1 But it came to pass within a while after, H3117 in the time H3117 of wheat H2406 harvest, H7105 that Samson H8123 visited H6485 his wife H802 with a kid; H1423 H5795 and he said, H559 I will go in H935 to my wife H802 into the chamber. H2315 But her father H1 would not suffer H5414 him to go in. H935
2 And her father H1 said, H559 I verily H559 thought H559 that thou hadst utterly H8130 hated H8130 her; therefore I gave H5414 her to thy companion: H4828 is not her younger H6996 sister H269 fairer H2896 than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
3 And Samson H8123 said H559 concerning them, Now H6471 shall I be more blameless H5352 than the Philistines, H6430 though I do H6213 them a displeasure. H7451
4 And Samson H8123 went H3212 and caught H3920 three H7969 hundred H3967 foxes, H7776 and took H3947 firebrands, H3940 and turned H6437 tail H2180 to tail, H2180 and put H7760 a H259 firebrand H3940 in the midst H8432 between two H8147 tails. H2180
5 And when he had set H1197 the brands H3940 on fire, H784 he let them go H7971 into the standing corn H7054 of the Philistines, H6430 and burnt up H1197 both the shocks, H1430 and also the standing corn, H7054 with the vineyards H3754 and olives. H2132
6 Then the Philistines H6430 said, H559 Who hath done H6213 this? And they answered, H559 Samson, H8123 the son in law H2860 of the Timnite, H8554 because he had taken H3947 his wife, H802 and given H5414 her to his companion. H4828 And the Philistines H6430 came up, H5927 and burnt H8313 her and her father H1 with fire. H784
7 And Samson H8123 said H559 unto them, Though H518 ye have done H6213 this, H2063 yet will I be avenged H5358 of you, and after H310 that I will cease. H2308
8 And he smote H5221 them hip H7785 and H5921 thigh H3409 with a great H1419 slaughter: H4347 and he went down H3381 and dwelt H3427 in the top H5585 of the rock H5553 Etam. H5862
9 Then the Philistines H6430 went up, H5927 and pitched H2583 in Judah, H3063 and spread H5203 themselves in Lehi. H3896
10 And the men H376 of Judah H3063 said, H559 Why are ye come up H5927 against us? And they answered, H559 To bind H631 Samson H8123 are we come up, H5927 to do H6213 to him as he hath done H6213 to us.
11 Then three H7969 thousand H505 men H376 of Judah H3063 went H3381 to the top H5585 of the rock H5553 Etam, H5862 and said H559 to Samson, H8123 Knowest H3045 thou not that the Philistines H6430 are rulers H4910 over us? what is this that thou hast done H6213 unto us? And he said H559 unto them, As they did H6213 unto me, so have I done H6213 unto them.
12 And they said H559 unto him, We are come down H3381 to bind H631 thee, that we may deliver H5414 thee into the hand H3027 of the Philistines. H6430 And Samson H8123 said H559 unto them, Swear H7650 unto me, that ye will not fall upon H6293 me yourselves.
13 And they spake H559 unto him, saying, H559 No; but we will bind H631 thee fast, H631 and deliver H5414 thee into their hand: H3027 but surely H4191 we will not kill H4191 thee. And they bound H631 him with two H8147 new H2319 cords, H5688 and brought him up H5927 from the rock. H5553
14 And when he came H935 unto Lehi, H3896 the Philistines H6430 shouted H7321 against H7125 him: and the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 came mightily H6743 upon him, and the cords H5688 that were upon his arms H2220 became as flax H6593 that was burnt H1197 with fire, H784 and his bands H612 loosed H4549 from off his hands. H3027
15 And he found H4672 a new H2961 jawbone H3895 of an ass, H2543 and put forth H7971 his hand, H3027 and took H3947 it, and slew H5221 a thousand H505 men H376 therewith.
16 And Samson H8123 said, H559 With the jawbone H3895 of an ass, H2543 heaps H2565 upon heaps, H2565 with the jaw H3895 of an ass H2543 have I slain H5221 a thousand H505 men. H376
17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end H3615 of speaking, H1696 that he cast away H7993 the jawbone H3895 out of his hand, H3027 and called H7121 that place H4725 Ramathlehi. H7437
18 And he was sore H3966 athirst, H6770 and called H7121 on the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 Thou hast given H5414 this great H1419 deliverance H8668 into the hand H3027 of thy servant: H5650 and now shall I die H4191 for thirst, H6772 and fall H5307 into the hand H3027 of the uncircumcised? H6189
19 But God H430 clave H1234 an hollow place H4388 that was in the jaw, H3895 and there came H3318 water H4325 thereout; and when he had drunk, H8354 his spirit H7307 came again, H7725 and he revived: H2421 wherefore he called H7121 the name H8034 thereof Enhakkore, H5875 which is in Lehi H3896 unto this day. H3117
20 And he judged H8199 Israel H3478 in the days H3117 of the Philistines H6430 twenty H6242 years. H8141
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 15
Commentary on Judges 15 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 15
Jud 15:1, 2. Samson Is Denied His Wife.
1. in the time of wheat harvest—that is, about the end of our April, or the beginning of our May. The shocks of grain were then gathered into heaps, and lying on the field or on the threshing-floors. It was the dry season, dry far beyond our experience, and the grain in a most combustible state.
Samson visited his wife with a kid—It is usual for a visitor in the East to carry some present; in this case, it might be not only as a token of civility, but of reconciliation.
he said—that is, to himself. It was his secret purpose.
into the chamber—the female apartments or harem.
2. her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her—This allegation was a mere sham, a flimsy pretext to excuse his refusal of admittance. The proposal he made of a marriage with her younger sister was but an insult to Samson, and one which it was unlawful for an Israelite to accept (Le 18:18).
Jud 15:3-8. He Burns the Philistines' Corn.
3. Samson said …, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines—This nefarious conduct provoked the hero's just indignation, and he resolved to take signal vengeance.
4, 5. went and caught three hundred foxes—rather, "jackals"; an animal between a wolf and a fox, which, unlike our fox, a solitary creature, prowls in large packs or herds and abounds in the mountains of Palestine. The collection of so great a number would require both time and assistance.
took firebrands—torches or matches which would burn slowly, retaining the fire, and blaze fiercely when blown by the wind. He put two jackals together, tail by tail, and fastened tightly a fire match between them. At nightfall he lighted the firebrand and sent each pair successively down from the hills, into the "Shefala," or plain of Philistia, lying on the borders of Dan and Judah, a rich and extensive corn district. The pain caused by the fire would make the animals toss about to a wide extent, kindling one great conflagration. But no one could render assistance to his neighbor: the devastation was so general, the panic would be so great.
6. Who hath done this—The author of this outrage, and the cause that provoked such an extraordinary retaliation, soon became known; and the sufferers, enraged by the destruction of their crops, rushing with tumultuous fury to the house of Samson's wife, "burnt her and her father with fire." This was a remarkable retribution. To avoid this menace, she had betrayed her husband; and by that unprincipled conduct, eventually exposed herself to the horrid doom which, at the sacrifice of conjugal fidelity, she had sought to escape [Jud 14:15].
7. Samson said …, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you—By that act the husbandmen had been the instruments in avenging his private and personal wrongs. But as a judge, divinely appointed to deliver Israel, his work of retribution was not yet accomplished.
8. smote them hip and thigh—a proverbial expression for a merciless slaughter.
he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam—rather went down and dwelt in the cleft—that is, the cave or cavern of the cliff Etam.
Jud 15:9-13. He Is Bound by the Men of Judah, and Delivered to the Philistines.
9-17. Then the Philistines went up—to the high land of Judah.
and spread themselves in Lehi—now El-Lekieh, abounding with limestone cliffs; the sides of which are perforated with caves. The object of the Philistines in this expedition was to apprehend Samson, in revenge for the great slaughter he had committed on their people. With a view of freeing his own countrymen from all danger from the infuriated Philistines, he allowed himself to be bound and surrendered a fettered prisoner into their power. Exulting with joy at the near prospect of riddance from so formidable an enemy, they went to meet him. But he exerted his superhuman strength, and finding a new (or moist) jawbone of an ass, he laid hold of it, and with no other weapon, slew a thousand men at a place which he called Ramath-lehi—that is, "the hill of the jawbone."
16. With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men—The inadequacy of the weapon plainly shows this to have been a miraculous feat, "a case of supernatural strength," just as the gift of prophecy is a case of supernatural knowledge [Chalmers].
19. a hollow place … in the jaw—"in Lehi"—taking the word as a proper noun, marking the place.
there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again—His strength, exhausted by the violent and long-continued exertion, was recruited by the refreshing draft from the spring; and it was called
En-hakkore—the "supplication well," a name which records the piety of this heroic champion.