14 When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him: and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
The cords became as flax - i. e. were as weak against his strength as half-burned flax which yields to the least pressure.
When he came unto Lehi - This was the name of the place to which they brought him, either to put him to death, or keep him in perpetual confinement.
Shouted against him - His capture was a matter of public rejoicing.
And when he came unto Lehi,.... The place which was afterwards so called, from what happened there at this time, and where the Philistines were spread, Judges 15:9 this, according to Bunting (k), was six miles from Etam:
the Philistines shouted against him: for joy that they had got him into their hands, and in the circumstances he was, being bound, so that they had nothing to fear from him:
and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him: as it at times did, and had done before; the Targum is,"the Spirit of might from the Lord,''which gave him courage and resolution of mind, and great strength of body, even while he was speaking, as a token of the wonders God more than he had at other times:
and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire; as easily parted as the flax when fire takes it, which is consumed at once:
and his bonds loosed off from his hands; by which it appears that both arms and hands were bound with the cords; his arms were pinioned close to his body, as well as his hands were tied together; and these, as in the original, "melted away" (l), like wax before the fire, or snow before the sun, so easily were these bands separated from him; this may be an emblem of Christ's loosing himself from the cords of death, Acts 2:24.
(k) Travels, p. 116. (l) "diffuxerunt", Tigurine version; "liquefacta sunt", Piscator.
But when he came to Lechi, and the Philistines shouted with joy as they came to meet him, the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, "and the cords on his arms became like two that had been burnt with fire, and his fetters melted from his hands." The description rises up to a poetical parallelism, to depict the triumph which Samson celebrated over the Philistines in the power of the Spirit of Jehovah.
Shouted - Because they had now their enemy, as they supposed, in their hands. Loosed - Hebrews. were melted; that is, were dissolved, as things which are melted in the fire. This typified the resurrection of Christ, by the power of the Spirit of holiness. In this he loosed the bands of death, it being impossible he should be holden of them. And thus he triumphed over the powers of darkness, which had shouted against him.
*More commentary available at chapter level.