Judges 15:4
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| Overview - Judges 15 | |
| 1 | Samson is denied his wife. |
| 3 | He burns the Philistines' corn with foxes and firebrands. |
| 6 | His wife and her father are burnt by the Philistines. |
| 7 | Samson smites them hip and thigh. |
| 9 | He is bound by the men of Judah, and delivered to the Philistines. |
| 14 | He kills them with a jawbone. |
| 18 | God makes the fountain En-hakkore for him in Lehi. |
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Judges 15:4 (King James Version)
And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.
- caught three
- Dr. Kennicott and others contend, that for {shlim,} "foxes," we should read {shlim,} "handfuls," or sheaves of corn. But, 1. The word {lachad,} rendered caught, never signifies simply to get or take but always to catch, seize, or take by assault or stratagem
- 2. Though the proposed alteration is sanctioned by seven MSS., yet all the versions are on the other side
- 3. Admitting this alteration, it will be difficult to prove that the word {shl} means either a sheaf or a handful of corn in the ear, and straw. It occurs but thrice in Scriptures (1 Ki 20:10
- Isaiah 40:12 . Ezekiel 13:9 ):where it evidently means as much as can be contained in the hollow of the hand; but when handfuls of grain in the shock, or sheaves are intended, very different words are used. See Ru 2
- 15, 16, etc. 4. It is not hinted that Samson collected them alone, or in one day; he might have employed many hands and several days in the work
- 5. The word {shl} properly denotes the jackal, which travellers describe as an animal in size between the wolf and fox, gregarious, as many as 200 having been seen together, and the most numerous of any in eastern countries; so that Samson might have caught many of them together in nets.
- Psalms 63:10 ; Solomon 2:15 ; Lamentations 5:18
- firebrands
- or, torches.