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Judges 15:3-5

Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless in the case of the Philistines when I harm them.” Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between every two tails. When he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the olive groves.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless in the case of the Philistines when I harm them.”

    Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between every two tails.

    When he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the olive groves.

  • KJV King James Version

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

    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.

    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.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And Samson said unto them: 'This time shall I be quits with the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.'

    And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the midst between every two tails.

    And when he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing corn, and also the oliveyards.

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Cross-references (6)

  • Lamentations 5:18 (v4) For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.
  • Judges 14:15 (v3) On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your…
  • Psalms 63:10 (v4) They shall be given over to the power of the sword. They shall be jackal food.
  • Song of Solomon 2:15 (v4) Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that plunder the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.
  • Exodus 22:6 (v5) “If fire breaks out, and catches in thorns so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he who kindled…
Show all 6 cross-references
  • 2 Samuel 14:30 (v5) Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s…

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (15 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv3, 5 For through his father-in-law’s occasion, he was moved again…

For through his father-in-law’s occasion, he was moved again to take vengeance of the Philistines.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Jdg 15:3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Because they have first provoked me by an irreparable…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv3–5 And Samson said concerning them,.... His wife's father, and…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Now shall I, &c. - Because they have first…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v4 Verse 4. Went and caught three hundred foxes] There…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv3–5 Jdg 15:3. Now shall I be more blameless than…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv3–4 See the margin. Before, when the Philistines injured him…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv3–4 Evils. This is a declaration of war, made by…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv3–4 HE BURNS THE PHILISTINES' CORN. (Jdg 15:3-8)
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv4–5 4. Caught three hundred foxes — We are not…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–5 3. unto them] Cf. Jdg_15:7. The family and friends…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–5 (3) Concerning them.—There is no reason for this rendering.…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv3–5 I shall be more blameless than the Philistines. The…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv3, 5 I will be innocent in regard to the Philistines…
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