| Judges 16:21
| Then the Philistines seized upon him, and forthwith pulled out his eyes, and led him bound in chains to Gaza, and shutting him up in prison made him grind.
| Chains. Hebrew and Septuagint add, "of brass," which were more ancient than those of iron or of steel. Brass was generally used instead of the latter, for knives, etc. (Calmet) --- Gaza, the place where he had lately given such an instance of strength, ver. 3. (Haydock) --- Grind. Before the invention of wind or of water mills, the ancients forced their meanest slaves to grind with a hand-mill, consisting of two large stones. Many such are made in the isle of Milo. The mill was the common place for slaves, who had given an offence not deserving of death, Isaias 47:2., Lamentations 5:13. (Cod. Theod. de poenit.) Apuleius describes their condition as most pitiful; half naked, with their hair half cut, their feet chained, disfigured with scourges, etc. (Metam. ix.) Herodotus (IV. 2.) says, that the Scythians put out the eyes of their slaves, that they may not become dizzy with turning round vessels of milk, upon which these people feed. Such was the condition of Samson. St. Jerome (in Isaias xlvii.) mentions a foolish interpretation of the Rabbins, as if the Philistines obliged this strong man to have children by their women. See Thalmud, sutah 1, fol. 10. (Calmet) (Job 31:10.) (Haydock) --- Samson "laboured hard, that he might not eat his bread for nothing." (Lyra.)
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