Judges 15:6-10
Judges 15:6
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.
Then
the leaders and no doubt the vineyard owners had inquired as to who had done
this. Immediately they told them
that it was Samson. It is curious
that they included the description of “son in law of the Timnite.”
They associated that man’s family with Samson.
Then they told the Philistines the reason that Samson acted the way he
did. His wife was taken from him
and given to another man. The
Philistines then took retribution on the man and his daughter by burning their
home with them in it.
Judges 15:7
And
Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you,
and after that I will cease.
Samson knowing what they did to his wife and her father had now told them that
he would take vengeance upon them and when that vengeance was fully satisfied
then he would cease and not take it any further.
Judges 15:8
And
he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt
in the top of the rock Etam.
By
smiting them “hip and thigh” is a Hebrew idiom which denotes that Samson had
made a great slaughter of the Philistines.
Even if the term “hip and thigh” was a literal injury it would have
caused many of them to be unable to go to war in any manner.
Etam was 25 miles (40 km) south of Timnath.
The Etam in this verse was possibly located in the hill country of Judah.
And their villages were, Etam, and
Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities:
(1 Chronicles 4:32, KJV)
The site of this particular rock has not been identified but it may refer to a
fissure or ravine where Samson went.
He also may have stayed on the top of this rock to keep watch to see if
the Philistines would pursue him.
Judges 15:9
Then
the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
Lehi
was 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Etam.
It was named that because the name Lehi means “jawbone.”
It was named that after Samson had used a jawbone of a donkey to make
another great slaughter of the Philistines.
The Philistines had assembled their army and moved into the hill country
of Judah to pursue Samson.
Judges 15:10
And
the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind
Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.