Judges 15

שופטים פרק ט״ו

Section: נביאים · נביאים ראשונים | Book: Judges | Chapter: 15 of 21 | Day: 39 of 742

Date: March 22, 2026

קלאוד על הנ״ך

Judges 15 presents the most concentrated cycle of escalating violence in the Samson narrative, a chain of retaliations that transforms a personal grievance into a national conflict. The chapter opens with Samson returning to claim his wife during the wheat harvest (bimei ketzir-chittim), only to discover that her father has given her to his companion (merea). This domestic betrayal sets in motion a sequence of tit-for-tat violence that the text narrates with almost formulaic precision: Samson burns the Philistine fields, the Philistines burn his wife and her father, Samson strikes them with a “great blow” (makkah gedolah), and the Philistines mobilize against Judah. Each act of vengeance begets the next, and the narrator seems acutely aware of the self-perpetuating logic of retribution.

The literary centerpiece of the chapter is the episode of the three hundred foxes (shualim) tied tail to tail with torches between them. This extraordinary image — part guerrilla warfare, part theatrical spectacle — has puzzled commentators for centuries. Radak offers the practical observation that foxes naturally run backward, which kept the pairs together and the torches burning. But beyond the mechanics, the scene functions symbolically: Samson fights not as a conventional military leader marshaling armies, but as a solitary figure deploying cunning and chaos. His methods mirror his liminal status — he is neither fully inside Israelite society nor fully outside it, operating in the borderlands between Israel and Philistia.

Perhaps the most theologically significant moment in the chapter is the confrontation between Samson and the three thousand men of Judah who descend to the rock of Etam to hand him over to the Philistines. Their words — “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us?” (halo yadata ki moshlim banu pelishtim) — lay bare the depth of Israelite subjugation. This is not merely political domination; it is internalized servitude, a people who have accepted foreign rule as the natural order. Samson stands as the lone figure who refuses to accept this reality, yet even he must negotiate the terms of his own capture by his brethren. The scene echoes a recurring pattern in Judges where Israel’s greatest enemies are not foreign oppressors but the people’s own complacency and accommodation.

The climactic battle at Lehi, where the spirit of God (ruach Hashem) surges upon Samson and he slays a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey (lechi chamor), is followed by one of the rare moments of genuine vulnerability in the Samson cycle. Overcome by thirst, he cries out to God in prayer, acknowledging that the victory was divinely granted and pleading not to die and fall into the hands of “the uncircumcised” (ha-arelim). God’s response — splitting open the hollow in the jawbone to produce a spring of water — recalls the wilderness miracles of the Exodus tradition and suggests that for all his moral ambiguity, Samson remains an instrument of divine purpose. The naming of the spring as Ein-hakkore (“Spring of the Caller”) memorializes not the military triumph but the prayer that followed it, a subtle editorial emphasis on dependence upon God over feats of strength.

The chapter’s closing verse — “He judged Israel in the days of the Philistines for twenty years” — is both a summary and a qualification. The phrase “in the days of the Philistines” (bimei pelishtim) signals, as Radak perceptively notes, that Samson’s deliverance was incomplete. Unlike earlier judges who secured lasting peace, Samson provided only temporary relief within an ongoing period of foreign domination. This incomplete redemption is characteristic of the latter half of the book of Judges, where the cycles of sin and deliverance grow increasingly fractured and the judges themselves become progressively more flawed, pointing toward the book’s final verdict that “every man did what was right in his own eyes.”

פרק ט״ו · Chapter 15

פסוק א׳ · Verse 1

Hebrew:

וַיְהִ֨י מִיָּמִ֜ים בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּפְקֹ֨ד שִׁמְשׁ֤וֹן אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ בִּגְדִ֣י עִזִּ֔ים וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָבֹ֥אָה אֶל־אִשְׁתִּ֖י הֶחָ֑דְרָה וְלֹֽא־נְתָנ֥וֹ אָבִ֖יהָ לָבֽוֹא׃

English:

Some time later, in the season of the wheat harvest, Samson came to visit his wife, bringing a kid as a gift. He said, “Let me go into the chamber to my wife.” But her father would not let him go in.

פסוק ב׳ · Verse 2

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֗יהָ אָמֹ֤ר אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ כִּי־שָׂנֹ֣א שְׂנֵאתָ֔הּ וָאֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה לְמֵרֵעֶ֑ךָ הֲלֹ֨א אֲחוֹתָ֤הּ הַקְּטַנָּה֙ טוֹבָ֣ה מִמֶּ֔נָּה תְּהִי־נָ֥א לְךָ֖ תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ׃

English:

“I was sure,” said her father, “that you had taken a dislike to her, so I gave her to your wedding companion. But her younger sister is more beautiful than she; let her become your wife instead.”

פסוק ג׳ · Verse 3

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן נִקֵּ֥יתִי הַפַּ֖עַם מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים כִּי־עֹשֶׂ֥ה אֲנִ֛י עִמָּ֖ם רָעָֽה׃

English:

Thereupon Samson declared, “Now the Philistines can have no claim against me for the harm I shall do them.”

פסוק ד׳ · Verse 4

Hebrew:

וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵא֣וֹת שׁוּעָלִ֑ים וַיִּקַּ֣ח לַפִּדִ֗ים וַיֶּ֤פֶן זָנָב֙ אֶל־זָנָ֔ב וַיָּ֨שֶׂם לַפִּ֥יד אֶחָ֛ד בֵּין־שְׁנֵ֥י הַזְּנָב֖וֹת בַּתָּֽוֶךְ׃

English:

Samson went and caught three hundred foxes. He took torches and, turning [the foxes] tail to tail, he placed a torch between each pair of tails.

פסוק ה׳ · Verse 5

Hebrew:

וַיַּבְעֶר־אֵשׁ֙ בַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים וַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח בְּקָמ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיַּבְעֵ֛ר מִגָּדִ֥ישׁ וְעַד־קָמָ֖ה וְעַד־כֶּ֥רֶם זָֽיִת׃

English:

He lit the torches and turned [the foxes] loose among the standing grain of the Philistines, setting fire to stacked grain, standing grain, vineyards, [and]a[and] So Targum. olive trees.

פסוק ו׳ · Verse 6

Hebrew:

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֮ מִ֣י עָ֣שָׂה זֹאת֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ חֲתַ֣ן הַתִּמְנִ֔י כִּ֚י לָקַ֣ח אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ לְמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ וַיַּעֲל֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ אוֹתָ֛הּ וְאֶת־אָבִ֖יהָ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

English:

The Philistines asked, “Who did this?” And they were told, “It was Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, who took Samson’sbSamson’s Heb. “his.” wife and gave her to his wedding companion.” Thereupon the Philistines came up and put her and her fathercher father Many mss. read “her father’s household”; cf. 14.15. to the fire.

פסוק ז׳ · Verse 7

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן אִֽם־תַּעֲשׂ֖וּן כָּזֹ֑את כִּ֛י אִם־נִקַּ֥מְתִּי בָכֶ֖ם וְאַחַ֥ר אֶחְדָּֽל׃

English:

Samson said to them, “If that is how you act, I will not rest until I have taken revenge on you.”

פסוק ח׳ · Verse 8

Hebrew:

וַיַּ֨ךְ אוֹתָ֥ם שׁ֛וֹק עַל־יָרֵ֖ךְ מַכָּ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֑ה וַיֵּ֣רֶד וַיֵּ֔שֶׁב בִּסְעִ֖יף סֶ֥לַע עֵיטָֽם׃ {פ}

English:

He gave them a sound and thorough thrashing.dHe gave them a sound and thorough thrashing Lit. “He smote them leg as well as thigh, a great smiting.” Then he went down and stayed in the cave of the rock of Etam.

פסוק ט׳ · Verse 9

Hebrew:

וַיַּעֲל֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בִּֽיהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ בַּלֶּֽחִי׃

English:

The Philistines came up, pitched camp in Judah and spread out over Lehi.

פסוק י״ · Verse 10

Hebrew:

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה לָמָ֖ה עֲלִיתֶ֣ם עָלֵ֑ינוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לֶאֱס֤וֹר אֶת־שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ עָלִ֔ינוּ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת ל֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר עָ֥שָׂה לָֽנוּ׃

English:

Those on Judah’s side asked, “Why have you come up against us?” They answered, “We have come to take Samson prisoner, and to do to him as he did to us.”

פסוק י״א · Verse 11

Hebrew:

וַיֵּרְד֡וּ שְׁלֹ֩שֶׁת֩ אֲלָפִ֨ים אִ֜ישׁ מִֽיהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־סְעִיף֮ סֶ֣לַע עֵיטָם֒ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן הֲלֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ כִּֽי־מֹשְׁלִ֥ים בָּ֙נוּ֙ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וּמַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לָּ֑נוּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ עָ֣שׂוּ לִ֔י כֵּ֖ן עָשִׂ֥יתִי לָהֶֽם׃

English:

Thereupon three thousand Judahites went down to the cave of the rock of Etam, and they said to Samson, “You knew that the Philistines rule over us; why have you done this to us?” He replied, “As they did to me, so I did to them.”

פסוק י״ב · Verse 12

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לוֹ֙ לֶאֱסׇרְךָ֣ יָרַ֔דְנוּ לְתִתְּךָ֖ בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן הִשָּׁבְע֣וּ לִ֔י פֶּֽן־תִּפְגְּע֥וּן בִּ֖י אַתֶּֽם׃

English:

“We have come down,” they told him, “to take you prisoner and to hand you over to the Philistines.” “But swear to me,” said Samson to them, “that you yourselves will not attack me.”

פסוק י״ג · Verse 13

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ ל֣וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר לֹ֚א כִּֽי־אָסֹ֤ר נֶאֱסׇרְךָ֙ וּנְתַנּ֣וּךָ בְיָדָ֔ם וְהָמֵ֖ת לֹ֣א נְמִיתֶ֑ךָ וַיַּאַסְרֻ֗הוּ בִּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ עֲבֹתִ֣ים חֲדָשִׁ֔ים וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּהוּ מִן־הַסָּֽלַע׃

English:

“We won’t,” they replied. “We will only take you prisoner and hand you over to them; we will not slay you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

פסוק י״ד · Verse 14

Hebrew:

הוּא־בָ֣א עַד־לֶ֔חִי וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים הֵרִ֣יעוּ לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהֹוָ֗ה וַתִּהְיֶ֨ינָה הָעֲבֹתִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־זְרוֹעוֹתָ֗יו כַּפִּשְׁתִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּעֲר֣וּ בָאֵ֔שׁ וַיִּמַּ֥סּוּ אֱסוּרָ֖יו מֵעַ֥ל יָדָֽיו׃

English:

When he reached Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Thereupon the spirit of GOD gripped him, and the ropes on his arms became like flax that catches fire; the bonds melted off his hands.

פסוק ט״ו · Verse 15

Hebrew:

וַיִּמְצָ֥א לְחִי־חֲמ֖וֹר טְרִיָּ֑ה וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ וַיַּךְ��בָּ֖הּ אֶ֥לֶף אִֽישׁ׃

English:

He came upon a fresh jawbone of a donkey and he picked it up; and with it he killed a thousand men.

פסוק ט״ז · Verse 16

Hebrew:

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן בִּלְחִ֣י הַחֲמ֔וֹר חֲמ֖וֹר חֲמֹרָתָ֑יִם בִּלְחִ֣י הַחֲמ֔וֹר הִכֵּ֖יתִי אֶ֥לֶף אִֽישׁ׃

English:

Then Samson said:“With the jaw of an ass,Mass upon mass!With the jaw of an assI have slain a thousand men.”

פסוק י״ז · Verse 17

Hebrew:

וַֽיְהִי֙ כְּכַלֹּת֣וֹ לְדַבֵּ֔ר וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ הַלְּחִ֖י מִיָּד֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֛א לַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא רָ֥מַת לֶֽחִי׃

English:

As he finished speaking, he threw the jawbone away; hence that place was called Ramath-lehi.eRamath-lehi I.e., “Jawbone Heights.”

פסוק י״ח · Verse 18

Hebrew:

וַיִּצְמָא֮ מְאֹד֒ וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אַתָּה֙ נָתַ֣תָּ בְיַֽד־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את וְעַתָּה֙ אָמ֣וּת בַּצָּמָ֔א וְנָפַלְתִּ֖י בְּיַ֥ד הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃

English:

He was very thirsty and he called to GOD, “You Yourself have granted this great victory through Your servant; and must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

פסוק י״ט · Verse 19

Hebrew:

וַיִּבְקַ֨ע אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־הַמַּכְתֵּ֣שׁ אֲשֶׁר־בַּלֶּ֗חִי וַיֵּצְא֨וּ מִמֶּ֤נּוּ מַ֙יִם֙ וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וַתָּ֥שׇׁב רוּח֖וֹ וַיֶּ֑חִי עַל־כֵּ֣ן ׀ קָרָ֣א שְׁמָ֗הּ עֵ֤ין הַקּוֹרֵא֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּלֶּ֔חִי עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

English:

So God split open the hollow that is at Lehi, and the water gushed out of it; he drank, regained his strength, and revived. That is why it is called to this day “En-hakkorefEn-hakkore Understood as “The Spring of the Caller.” of Lehi.”

פסוק כ׳ · Verse 20

Hebrew:

וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בִּימֵ֥י פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃ {פ}

English:

He led Israel in the days of the Philistines for twenty years.

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