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Judges 15:11

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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.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 11

Samson, when he courted an alliance with the Philistines, did but seek an occasion against them, Jdg 14:4. Now here we have a further account of the occasions he took to weaken them, and to avenge, not his own, but Israel's quarrels, upon them. Everything here is surprising; if any thing be thought incredible, because impossible, it must be remembered that with God nothing is impossible, and it was by the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him that he was both directed to and strengthened for those unusual ways of making war. I. From the perfidiousness of his wife and her father, he took occasion to burn their corn (Jdg 15:1-5). II. From the Philistines' barbarous cruelty to his wife and her father, he took occasion to smite them with a great slaughter (Jdg 15:6-8). III. From the treachery of his countrymen, who delivered him bound to the Philistines, he took occasion to kill 1000 of them with the jaw-bone of an ass (Jdg 15:9-17). IV. From the distress he was then in for want of water, God took occasion to show him favour in a seasonable supply (Jdg 15:18-20).

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 11

שָׁלוֹשׁ (shâlôwsh, H7969) — three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice אֶלֶף (ʼeleph, H505) — hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as… אִישׁ (ʼîysh, H376) — a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term… יְהוּדָה (Yᵉhûwdâh, H3063) — Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the… יָרַד (yârad, H3381) — to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the… סָעִיף (çâʻîyph, H5585) — a fissure (of rocks); also a bough (as subdivided) סֶלַע (çelaʻ, H5553) — a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress) עֵיטָם (ʻÊyṭâm, H5862) — Etam, a place in Palestine אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude) שִׁמְשׁוֹן (Shimshôwn, H8123) — Shimshon, an Israelite יָדַע (yâdaʻ, H3045) — to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses,… פְּלִשְׁתִּי (Pᵉlishtîy, H6430) — a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth מָשַׁל (mâshal, H4910) — to rule עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

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Cross-references

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Judges 13:1rank 5

Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

Judges 14:4rank 5

(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)

Deuteronomy 28:13rank 2

The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today.

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