Judges 15:1-8

Samson’s revenge on the Timnites 15:1-8

Wheat harvest took place in late May or early June in this part of Palestine. [Note: Cundall and Morris, p. 168.] Samson’s anger had cooled, and he decided to return to Timnah and arrange for the completion of his marriage. Instead of flowers or candy he took a young goat as a gift for his fiancée. The woman’s father, however, claimed that he was sure Samson so thoroughly hated his daughter because of her betrayal that he would never want to marry her. Whether this was the real reason he gave her to another man is not clear. He may have simply wanted to avoid losing face. In any case Samson believed treachery had motivated his act. He must have realized that his treatment of the 30 Philistines in Ashkelon (Judges 14:19) was blameworthy since he announced that what he was about to do would be blameless (Judges 15:4). He was about to embark on holy war.

"Samson regarded the treatment he had received from his father-in-law as but one effect of the disposition of the Philistines generally toward the Israelites, and therefore resolved to revenge the wrong which he had received from one member of the Philistines upon the whole nation, or at all events upon the whole of the city of Timnah." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, p. 413.]

"His words indicate that he felt completely justified in such vindictive action." [Note: Cundall and Morris, p. 168.]

The word translated "foxes" (Judges 15:4) probably refers to jackals. Foxes are solitary animals, but jackals run in packs and are relatively easy to capture.

"The burning of standing corn was a common method of retaliation or revenge in the ancient world and its effect in an agricultural community was very serious." [Note: Ibid., p. 169. Cf. 2 Samuel 14:29-32.]

"Samson is a man with a higher calling than any other deliverer in the book, but he spends his whole life ’doing his own thing.’" [Note: Block, Judges . . ., p. 441.]

The fate that Samson’s "wife" sought to avoid by betraying him overtook her after all (cf. Judges 14:15). The Philistines presumably burned the house down with the woman and her parents inside (Judges 15:6). The Philistines’ act of revenge on his "wife" simply added more fuel to the desire for revenge that was already burning within Samson (Judges 15:7). Evidently he loved the Timnite woman. He proceeded to avenge her death by killing many more of the Philistines (Judges 15:8). Then he took refuge in a cave nearby.