Judges 15:1-20
Q.1. What had happened to Samson’s wife? How unique was the revenge Samson inflicted? How did the Philistines react? What price did the Philistines pay for their retribution? – (Jdgs.15:1-8)
After the wedding feast, Samson, in a rage, left his bride and went home to his parents (Jdgs.14:19). Sometime later he returned to his wife, only to be told by her father that she had been given to his best man (Jdgs.14:20; 15:1-2). Offering another daughter was an insult, so Samson declared – … This time I shall be blameless in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm (Jdgs.15:3). Amazingly, he caught 300 foxes and tied torches to pairs of them and released them into the grain fields and vineyards (Jdgs.15:4-5). The Philistines then exacted punishment on him by burning his wife and her father (Jdgs.15:6 c.f. Jdgs.14:15). This only escalated the conflict, and Samson – struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter; and he went down and lived in the cleft of the rock of Etam (Jdgs.15:8).
Q.2. How did Samson’s actions increase the oppression of the Philistines? What promise did the men of Judah make before handing him over to the Philistines? – (Jdgs.15:9-13)
The Philistines had oppressed Israel for some forty years (Jdgs.13:1). Samson’s actions provoked the Philistines to come against Judah. An army of three thousand men of Judah found Samson, and made their appeal – … Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us? (Jdgs.15:11). Samson then agreed to be bound and handed over to the Philistines after a solemn promise – Swear to me that you will not kill me (Jdgs.15:12). They bound him with new ropes and took him from the cleft of the rock of Etam to the Philistines (Jdgs.15:13 c.f. Jdgs.15:8).
Q.3. How did Samson rout the Philistines? What did he mean by his request from God? How was Samson’s strength renewed? Why name the place ‘Enhakkore’? How long did Samson rule? – (Jdgs.15:14-20)
The jubilation of the Philistines was short-lived – 14 … And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily so that the ropes that were on his arms were as flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds dropped from his hands. 15 He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, so he reached out and took it and killed a thousand men with it (Jdgs.15:14-15). Samson was not just a strong man on his day – he was a thoughtful philosopher. Ironically Samson, the deliverer, needed to cry out to his only Deliverer, when he was close to death from extreme thirst – … You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised? (Jdgs.15:18 c.f. Jdgs.14:12-14; 15:16). Immediately and dramatically, God answered his petition – But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out of it. When he drank, his strength returned, and he revived (Jdgs.15:19). Samson was much more than a strong man. He called the place of his deliverance – ‘En-hakkore’ meaning ‘the spring of him who prayed’ (Jdgs.15:19 c.f. Isa.40:29). Samson never wanted to forget the place where God had rescued him from death.