Keraia
Judges 15

Judges 15:11

Samson’s Revenge · Judges 15:1–20
Read Judges 15

Translations

Modern
In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?” “I have done to them what they did to me,” he replied.
Traditional
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.
Literal
And three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are ruling over us? And what is this you have done to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.”
Latin
Descenderunt ergo tria millia virorum de Juda ad specum silicis Etam, dixeruntque ad Samson: Nescis quod Philisthiim imperent nobis? quare hoc facere voluisti? Quibus ille ait: Sicut fecerunt mihi, sic feci eis.

Original

Hebrew
English
In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?” “I have done to them what they did to me,” he replied.

Notes

Judges 15:11

The tribe of Judah missed a chance to end Philistine rule. They seemed willing to live under foreign control. We can only imagine what might have happened if the Judeans had fully followed the Lord’s covenant, which instructed them to take the land and drive out its inhabitants (see study note on Judges 1:1).

Judges 14:1–15:20

Samson's decision to marry a Philistine woman was the Lord's way (Judges 14:4) of starting to address the Philistine threat (see 13:5). One event led to another, marked by three times when the Spirit came strongly upon him (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14). During these events, Samson was a strong but imperfect hero.

Judges 13:1–16:31

Samson, who gets more attention in the book of Judges than any other judge, is more mysterious than Jephthah. Samson shows great inspiration as a leader. He also represents the unstoppable move toward chaos, which shows the need for a more organized society under a godly ruler.

Theme notes and profiles

Samson The Philistines

Events

People

Judah: Israelite tribe, kingdom, and province Samson: Israelite judge with great strength from God

Places

Etam: Cliff where Samson hid after defeating the Philistines Philistia: An ancient people and region in Canaan

Glossary

Etam Judah, Tribe of Judges, Book of Lehi Philistia, Philistines Ruler Samson Tribe of Dan

Topics

Lehi: A District of Judah, where Samson Killed a Thousand Philistines with the Jawbone of a Donkey Samson: His Great Strength