Juízes 15
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Juízes 15
NJB (MT versing) Samson Burns Philistine Crops Samson Defeats the Philistines Samson (13:1-16:31) Samson Burns the Philistines' Harvest 15:1-8 15:1-8 15:1-8 15:1 15:1-5 15:2 15:3-6 15:6-8 15:7-8 Samson Defeats the Philistines The Donkey's Jawbone 15:9-13 15:9-13 15:9-13 15:9-10a 15:9 15:10b-11a 15:10-13 15:11b 15:12a 15:12b 15:13 15:14-20 (16) 15:14-17 (16) 15:14-17 (16) 15:14-17 (16) 15:14-20 (16) 15:18-20 15:18-20 15:18-19 15:20 Etc.
Juízes 15:1-8
15:1 "in the time of wheat harvest" This would be May or June. SPECIAL TOPIC: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN CALENDARS ▣ "visited his wife" Samson believed he was still married. Apparently the marriage arrangement was for his Philistine wife to reside with her parents and he would visit from time to time. ▣ "with a young goat" This would be for a celebratory dinner. 15:2 This verse has two intensified grammatical forms (i.e., two INFINITIVE ABSOLUTES with a PERFECT VERB from the same root). "I really thought" (lit. "say") ‒ BDB 55, KB 65 "hated her intensely" ‒ BDB 971, KB 1338 ▣ "I gave her to your companion" This would have been one of the thirty Philistine wedding friends (cf. Jdgs. 14:10-11). See notes at Jdgs. 14:20. ▣ "Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she" Either the father was trying to correct an unfortunate mistake or he was trying to keep the dowry. Notice the motive is still on outward beauty (i.e., Jdgs. 14:3, 7). 15:3 Obviously there had been some blowback from his slaughter of thirty men from Ashkelon (i.e., Jdgs. 14:19). Apparently this push-back came from both the Judeans and the Philistines. The VERB (BDB 667, KB 720, Niphal PERFECT) can refer to free from punishment (often expressed in the negative) ‒ Exod. 21:19; Num. 5:28; 1 Sam. 26:9; Pro. 6:29; 11:21; 16:5; 17:5; 19:5, 9; 28:20; Jer. 25:29; 49:12 free from quiet ‒ Num. 5:31; Ps. 19:14; Jer. 2:39 15:4 "foxes" This same Hebrew word (BDB 1043) can refer to "jackals." Foxes were an idiom for "problems" (i.e., "harvest problems," cf. Song of Songs 2:15). 15:5 "the shocks and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and groves" The "shocks" (BDB 155 I) refers to the stacks of cut grain or sheaves (unwrapped, i.e., it was the wheat harvest, Jdgs. 15:1), while "standing grain" (BDB 879) refers to uncut grain not yet ripe grain This was a disaster for an agricultural community, not only because of the loss of that year's food and seed crop, but also this meant permanently, because fire damage to the vines and trees had taken so long to bring into cultivation. 15:6 "burned her and her father with fire" What irony (cf. Jdgs. 14:15)! The Philistines did this to appease Samson but it made him madder (cf. Jdgs. 15:7)! The LXX adds "burned her father's house," which the Peshitta understands as "burned her father's family." 15:8 "struck them relentlessly" This is literally "hip and thigh." It must have been a Semitic proverb. The thigh muscle is the strongest in the human body and is often used as a symbol of strength. ▣ "lived in the cleft of the rock of Etam" The MacMillan Bible Atlas places this site south of Bethlehem on the main road, close to the foothills of Judah (maps #119, 140). It was a well protected cleft on a well known rock. The Philistines could not easily surprise him there.
Juízes 15:9-13
15:9 "the Philistines went up and camped in Judah" This shows this had become an international incident (i.e., Jdgs. 15:5). Samson's actions were serious and a retaliatory strike was undertaken by the Philistines. ▣ "Lehi" This verse clearly shows the fear of the Judeans. The name means "jawbone" (BDB 534 II, cf. Jdgs. 15:15). The location of this place name is uncertain. Scholars suggest it was on the Philistine ‒ Judah border in the lowlands (cf. ABA, pp. 274-275. It is not even listed in the index of the MacMillan Bible Atlas. It apparently gets its name from the revenge attack by Samson with the jawbone of a donkey. 15:11 This was "the" problem that God, through Samson, wanted to highlight (cf. Jdgs. 14:4). 15:12 "Swear to me that you will not kill me" Samson was not afraid but he did not want to hurt his own countrymen in self-defense. He was afraid of his own power (i.e., the coming of the Spirit). 15:13 This verse, like Jdgs. 15:2, has two intensified grammatical forms (i.e., INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and IMPERFECT VERB of the same root). "bind you fast" ‒ BDB 63, KB 75 "for surely we will not kill you" ‒ BDB 559, KB 562 These Judeans made a strong promise. You can sense their fear, not only of the Philistines (Jdgs. 15:11) but also of Samson (i.e., "bound him with two new ropes).
Juízes 15:14-20
15:14 The new ropes of the Judeans are now burnt flax dropped (NASB), but literally "melted" SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE 15:15 "a fresh jawbone" It was not an old, dried out jawbone. The ADJECTIVE "fresh" (BDB 382) is used only here. These skeletal parts were used as plows and sickles, therefore, there were many of them. This, like Jdgs. 14:8, would have made him ceremonially unclean. See note at Jdgs. 15:9. ▣ "killed a thousand" This was a round number. SPECIAL TOPIC: THOUSAND (eleph) 15:16 This is a word play poem. "With the jawbone of an ass, I piled them in mass," Moffatt "With the red ass's jawbone, I have reddened them bright red," Barney 15:18-19 This account is much like Elijah's in 1 Kings 19. Samson's faith is seen here more clearly than other places! Notice, though, Samson gives no glory to God for the victory in Jdgs. 15:16, but here he does. Samson's perspective is changing but it is still worldly (i.e., Judges 16). 15:19 Places often receive their names from events that occurred there. ▣ "strength" This is the Hebrew ruah (BDB 924). There is an obvious word play between Samson's spirit YHWH's Spirit, Jdgs. 15:14 SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE 15:20 "he judges Israel twenty years" We have only a small amount of Samson's life recorded. This verse seems to mark the conclusion of the Samson account, but notice Jdgs. 16:31, where it is repeated. Judges 16 may be a later edition by the author.