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Judges 15:3-8

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.

Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” They said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” The Philistines came up, and burned her and her father with fire.

Samson said to them, “If you behave like this, surely I will take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.” He struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; and he went down and lived in the cave in Etam’s rock.

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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.

Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” They said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” The Philistines came up, and burned her and her father with fire.

Samson said to them, “If you behave like this, surely I will take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.” He struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; and he went down and lived in the cave in Etam’s rock. Then the Philistines went up, encamped in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.

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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.

    Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” They said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” The Philistines came up, and burned her and her father with fire.

    Samson said to them, “If you behave like this, surely I will take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.”

    He struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; and he went down and lived in the cave in Etam’s rock.

  • 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.

    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.

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

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

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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.

    Then the Philistines said: 'Who hath done this?' And they said: 'Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he hath taken his wife, and given her to his companion.' And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

    And Samson said unto them: 'If ye do after this manner, surely I will be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.'

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

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Cross-references (16)

  • Judges 14:15 (vv3, 6) 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…
  • Proverbs 22:8 (v6) He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
  • Isaiah 25:10 (v8) For Yahweh’s hand will rest in this mountain. Moab will be trodden down in his place, even like straw is trodden down in the water of the…
  • Lamentations 5:18 (v4) For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.
  • Romans 12:19 (v7) Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the…
Show all 15 cross-references
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:6 (v6) that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as…
  • Judges 14:4 (v7) But his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of Yahweh; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the…
  • Judges 14:19 (v7) Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck thirty men of them. He took their plunder, then gave the…
  • 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.
  • Isaiah 63:3 (v8) “I have trodden the wine press alone. Of the peoples, no one was with me. Yes, I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath. Their…
  • Isaiah 63:6 (v8) I trod down the peoples in my anger and made them drunk in my wrath. I poured their lifeblood out on the earth.”
  • 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…
  • Judges 12:1 (v6) The men of Ephraim were gathered together, and passed northward; and they said to Jephthah, “Why did you pass over to fight against the…
  • 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…

15 distinct cross-references across this passage (16 total citations).

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, 6, 8 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 vv3–8 Jdg 15:3 And Samson said concerning them, Now shall…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv3–8 Because they have first provoked me by an irreparable…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv3–8 And Samson said concerning them,.... His wife's father, and…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 5, 6, 8 Now shall I, &c. - Because they have first…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv4, 6, 8 Verse 4. Went and caught three hundred foxes] There…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 5, 6, 8 Jdg 15:3. Now shall I be more blameless than…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 6, 8 See the margin. Before, when the Philistines injured him…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 6, 7, 8 Evils. This is a declaration of war, made by…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 6, 7, 8 HE BURNS THE PHILISTINES' CORN. (Jdg 15:3-8)
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv4, 5, 6, 8 4. Caught three hundred foxes — We are not…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv3, 4, 5, 6, 8 3. unto them] Cf. Jdg_15:7. The family and friends…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv3–8 (3) Concerning them.—There is no reason for this rendering.…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv3–8 I shall be more blameless than the Philistines. The…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv3, 5, 7 I will be innocent in regard to the Philistines…
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