Nehemiah and Esther - to the section of “kegubim” - the sacred scriptures. The first ones, i.e. book. Joshua, Judges, and Kings occupy the first place among the prophetic ones, Ruth the fifth, Esther the eighth, and Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles the last places among the “scriptures.” Much closer to the LXX division is the order of the books in Josephus. His words: “From the death of Moses to the reign of Artaxerxes, the prophets after Moses wrote down in 13 books what happened under them” (Against Appion, I, 8), make it clear that he considered the book. Joshua - Esther books of a historical nature. Jesus son of Sirach apparently held the same view. In the section “scriptures” he distinguishes between “wise words... and... stories” ( Sir 44.3–5
), i.e. educational and historical books. The last ones could only be Ruth, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. The inclusion of them in the “scriptures” section of the Hebrew Bible is partly explained by the fact that the authors of some of them, for example Ezra-Nehemiah, did not accept the title “prophet” in Jewish theology, partly by their character, they are seen as a historian, a teacher and a preacher. In accordance with this, the entire third section is called “wisdom” in some Talmudic treatises.
Attributing one part of our historical books to the section of the prophets, “who learned by inspiration from God the things that were early, and wrote with wisdom about the things that happened with them” (Josephus. Against Appion I, 7), and the other to the “scriptures,” which is the name given to everything composition of the Old Testament canonical books, the Jewish church thereby recognized them as inspired works. This view is quite definitely and clearly expressed in the words of Josephus: “Among the Jews, not every person can be a sacred writer, but only a prophet who writes according to the Divine with inspiration, which is why all the sacred Jewish books (22 in number) can rightly be called Divine” (Against Appion I, 8). Later, as can be seen from the Talmudic treatise Megillah, a dispute arose about the inspiration of the books of Ruth and Esther; but as a result they are recognized as written by the Holy Spirit. The New Testament church also holds the same view as the Old Testament church on the inspiration of historical books (see above 85 of the Apostolic Canon).
According to their name, historical books lay out the history of the religious, moral and civil life of the Jewish people, starting with the conquest of Canaan under Joshua (1480–1442 BC) and ending with the return of the Jews from Babylon led by Nehemiah under Artaxerxes I (445 BC), during whose reign the events described in the book of Esther also fall. The facts that took place during a given period are presented in historical books either completely objectively, or are considered from a theocratic point of view. The latter established, on the one hand, a strict distinction between proper and improper phenomena in the field of religion, and on the other, recognized the complete dependence of civil and political life on faith in the true God. Depending on this, the history of the Jewish people, presented in the light of the idea of theocracy, presents a series of normal and abnormal religious phenomena, accompanied either by an elevation, a rise in political life, or by its complete decline. This point of view is characteristic mainly of books 3–4. Kingdoms, book. Chronicles and some parts of the book. Ezra and Nehemiah ( Neh 9.1
).
The thousand-year period of life of the Jewish people, embraced by historical books, breaks up, depending on the internal, causal connection of the phenomenon, into several separate eras. Of these, the time of Joshua, marked by the conquest of Palestine, represents a transitional moment from nomadic to sedentary life. Her first steps during the period of the Judges (1442–1094) were not particularly successful. Having lost their political leader with the death of Joshua, the Jews broke up into twelve independent republics that lost consciousness of national unity. It was replaced by tribal strife, and, moreover, so strong that the tribes do not take part in the general political life of the country, they live so isolated and closed that they do not want to help each other even in days of misfortune ( Judges 5.15–17
,
6.35
,
8.1
).
Religious and moral life was in exactly the same pitiful state. Immorality became so universal that adulterous cohabitation was considered commonplace and, as it were, replaced marriage, and in some cities the vile vices of the times of Sodom and Gomorrah were divorced ( Judges 19
).
At the same time, true religion was forgotten, and its place was taken by superstitions spread by wandering Levites ( Judges 17
).
The absence of judges during the period, restraining principles in the form of religion and permanent secular power, ultimately ended in complete unbridledness: “everyone did what seemed fair to him” ( Judges 21.25
).
But these same negative aspects and phenomena turned out to be beneficial in that they prepared for the establishment of royal power; The period of judges turned out to be a transitional time to the period of kings. Tribal strife and the impotence it caused told the people about the need for permanent, lasting power, the benefit of which was proven by the activities of each judge and especially Samuel, who managed to unite all the Israelis with his personality ( 1 Samuel 7.15–17
).
And since, on the other hand, religion could not be such a force restraining the people - they were still underdeveloped to be guided by the spiritual principle - then the unification could come from earthly power, such as royal power. And, indeed, the accession of Saul put an end, although not for long, to the tribal strife of the Jews: at his call, “the sons of Israel... and the men of Judah” gathered to fight against Koash of Ammon ( 1 Samuel 11.8
).
More of a military leader than a ruler, Saul fulfilled the popular desire to see a strong military leader in the king ( 1 Sam. 8.20
), he won a number of victories over the surrounding nations (
1 Sam. 14.47–48
) and died as a hero in the battle on the mountains of Gilboa (
1 Sam. 31
).
With his death, the tribal strife of the period of the Judges was reflected in full force: the tribe of Judah, which had previously stood alone from the others, now recognized David as their king ( 2 Samuel 2.4
), and the rest submitted to Saul’s son Ishbosheth (
2 Samuel 2.8–9
).
Seven and a half years after this, power over Judah and Israel passed into the hands of David ( 2 Samuel 5.1–3
), and the goal of his reign is the destruction of tribal strife, through which he expects to retain the throne for himself and his house.
Constant wars, as a national cause, also contribute to its achievement; they support the consciousness of national unity and distract attention from matters of internal life, which can always give rise to discord, and a whole series of reforms aimed at equalizing all tribes before the law. Thus, the establishment of a standing army, divided according to the number of tribes into twelve parts, each performing monthly service in Jerusalem ( 1 Chronicles 27.1
), equalizes the people in relation to military service.
The transformation of the neutral city of Jerusalem into a religious and civic center does not elevate any tribe religiously or civically. The appointment of identical Levitical judges for the entire people ( 1 Chronicles 26.29–30
) and the preservation of local tribal self-government for each tribe (
1 Chronicles 27.16–22
) equalizes everyone before the court.
While maintaining the equality of the tribes and thus not giving rise to tribal discord, David remains at the same time a fully autocratic monarch. Military and civil power is concentrated in his hands: the first through the commander-in-chief of the army Joab subordinate to him ( 1 Chronicles 27.34
), the second through the high priest Zadok, the chief of the Levite judges.
The reign of David's son and successor Solomon reversed the result of his father's reign. The extraordinary luxury of Solomon's court required enormous expenses and corresponding taxes on the people. His funds were now used not for the national cause, as under David, but to satisfy the personal needs of the king and his courtiers. At the same time, the rightful court of David’s time turned out to be perverted: the equality of everyone before the law disappeared. On this basis ( 1 Kings 12.4
) popular discontent arose, which then turned into open indignation (
1 Kings 11.26
. Suppressed by Solomon, it reasserted itself under Rehoboam (
1 Kings 12
) and this time was resolved by the separation of 10 tribes from the house of David (
1 Kings 12.20
). The immediate reason for it was dissatisfaction with Solomon , who imposed a heavy yoke on the people (
1 Kings 12.4
), and the reluctance of Rehoboam to ease it. But judging by the words of the separated tribes: “we have no share in the son of Jesse” (
1 Kings 12.16
), that is, we have nothing in common with him; we We do not belong to him, like Judas, by origin, the reason for the division is that tribal, tribal strife that passed through the entire period of the Judges and subsided for a while under Saul, David and Solomon.
The division of the single kingdom (980 BC) into two - Judah and Israel - marked the beginning of the weakening of the power of the Jewish people. The consequences of this kind were reflected primarily in the history of the ten-tribe kingdom. His forces are dealt a sensitive blow by the war with Judah. Begun by Rehoboam ( 1 Kings 12.21
,
14.30
;
2 Chronicles 11.1
,
12.15
), they continue under Abijah, who killed 500,000 Israelites (
2 Chronicles 13.17
) and took a number of cities from Jeroboam (
2 Chronicles 13.19
), and for a time end under Asa, who exterminated with the help of Benhadad the Syrian the population of Ain, Dan, Abel- Beth-Moacah and all the land of Naphtali (
1 Kings 15.20
).
The mutual harm from this almost 60-year war was finally recognized in both states: Ahab and Jehoshaphat entered into an alliance, consolidating it by the kinship of the reigning houses ( 2 Chronicles 18.1
), - by the marriage of Jehoshaphat’s son Joram to Ahab’s daughter Athaliah (
2 Chronicles 21.6
).
But before the wounds she inflicted had healed, wars between the Israelis and the Syrians began. With interruptions ( 1 Kings 22.1
) and varying happiness they pass through the reigns of Ahab (
1 Kings 20
), Joram (
2 Kings 8.16–28
), Jehu (
2 Kings 10.5–36
), Jehoahaz (
2 Kings 13.1–9
) and Joash (
2 Kings 13.10–13
) and so weaken the military strength of the Israelites that Johaz is left with only 50 horsemen, 10 chariots and 10,000 infantry (
2 Kings 13.7
).
Hazael the Syrian scattered everything else like dust (Ibid: cf. 2 Kings 8.12
).
Simultaneously with the Syrians, the Israelites wage war with the Jews under Joash ( 2 Kings 14.9–14
,
2 Chronicles 25.17–24
) and under Jeroboam II they return, of course, not without losses in people, the limits of their former possessions from the edge of Hamath to the desert sea (
2 Kings 14.25
).
Exhausted by a number of these wars, the Israelis finally find themselves unable to withstand the onslaught of their last enemies - the Assyrians, who put an end to the existence of the ten-tribe kingdom. As an independent state, the ten-tribe kingdom existed for 259 years (960–721). It fell, having exhausted its strength in a series of continuous wars. During this time, the state of the two-tribe kingdom appears in a different light. It not only does not weaken, but rather intensifies. Indeed, at the beginning of its existence, the two-generation kingdom had only 120,000 or, according to the Alexandrian list, 180,000 warriors and therefore, naturally, could not repel the invasions of the Egyptian pharaoh Susakim. He took the fortified cities of Judea, plundered Jerusalem itself and made the Jews his tributaries ( 2 Chronicles 12.4
,
8–9
).
Subsequently, the number of those armed and capable of war was increased by those Israelis dissatisfied with the religious reform of Jeroboam I (not counting the Levites), who went over to the side of Rehoboam, strengthened and supported his kingdom ( 2 Chronicles 11.17
).
The two-tribe kingdom and its wars with the ten-tribe kingdom responded relatively favorably. At the very least, Abijah takes Bethel, Jeshon and Ephron with their dependent cities from Jeroboam ( 2 Chronicles 13.19
), and his successor Asa is able to field 580,000 soldiers against Zarai the Ethiopian (
2 Chronicles 14.8
).
The relative weakness of the two-tribe kingdom is reflected only in the fact that the same Asa cannot alone wage war with Baasha and invites Benhadad the Syrian to help ( 1 Kings 15.18–19
).
Under Asa's son and successor Jehoshaphat, the two-tribe kingdom strengthens even more. Without being carried away by the thirst for conquest, he devotes his activities to streamlining the internal life of the state, makes an attempt to correct the religious and moral life of the people, takes care of their education ( 2 Chronicles 17.7–10
), the settlement of the court and judicial institutions (
2 Chronicles 19.5–11
), builds new fortresses (
2 Chronicles 17.12
), etc. The implementation of these plans required, of course, peace with neighbors.
Of these, the Philistines and Edomites are pacified by force of arms ( 2 Chronicles 17.10–11
), and a political and kinship alliance is concluded with the ten-tribe kingdom (
2 Chronicles 18.1
).
Necessary for Jehoshaphat as a means to carry out the above reforms, this latter became over time a source of disasters and misfortunes for the two-tribe kingdom. According to the author of Chronicles ( 2 Chron. 21
), they were expressed in the fall of Judah under Jehoram into Idumea conquered by Jehoshaphat (
2 Chron. 21.10
), in the happy raid on Judea and Jerusalem itself by the Philistines and Arabian tribes (
2 Chron. 21.16–17
), in the indignation of the inhabitants of the priestly city Libni (
2 Chronicles 21.10
) and in a useless war with the Syrians (
2 Chronicles 22.5
).
, which was reflected in these facts (see also 2 Chronicles 21.2–4
,
22.10
), was stopped by the activities of the high priest Jodaia, the teacher of Ahaziah’s son Joash, but with his death it was reflected with renewed vigor.
Having not had time to strengthen itself from the disasters and turmoil of past reigns, it is now being attacked by its neighbors. It is the Philistines who capture the Jews and trade them as slaves ( Joel 3.6
,
Am 1.9
);
the Edomites make frequent incursions into the borders of Judea and brutally deal with captives ( Am 1.6
,
Joel 3.19
);
finally, Hazael the Syrian, having taken away Gath, takes his weapon to Jerusalem itself, and again the kingdom of Judah buys its freedom at the dear price of the treasures of the royal house and temple ( 2 Kings 12.18
).
The reign of Joash's son Amaziah ends the time of disasters (the unfortunate war with the ten-tribe kingdom - 2 Kings 14.9-14
,
2 Chronicles 25.17-24
and the invasion of the Edomites -
Am 9.12
), and under his successors Uzziah the leper and Jotham, the two-tribe kingdom returns to the glory of the times of David and Solomon.
The first subjugates the Edomites in the south and takes possession of the harbor of Elath, in the west he crushes the power of the Philistines, and in the east the Ammonites pay him tribute ( 2 Chronicles 26.6–8
).
The power of Uzziah was so significant that, according to the evidence of the wedge-shaped inscriptions, he withstood the onslaught of Tiglaphelasser III. The two-tribe kingdom, secured from the outside, now widely and freely developed its internal economic well-being, and the king himself was the first and zealous patron of the national economy ( 2 Chronicles 26.10
).
With the development of internal well-being, trade also developed widely, which served as a source of national enrichment ( Isa. 2.7
).
The glorious predecessor was followed by an equally glorious and worthy successor, Jotham. During their reign, the kingdom of Judah seemed to be gathering strength for the upcoming fight against the Assyrians. The inevitability of the latter becomes clear already under Ahaz, who invited Tiglaphelassar to defend against the attacks of Rezin, Pekah, the Edomites and Philistines ( 2 Chronicles 28.5–18
).
As Vigouroux puts it, he, without noticing it, asked the wolf to devour his flock (Die Bibel und die neueren Entdeckungen. S. 98). And indeed, Tiglathelassar freed Ahaz from his enemies, but at the same time imposed tribute on him (( 2 Chronicles 28.21
). It is unknown how dependence on Assyria would have affected the further history of the two-tribe kingdom, if not for the fall of Samaria and the refusal of Ahaz’s successor Hezekiah to pay the Assyrians tribute and its transition, contrary to the advice of the prophet Isaiah, to the side of the Egyptians (
Is 30.7, 15
,
31.1-3
). The first event deprived the kingdom of Judah of the last cover from Assyria; now access to its borders is open, and the path to the borders is paved. The second is final predetermined the fate of Judea. The alliance with Egypt, which over time turned into vassalage, forced her to take part first in the fight against Assyria, and then against Babylon. She emerged from the first weakened, and the second led her to final destruction. As an ally of Egypt, against whom the Assyrians fought under Hezekiah, Judah was invaded by Sennacherib, who, according to the inscription he left, conquered 46 cities, captured a lot of supplies and military materials, and took 200,150 people captive (Schrader jbid S. 302–4;
298). In addition, he imposed a huge tribute on Judea ( 2 Kings 18.14–16
).
The alliance with Egypt and the hope for its help did not bring any benefit to the two-tribe kingdom. And yet, Hezekiah's successor Manasseh remains a supporter of the Egyptians. As such, during Assargadon’s campaign against Egypt, he becomes his tributary, is put in chains and sent to Babylon ( 2 Chronicles 33.11
).
The weakening of Assyria, which began under Assargadon's successor Assurbanipal, made an alliance with Egypt unnecessary for Judea. Not only that, but Josiah, a contemporary of this event, tries to stop the aggressive aspirations of the Egyptian pharaoh Necho ( 2 Chronicles 35.20
), but dies in the battle of Megiddon (
2 Chronicles 35.23
).
With his death, Judah becomes a vassal of Egypt ( 2 Kings 23.33
,
2 Chronicles 36.1–4
), and the latter circumstance involves it in the fight against Babylon.
Necho's desire to establish himself, taking advantage of the fall of Nineveh, in the Ephrates regions was met with rebuff from Nabopolassar's son Nebuchadnoor. In 605 BC, Necho was defeated by him at the Battle of Karchemish. Four years after this, Nebuchadnezzar himself undertook a campaign against Egypt and, in order to secure his rear, subjugated the kings under his control, including Joachim of Judah ( 2 Kings 24.1
,
2 Chronicles 36.5
).
From Egypt, Judea passed into the hands of the Babylonians and, subject to their loyalty, could have preserved its existence. But her hope for the same Egypt ruined her. Confident of his help, Jehoiakim's second successor Zedekiah ( Jer 37.5
,
Ezekiel 17.15
) broke away from Nebuchadnezzar (
2 Kings 24.20
,
2 Chronicles 36.13
), brought on an invasion of the Babylonians (
2 Kings 25.1
,
2 Chronicles 36.17
) and, having received no support from the Egyptian pharaoh Ophra (
Jer. 37.7
) , he died and destroyed the country.
If the international relations of Judea boil down to continuous wars, then internal life is characterized by the fight against paganism. Lasting throughout the history of the two-tribe kingdom, it did not bring about the triumph of true religion. It began its existence as a pagan under Rehoboam ( 1 Kings 14.22–24
,
2 Chronicles 11.13–17
), pagan and ended his political life (
2 Kings 24.19
,
2 Chronicles 36.12
).
The reasons for this phenomenon were, first of all, that the fight against paganism was carried out by purely external means and was reduced to the destruction of monuments of paganism. The only exception in this regard is the activity of Jehoshaphat, Josiah and partly Hezekiah. The first constitutes a special commission of princes, priests and Levites, instructs it to go through all the cities of Judah and teach the people ( 2 Chronicles 17.7-10
);
the second undertakes a public reading of the law ( 2 Kings 23.1–2
,
2 Chronicles 34.30
) and the third arranges the solemn celebration of Passover (
2 Chronicles 30.26
).
The rest of the kings limit themselves to the destruction of idols, cutting down sacred oak forests, etc. And even if Jehoshaphat’s activities did not bring significant benefit: “the people had not yet firmly turned their hearts to the God of their fathers” ( 2 Chronicles 20.33
), then it goes without saying that only external measures could not destroy the pagan mood of the people, the attraction of their hearts and minds to the gods of the surrounding peoples.
Therefore, as soon as the king, the persecutor of paganism, died, the pagan nation restored what was destroyed and erected new temples for their idols; the zealots of Jehovah's religion again had to begin the work of their pious predecessors ( 2 Chronicles 14.3
,
15.8
,
17.6,
etc.).
Thanks to such circumstances, the religion of Jehovah and paganism turned out to be far unequal forces. The latter had the sympathy of the people on his side; it was absorbed by the Jew as if with mother’s milk, from youth it entered into his flesh and blood; the first had kings for itself and was forcibly imposed on the nation by them. It is not surprising, therefore, that it was not only completely alien to her, but also seemed downright hostile. Repressive measures only supported this feeling, united the pagan masses, did not lead to submission, but, on the contrary, provoked them to fight against Jehovah’s law. This, by the way, is the result of the reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah. Under the successor of the first Manasseh, “innocent blood was shed, and Jerusalem... was filled with it... from edge to edge” ( 2 Kings 21.16
), i.e., the beating of Jehovah’s servants began with the strengthening of the pagan party.
In the same way, the reform of Josiah, carried out with rare decisiveness, helped to concentrate the forces of the pagans, and in the struggle that then began with the supporters of religion, they undermined all the foundations of theocracy, among other things, prophecy and the priesthood; in order to weaken the first, the pagan party elected and put forward false prophets who promised peace and assured that no evil would befall the state ( Jeremiah 23.6
).
The priesthood was also undermined by it: it put forward only unworthy representatives ( Jeremiah 23.3
). Josiah's reform was the last act of the age-old struggle between piety and paganism. After it there were no more attempts to maintain true religion; and the Jews went into Babylonian captivity as real pagans.
The Babylonian captivity, having deprived the Jews of political independence, had a sobering effect on them religiously. His contemporaries were convinced with their own eyes of the truth of the prophetic threats and admonitions - of the justice of the position that the whole life of Israel depends on God, on fidelity to His law. As a direct and immediate result of such consciousness, there arises a desire for a return to the ancient and eternal truths and forces that once created society, which at all times gave salvation and, although often forgotten and neglected, were always recognized as capable of giving salvation. The community that arrived in Judea took this path. As a preparatory condition for implementing the religion of Jehovah, she fulfilled the requirement of the Law of Moses for the complete and complete separation of the Jews from the surrounding peoples (dissolution of mixed marriages under Ezra and Nehemiah). The basis of further life and history is now based on the principle of isolation, isolation.
* * *
1 “For all of you, belonging to the clergy and laity, let the books of the Old Testament be revered and holy: Moses’ five (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), Joshua one, Judges one, Ruth one, Kings four, Chronicles two "Ezra is two, Esther is one."
2 “It is proper to read the books of the Old Testament: Genesis of the World, Exodus from Egypt, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Ruth, Esther, Kings 1 and 2, Kings 3 and 4, Chronicles 1 and 2, Ezra 1 and 2.” .
