Judges

Judges 15:3–8

³Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless in doing harm to the Philistines.”

⁴Then Samson went out and caught three hundred foxes. And he took torches, turned the foxes tail-to-tail, and fastened a torch between each pair of tails. ⁵Then he lit the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, burning up the piles of grain and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

⁶“Who did this?” the Philistines demanded.

“It was Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite,” they were told. “For his wife was given to his companion.”

So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.

⁷And Samson told them, “Because you have done this, I will not rest until I have taken vengeance upon you.” ⁸And he struck them ruthlessly^a with a great slaughter, and then went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam.

Footnotes

a 15:8 Literally he struck them hip and thigh

Read all of Judges 15

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Judges 15:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Samson	שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן	šim·šō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8123 Samson
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to them	לָהֶם֙	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
This time	הַפַּ֖עַם	hap·pa·‘am	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H6471 beat, foot, anvil, occurrence
I will be blameless	נִקֵּ֥יתִי	niq·qê·ṯî	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular	H5352 be empty(?), clean
in doing	עֹשֶׂ֥ה	‘ō·śeh	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H6213 do, make
harm	רָעָֽה׃	rā·‘āh	Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
to the Philistines	מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים	mip·pə·liš·tîm	Preposition-m; Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine

Judges 15:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Samson	שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן	šim·šō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8123 Samson
went out	וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
and caught	וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד	way·yil·kōḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3920 capture, seize, take (by lot)
three	שְׁלֹשׁ־	šə·lōš-	Number - feminine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
hundred	מֵא֣וֹת	mê·’ō·wṯ	Number - feminine plural	H3967 hundred
foxes	שׁוּעָלִ֑ים	šū·‘ā·lîm	Noun - masculine plural	H7776 fox
And he took	וַיִּקַּ֣ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
torches	לַפִּדִ֗ים	lap·pi·ḏîm	Noun - masculine plural	H3940 torch
turned	וַיֶּ֤פֶן	way·ye·p̄en	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6437 turn
the foxes tail-to-tail	זָנָב֙	zā·nāḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H2180 tail, also (figurative) end, stump
and fastened	וַיָּ֨שֶׂם	way·yā·śem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
a	אֶחָ֛ד	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
torch	לַפִּ֥יד	lap·pîḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H3940 torch
between	בֵּין־	bên-	Preposition	H996 interval, space between
each pair	שְׁנֵ֥י	šə·nê	Number - masculine dual construct	H8147 two
of tails	הַזְּנָב֖וֹת	haz·zə·nā·ḇō·wṯ	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2180 tail, also (figurative) end, stump

Judges 15:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then he lit	וַיַּבְעֶר־	way·yaḇ·‘er-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1197 burn, consume
the torches	בַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים	bal·lap·pî·ḏîm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3940 torch
and released	וַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח	way·šal·laḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7971 send
into the standing grain	בְּקָמ֣וֹת	bə·qā·mō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct	H7054 standing grain
of the Philistines	פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים	pə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
burning up	וַיַּבְעֵ֛ר	way·yaḇ·‘êr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1197 burn, consume
the piles of grain	מִגָּדִ֥ישׁ	mig·gā·ḏîš	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular	H1430 heap, stack
and the standing grain	קָמָ֖ה	qā·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H7054 standing grain
as well as	וְעַד־	wə·‘aḏ-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
the vineyards	כֶּ֥רֶם	ke·rem	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3754 vineyard
and olive groves	זָֽיִת׃	zā·yiṯ	Noun - masculine singular	H2132 olive-tree, olive

Judges 15:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Who	מִ֣י	mî	Interrogative	H4310 who?
did	עָ֣שָׂה	‘ā·śāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
this	זֹאת֒	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
the Philistines	פְלִשְׁתִּים֮	p̄ə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
demanded	וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
It was Samson	שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙	šim·šō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8123 Samson
the son-in-law	חֲתַ֣ן	ḥă·ṯan	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2860 daughter's husband, bride-groom
of the Timnite	הַתִּמְנִ֔י	hat·tim·nî	Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8554 Timnite
they were told	וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
For	כִּ֚י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
his wife	אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ	’iš·tōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
was given	וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ	way·yit·tə·nāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H5414 give, put, set
to his companion	לְמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ	lə·mê·rê·‘ê·hū	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4828 friend, companion
So the Philistines	פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים	p̄ə·liš·tîm	Noun - proper - masculine plural	H6430 Philistine
went up	וַיַּעֲל֣וּ	way·ya·‘ă·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H5927 go up, ascend, climb
and burned	וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ	way·yiś·rə·p̄ū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H8313 burn
her and her father	אָבִ֖יהָ	’ā·ḇî·hā	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H1 father
to death	בָּאֵֽשׁ׃	bā·’êš	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H784 fire

Judges 15:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And Samson	שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן	šim·šō·wn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H8123 Samson
told	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
them	לָהֶם֙	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
Because	אִֽם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
you have done	תַּעֲשׂ֖וּן	ta·‘ă·śūn	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural; Paragogic nun	H6213 do, make
this	כָּזֹ֑את	kā·zōṯ	Preposition-k; Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
I will not rest	אֶחְדָּֽל׃	’eḥ·dāl	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H2308 cease
until	כִּ֛י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I have taken vengeance	נִקַּ֥מְתִּי	niq·qam·tî	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common singular	H5358 avenge, take vengeance
upon you	בָכֶ֖ם	ḇā·ḵem	Preposition; second person masculine plural

Judges 15:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And he struck	וַיַּ֨ךְ	way·yaḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5221 smite
them	אוֹתָ֥ם	’ō·w·ṯām	Direct object marker; third person masculine plural	H853 mark of the accusative
ruthlessly	שׁ֛וֹק	šō·wq	Noun - feminine singular	H7785 leg
with a great	גְדוֹלָ֑ה	ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H1419 great
slaughter	מַכָּ֣ה	mak·kāh	Noun - feminine singular	H4347 blow, wound, slaughter
and then went down	וַיֵּ֣רֶד	way·yê·reḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3381 come or go down, descend
and stayed	וַיֵּ֔שֶׁב	way·yê·šeḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
in the cave	בִּסְעִ֖יף	bis·‘îp̄	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H5585 cleft
at the rock	סֶ֥לַע	se·la‘	Noun - masculine singular construct	H5553 crag, cliff
of Etam	עֵיטָֽם׃ס	‘ê·ṭām	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H5862 Etam