Judges 15

King James Version

Full text for Judges Chapter 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.

2And 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.

3And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.

4And 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.

5And 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.

6Then 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.

7And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.

8And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

9¶ Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.

10And 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.

11Then 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.

12And 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.

13And 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.

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.

15And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.

17And 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.

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?

19But 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.

20And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Samson, finding his wife given to another, retaliated by burning Philistine crops with foxes. In response, the Philistines burned his wife and her father, prompting Samson to inflict a great slaughter upon them. When the men of Judah delivered Samson to the Philistines, the Spirit of the LORD empowered him to slay a thousand men with an ass's jawbone, after which God miraculously provided water for his thirst.

Medium Summary

Judges 15 recounts Samson's escalating conflict with the Philistines. When Samson's father-in-law gave his wife to another man, Samson retaliated by setting fire to the Philistines' cornfields, vineyards, and olive groves using 300 foxes with firebrands. In response, the Philistines burned Samson's wife and her father, prompting Samson to exact further vengeance with a great slaughter. Subsequently, the Philistines invaded Judah, demanding Samson's surrender. Three thousand men of Judah bound Samson and delivered him, but the Spirit of the LORD empowered him to break his bonds. Using a fresh jawbone of an ass, Samson slew a thousand Philistine men. Exhausted and thirsty, Samson cried unto the LORD, who miraculously provided water from a cleft place, reviving him. The chapter concludes by noting Samson judged Israel for twenty years.

Long Summary

Judges chapter 15 details a series of events highlighting Samson's personal vendettas and divine empowerment against the Philistines. The narrative begins with Samson returning to Timnah to visit his wife, only to discover her father had given her to his companion, believing Samson had utterly hated her. The father offered Samson her younger sister instead, but Samson, feeling justified, declared he would be blameless in doing the Philistines a displeasure. He then executed a unique act of vengeance by catching three hundred foxes, tying them tail-to-tail with firebrands, and releasing them into the Philistine standing corn, shocks, vineyards, and olive groves, burning them completely. This act provoked the Philistines, who, upon learning Samson was responsible due to his wife being given away, retaliated by burning Samson's wife and her father with fire. Samson, in turn, vowed further revenge, smiting them "hip and thigh with a great slaughter" before retreating to the rock Etam. The Philistines then invaded Judah, demanding Samson's surrender, stating their purpose was to bind him and do to him as he had done to them. Three thousand men of Judah, fearing the Philistines' dominion, went to Etam and convinced Samson to allow them to bind him, swearing they would not kill him but only deliver him. Bound with two new cords, Samson was brought to Lehi, where the Philistines shouted against him. At this moment, the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, causing the cords to become like burnt flax, freeing his hands. Samson then found a fresh jawbone of an ass and used it to slay a thousand Philistine men, commemorating the feat with a poetic declaration. Following this immense exertion, Samson became severely thirsty and cried out to the LORD, fearing he would die and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised. In response, God miraculously clave a hollow place, from which water issued forth, reviving Samson. He named this spring Enhakkore, meaning "the well of him that called." The chapter concludes by stating that Samson judged Israel for twenty years during the Philistine oppression.

Core Concepts

  • Samson's VengeanceSamson's actions are consistently driven by personal retaliation against the Philistines, first for his wife being given away and then for her and her father's deaths. He executes these acts with extreme and destructive force.
  • Divine EmpowermentThe Spirit of the LORD is explicitly stated to come mightily upon Samson, enabling him to break his bonds and single-handedly defeat a thousand Philistine men. This supernatural strength is key to his victories.
  • Philistine OppressionThe Philistines are depicted as rulers over Judah, with the men of Judah fearing their power and seeking to appease them by delivering Samson. This highlights the subjugated state of Israel during this period.
  • Miraculous ProvisionAfter his great battle, Samson is on the verge of death from thirst, but God miraculously provides water from a newly opened spring. This demonstrates divine care for His servant in his moment of dire need.
  • Unconventional WarfareSamson employs highly unusual methods of warfare, such as using foxes with firebrands to destroy crops and slaying a thousand men with only the jawbone of an ass. These acts underscore his unique strength and God's ability to work through unexpected means.
  • Judah's CompromiseThe men of Judah, rather than fighting the Philistines, choose to bind Samson and deliver him to their oppressors. This reveals their fear and willingness to compromise with the enemy to avoid conflict.