Judges 15:10

10 The people of Judah asked, "Why have you marched up against us?" "We've marched up to take Samson prisoner," they replied, "and to do to him just what he did to us."

Judges 15:10 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 15:10

And the men of Judah said
To the Philistines, very probably by a deputation, which they sent unto them, to know the reason of this formidable appearance:

why are ye come up against us?
in this hostile manner, with such a number of forces, since they were not conscious to themselves that they had done anything to offend them; they had not attempted to cast off their yoke, they quietly submitted to their government, and had paid their whole tribute, as Josephus ^F6 represents them saying; they could not imagine what should be the meaning of all this:

and they answered, to bind Samson are we come up;
that is, to oblige them to bind him, and deliver him into their hands:

to do to him as he hath done to us:
to put him to death, as he had slain many of their people in the last rencounter with them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 8.)

Judges 15:10 In-Context

8 He struck them hard, taking their legs right out from under them. Then he traveled down and stayed in a cave in the rock at Etam.

9 The Philistines marched up, made camp in Judah, and released their forces on Lehi.

10 The people of Judah asked, "Why have you marched up against us?" "We've marched up to take Samson prisoner," they replied, "and to do to him just what he did to us."

11 So three thousand people from Judah traveled down to the cave in the rock at Etam and said to Samson, "Don't you realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?" But he told them, "I did to them just what they did to me."

12 Then the people of Judah said to him, "We've come down to take you prisoner so we can turn you over to the Philistines." Samson responded to them, "Just promise that you won't attack me yourselves."