What promise does Samson ask of Juda’s men before they bind him?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He asks them to swear and promise not to kill him. They say they will not kill him but will deliver him bound, then tie him with two new cords and bring him from Etam.

Chapter breakdown

A while later, with wheat harvest near, Samson brings a kid of the flock to visit his wife. He tries to enter her chamber as usual, but her father refuses. The father says he thought Samson hated her and therefore gave her to Samson’s friend; he offers her younger, fairer sister instead. Samson says that from this day he will be blameless in what he does against the Philistines and will do them evils. He catches three hundred foxes, couples them tail to tail and fastens torches between the tails. Challoner separately says that as judge he might have many helpers catching these plentiful animals with nets or otherwise. Samson sets the torches alight and releases the foxes to run about. They enter the Philistines’ standing corn; fire burns both gathered and standing corn, and also vineyards and oliveyards.

The Philistines ask who did this and are told Samson, the Thamnathite’s son-in-law, did it because his wife was taken and given to another. They go up and burn both the woman and her father. Samson says that although they have done this, he will still be revenged and then be quiet. He makes a great slaughter, so that in astonishment they lay the calf of the leg upon the thigh. He goes down to dwell in a cavern of the rock Etam.

The Philistines enter Juda’s land and spread their camp at the place later called Lechi, meaning Jawbone. Juda’s men ask why they have come against them; the reply is to bind Samson and repay his actions. Three thousand of Juda go to Etam’s cave and ask Samson whether he knows the Philistines rule them and why he acted thus. He replies that he has done to them as they did to him. They say they came to bind him and deliver him to the Philistines. He asks them to swear and promise not to kill him. They promise not to kill him but to hand him over bound, tie him with two new cords and bring him from Etam.

At the place of the Jawbone the Philistines shout and come to meet Samson. The Lord’s spirit comes strongly upon him, and his bonds break and loosen like flax consumed as fire approaches. He finds an ass’s jawbone lying there, takes it and kills a thousand men with it. He says that with the jawbone of an ass, the jaw of the colt of asses, he has destroyed them and slain a thousand. Finishing these words in song, he throws the jawbone from his hand and names the place Ramathlechi, meaning the lifting up of the jawbone.

Very thirsty, Samson cries to the Lord, crediting him with the great deliverance and victory given his servant. He says he is dying of thirst and will fall into the uncircumcised men’s hands. The Lord opens a great tooth in the ass’s jaw and water issues from it. Samson drinks, refreshes his spirit and recovers his strength. The place is called the Spring of him that invoked from the jawbone until this present day. He judges Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

The story inside

The father’s refusal of Samson’s visit gives a stated reason and an offered replacement. Samson’s reply is followed by the foxes and burning crops. The Philistines learn the reported reason and burn the woman and her father; his announced vengeance precedes slaughter and his residence at Etam. Their army’s arrival in Juda brings questions and a visit by three thousand men, who promise not to kill him before binding him. At the Jawbone the spirit comes strongly upon him, the cords break and an ass’s jawbone is used to kill a thousand. His song and naming of the place are followed by thirst, a cry crediting the Lord with victory and water from the opened tooth. The chapter closes with his twenty years judging during Philistine days.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The foxes note offers a possibility rather than a report of helpers. Challoner says Samson might have assistance and mentions nets or other means. The Scripture gives the three hundred foxes, tail pairs and torches, followed by the burning of gathered and standing corn, vineyards and oliveyards.
2
The promise before binding is specific. Samson asks Juda’s men not to kill him, and they promise that while saying they will deliver him bound. The two new cords and departure follow; the account does not give an inner strategy for his acceptance.
3
Victory does not end the chapter’s immediate need. Samson credits the Lord with great deliverance yet cries about thirst and falling to the uncircumcised. The opened tooth supplies water, he drinks and recovers, and the place receives its recorded name.

Test your recall

What promise precedes the two new cords, what happens when the Philistines meet Samson, and why does he then cry to the Lord?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 26860–26889
Judges Chapter 15 Samson is denied his wife. He burns the corn of the Philistines, and kills many of them. 15:1. And a while after, when the days of the wheat harvest were at hand, Samson came, meaning to visit his wife, and he brought her a kid of the flock. And when he would have gone into her chamber, as usual, her father would not suffer him, saying: 15:2. I thought thou hadst hated her, and therefore I gave her to thy friend: but she hath a sister, who is younger and fairer than she, take her to wife instead of her. 15:3. And Samson answered him: From this day I shall be blameless in what I do against the Philistines: for I will do you evils. 15:4. And he went and caught three hundred foxes, and coupled them tail to tail, and fastened torches between the tails: Foxes.... Being judge of the people he might have many to assist him to catch with nets or otherwise a number of these animals; of which there were great numbers in that country. 15:5. And setting them on fire he let the foxes go, that they might run about hither and thither. And they presently went into the standing corn of the Philistines. Which being set on fire, both the corn that was already carried together, and that which was yet standing, was all burnt, insomuch that the flame consumed also the vineyards and the oliveyards.
Lines 26891–26901
15:6. Then the Philistines said: Who hath done this thing? And it was answered: Samson, the son in law of the Thamnathite, because he took away his wife, and gave her to another, hath done these things. And the Philistines went up and burnt both the woman and her father. 15:7. But Samson said to them: Although you have done this, yet will I be revenged of you, and then I will be quiet. 15:8. And he made a great slaughter of them, so that in astonishment they laid the calf of the leg upon the thigh. And going down he dwelt in a cavern of the rock Etam.
Lines 26903–26922
15:9. Then the Philistines going up into the land of Juda, camped in the place which afterwards was called Lechi, that is, the Jawbone, where their army was spread abroad. 15:10. And the men of the tribe of Juda said to them: Why are you come up against us? They answered: We are come to bind Samson, and to pay him for what he hath done against us. 15:11. Wherefore three thousand men of Juda went down to the cave of the rock Etam, and said to Samson: Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? Why wouldst thou do thus? And he said to them: As they did to me, so have I done to them. 15:12. And they said to him: We are come to bind thee, and to deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them: Swear to me, and promise me that you will not kill me. 15:13. They said: We will not kill thee: but we will deliver thee up bound. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him from the rock Etam.
Lines 26924–26937
15:14. Now when he was come to the place of the Jawbone, and the Philistines shouting went to meet him, the Spirit of the Lord came strongly upon him: and as flax is wont to be consumed at the approach of fire, so the bands with which he was bound were broken and loosed. 15:15. And finding a jawbone, even the jawbone of an ass, which lay there, catching it up, he slew therewith a thousand men. 15:16. And he said: With the jawbone of an ass, with the jaw of the colt of asses, I have destroyed them, and have slain a thousand men. 15:17. And when he had ended these words, singing, he threw the jawbone out of his hand, and called the name of that place Ramathlechi, which is interpreted the lifting up of the jawbone.
Lines 26939–26953
15:18. And being very thirsty, he cried to the Lord, and said: Thou hast given this very great deliverance and victory into the hand of thy servant: and behold I die for thirst, and shall fall into the hands of the uncircumcised. 15:19. Then the Lord opened a great tooth in the jaw of the ass and waters issued out of it. And when he had drunk them, he refreshed his spirit, and recovered his strength. Therefore the name of that place was called The Spring of him that invoked from the jawbone, until this present day. 15:20. And he judged Israel, in the days of the Philistines, twenty years.