Samson and the Lion

BY LEON BONNAT, A CONTEMPORARY FRENCH ARTIST.

MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE.

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"And the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid.”—Jud., 14, 6.

I

T IS painful to note how the type of man who "judged”

Israel, degenerated with the passing years. Othniel,

the first judge, had been apparently a man after Joshua's own type, pure in heart and strong in God. Gideon, too, though at first wavering in faith, was wise and self-restrained and resolute. But Jephthah, despite his earnestness, was a semi-barbarian, savage and vindictive, groping dimly for that God whom he scarce understood. As for Samson, the last of the judges, it was by physical force alone that he was "mighty in Israel."

From his youth Samson drew attention by his marvelous strength, though he was a silent, uncommunicative lad, as those of huge thews are apt to be. His first recorded feat is the slaying of a young lion which "roared against him." Samson was wholly unarmed; but instead of fleeing, as another man would have done, he seized the lion in his bare hands and tore the beast asunder. Afterward going back to see the carcass where he had thrown it, he found that bees had stored honey in the shelter of the bones. In his silent way he gave the honey to his father and mother, but told them nothing of his deed.

FIRST SAMUEL IV-ISRAEL'S DEFEAT

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when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

3 ¶ And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. 7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

12 ¶ And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.

16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, what is there done,

my son?

17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the