Judges 15:11

In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?” “I have done to them what they did to me,” he replied.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Three thousand men of Judah confront Samson at the cave of the rock of Etam, demanding to know why he provoked the Philistines who currently dominate Israel.

The words — וַיֵּרְדוּ (va.yereDU) translates "and they went down," while סְעִיף סֶלַע (se'IF sela') specifies "the cleft of the rock," marking the exact location of Judah's pursuit.

The thread — This tribal betrayal reflects the broader cycle of Israel's covenant failure and divine surrender to foreign rule (Judges 13:1; Psalm 106:40), while Samson's retaliation advances the Lord's hidden judicial purpose against the Philistines (Judges 14:4).

Why it lands — The passage records a precise accounting of reciprocal violence and tribal complicity, requiring the reader to confront the cost of national apostasy without softening the text's stark reciprocity.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֵּרְד֡וּva/i.ye.re.Duand/ they went down שְׁלֹשֶׁת֩she.lo.Shetthree אֲלָפִ֨ים'a.la.Fimthousand<s>אִ֜ישׁ'ishman מִֽיהוּדָ֗הmi./hu.Dahfrom/ Judah אֶל־'el-to סְעִיף֮se.'If[the] cleft of סֶ֣לַעSe.la'[the] rock of עֵיטָם֒'ei.TamEtam וַיֹּאמְר֣וּva/i.yo.me.Ruand/ they said לְשִׁמְשׁ֗וֹןle./shim.Shonto/ Samson הֲלֹ֤אha./Lo'¿/ not יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ya.Da'.tado you know כִּֽי־ki-that מֹשְׁלִ֥יםmo.she.Lim[are] rulingבָּ֙נוּ֙ba./nuover <the>/ usפְּלִשְׁתִּ֔יםpe.lish.Tim[the] Philistines וּמַה־u./mah-and/ what?זֹּ֖אתzotthis עָשִׂ֣יתָ'a.Si.tahave you doneלָּ֑נוּLa./nuto <the>/ usוַיֹּ֣אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he saidלָהֶ֔םla./Hemto <the>/ themכַּאֲשֶׁר֙ka./'a.Sherjust/ as עָ֣שׂוּ'A.suthey didלִ֔יL/ito <the>/ meכֵּ֖ןkenso עָשִׂ֥יתִי'a.Si.tiI have doneלָהֶֽם׃la./Hemto <the>/ them

King James Version

Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.

Cross-references

Judges 13:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
Judges 14:4 (Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)
Psalms 106:40 So the anger of the LORD burned against His people, and He abhorred His own inheritance.
Deuteronomy 28:13 The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today.
Deuteronomy 28:47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance,

People named

Samson

Places named

Etam 1