Judges 15

[Judges 15:1] BUT IT CAME TO PASS WITHIN A WHILE AFTER, IN THE TIME OF
WHEAT HARVEST, THAT SAMSON VISITED HIS WIFE WITH A KID; AND HE SAID, I WILL
GO IN TO MY WIFE INTO THE CHAMBER. BUT HER FATHER WOULD NOT SUFFER HIM TO
GO IN.

[Judges 15:2] AND HER FATHER SAID, I VERILY THOUGHT THAT THOU HADST UTTERLY
HATED HER; THEREFORE I GAVE HER TO THY COMPANION: IS NOT HER YOUNGER SISTER
FAIRER THAN SHE? TAKE HER, I PRAY THEE, INSTEAD OF HER.

[Judges 15:3] AND SAMSON SAID CONCERNING THEM, NOW SHALL I BE MORE
BLAMELESS THAN THE PHILISTINES, THOUGH I DO THEM A DISPLEASURE.
Samson takes his revenge from the Philistines as a group even though those
who had offended him were individuals. It was as if their offence expressed
something about their cultural standards as a whole that were opposed to
the essence of Samson. Samson was always seeking to come to terms with this situation.

[Judges 15:4] AND SAMSON WENT AND CAUGHT THREE HUNDRED FOXES, AND TOOK
FIREBRANDS, AND TURNED TAIL TO TAIL, AND PUT A FIREBRAND IN THE MIDST
BETWEEN TWO TAILS..
<<CAUGHT THREE HUNDRED FOXES   <<: With traps. The practice of catching
foxes and tieing a flaming torch between the tails of a pair was known from
the region of Illyria (Serbia) and Venice and may have been a Philistine
custom since Philistine offshoots were in these areas. The Romans used to
tie flaming torches to the tails of foxes at annual "Circuses" in honor of
the goddess Ceres. The Mamluk rulers of Egypt when at war with the
Mongolian invaders tied torches to the tails of foxes and dogs and sent
them against fields of produce in Mongolian possession (Y. Kaufman).

[Judges 15:5] AND WHEN HE HAD SET THE BRANDS ON FIRE, HE LET THEM GO INTO
THE STANDING CORN OF THE PHILISTINES, AND BURNT UP BOTH THE SHOCKS, AND
ALSO THE STANDING CORN, WITH THE VINEYARDS AND OLIVES..

[Judges 15:6] THEN THE PHILISTINES SAID, WHO HATH DONE THIS? AND THEY
ANSWERED, SAMSON, THE SON IN LAW OF THE TIMNITE, BECAUSE HE HAD TAKEN HIS
WIFE, AND GIVEN HER TO HIS COMPANION. AND THE PHILISTINES CAME UP, AND
BURNT HER AND HER FATHER WITH FIRE..

[Judges 15:7] AND SAMSON SAID UNTO THEM, THOUGH YE HAVE DONE THIS, YET WILL
I BE AVENGED OF YOU, AND AFTER THAT I WILL CEASE.

[Judges 15:8] AND HE SMOTE THEM HIP AND THIGH WITH A GREAT SLAUGHTER: AND
HE WENT DOWN AND DWELT IN THE TOP OF THE ROCK ETAM.
<<HIP AND THIGH>>: In Hebrew: Shok al Yerayak, Probably meaning Shok
(calves, leg muscles) al (over) Yerayak (thigh): i.e. his leg muscles were
trampling them down, walking over their thighs.

[Judges 15:9] THEN THE PHILISTINES WENT UP, AND PITCHED IN JUDAH, AND
SPREAD THEMSELVES IN LEHI.

[Judges 15:10] AND THE MEN OF JUDAH SAID, WHY ARE YE COME UP AGAINST US?
AND THEY ANSWERED, TO BIND SAMSON ARE WE COME UP, TO DO TO HIM AS HE HATH
DONE TO US..

[Judges 15:11] THEN THREE THOUSAND MEN OF JUDAH WENT TO THE TOP OF THE ROCK
ETAM, AND SAID TO SAMSON, KNOWEST THOU NOT THAT THE PHILISTINES ARE RULERS
OVER US? WHAT IS THIS THAT THOU HAST DONE UNTO US? AND HE SAID UNTO THEM,
AS THEY DID UNTO ME, SO HAVE I DONE UNTO THEM..

[Judges 15:12] AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, WE ARE COME DOWN TO BIND THEE, THAT
WE MAY DELIVER THEE INTO THE HAND OF THE PHILISTINES. AND SAMSON SAID UNTO
THEM, SWEAR UNTO ME, THAT YE WILL NOT FALL UPON ME
YOURSELVES..

[Judges 15:13] AND THEY SPAKE UNTO HIM, SAYING, NO; BUT WE WILL BIND THEE
FAST, AND DELIVER THEE INTO THEIR HAND: BUT SURELY WE WILL NOT KILL THEE.
AND THEY BOUND HIM WITH TWO NEW CORDS, AND BROUGHT HIM UP FROM THE
ROCK..

[Judges 15:14] AND WHEN HE CAME UNTO LEHI, THE PHILISTINES SHOUTED AGAINST
HIM: AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME MIGHTILY UPON HIM, AND THE CORDS THAT
WERE UPON HIS ARMS BECAME AS FLAX THAT WAS BURNT WITH FIRE, AND HIS BANDS
LOOSED FROM OFF HIS HANDS..

[Judges 15:15] AND HE FOUND A NEW JAWBONE OF AN ASS, AND PUT FORTH HIS
HAND, AND TOOK IT, AND SLEW A THOUSAND MEN THEREWITH..

[Judges 15:16] AND SAMSON SAID, WITH THE JAWBONE OF AN ASS, HEAPS UPON
HEAPS, WITH THE JAW OF AN ASS HAVE I SLAIN A THOUSAND
MEN..

[Judges 15:17] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN HE HAD MADE AN END OF SPEAKING,
THAT HE CAST AWAY THE JAWBONE OUT OF HIS HAND, AND CALLED THAT PLACE
RAMATHLEHI..

[Judges 15:18] AND HE WAS SORE ATHIRST, AND CALLED ON THE LORD, AND SAID,
THOU HAST GIVEN THIS GREAT DELIVERANCE INTO THE HAND OF THY SERVANT: AND
NOW SHALL I DIE FOR THIRST, AND FALL INTO THE HAND OF THE UNCIRCUMCISED?

[Judges 15:19] BUT GOD CLAVE AN HOLLOW PLACE THAT WAS IN THE JAW, AND THERE
CAME WATER THEREOUT; AND WHEN HE HAD DRUNK, HIS SPIRIT CAME AGAIN, AND HE
REVIVED: WHEREFORE HE CALLED THE NAME THEREOF ENHAKKORE, WHICH IS IN LEHI
UNTO THIS DAY..
<<AN HOLLOW PLACE THAT WAS IN THE JAW>>: Not exact. There was a stone
outcrop also known as a "jaw" and it was from here that a fountain of water
broke forth. The story of Samson entails a frequent play on words.

Josephus, Antiquities, 5:8:

[7. At this injurious treatment Samson was so provoked, that he resolved to
punish all the Philistines, as well as her: so it being then summer-time,
and the fruits of the land being almost ripe enough for reaping, he caught
three hundred foxes, and joining lighted torches to their tails, he sent
them into the fields of the Philistines, by which means the fruits of the
fields perished. Now when the Philistines knew that this was Samson's
doing, and knew also for what cause he did it, they sent their rulers to
Timhath, and burnt his former wife, and her relations, who had been the
occasion of their misfortunes.

[8. Now when Samson had slain many of the Philistines in the plain country,
he dwelt at Etam, which is a strong rock of the tribe of Judah; for the
Philistines at that time made an expedition against that tribe: but the
people of Judah said that they did not act justly with them, in inflicting
punishments upon them while they paid their tribute, and this only on
account of Samson's offenses. They answered, that in case they would not be
blamed themselves, they must deliver up Samson, and put him into their
power. So they being desirous not to be blamed themselves, came to the rock
with three thousand armed men, and complained to Samson of the bold insults
he had made upon the Philistines, who were men able to bring calamity upon
the whole nation of the Hebrews; and they told him they were come to take
him, and to deliver him up to them, and put him into their power; so they
desired him to bear this willingly. Accordingly, when he had received
assurance from them upon oath, that they would do him no other harm than
only to deliver him into his enemies' hands, he came down from the rock,
and put himself into the power of his countrymen. Then did they bind him
with two cords, and lead him on, in order to deliver him to the
Philistines; and when they came to a certain place, which is now called the
Jaw-bone, on account of the great action there performed by Samson, though
of old it had no particular name at all, the Philistines, who had pitched
their camp not far off, came to meet them with joy and shouting, as having
done a great thing, and gained what they desired; but Samson broke his
bonds asunder, and catching up the jaw-bone of an ass that lay down at his
feet, fell upon his enemies, and smiting them with his jaw-bone, slew a
thousand of them, and put the rest to flight and into great disorder.

[9. Upon this slaughter Samson was too proud of what he had performed, and
said that this did not come to pass by the assistance of God, but that his
success was to be ascribed to his own courage; and vaunted himself, that it
was out of a dread of him that some of his enemies fell and the rest ran
away upon his use of the jaw-bone; but when a great thirst came upon him,
he considered that human courage is nothing, and bare his testimony that
all is to be ascribed to God, and besought him that he would not be angry
at any thing he had said, nor give him up into the hands of his enemies,
but afford him help under his affliction, and deliver him from the
misfortune he was under. Accordingly God was moved with his entreaties, and
raised him up a plentiful fountain of sweet water at a certain rock whence
it was that Samson called the place the Jaw-bone, (20) and so it is called
to this day.

[Judges 15:20] AND HE JUDGED ISRAEL IN THE DAYS OF THE PHILISTINES TWENTY
YEARS.



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