And he struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughterThis phrase describes Samson's retaliation against the Philistines after they burned his wife and her father. The term "ruthlessly" indicates the severity and intensity of Samson's actions, reflecting the cycle of violence between the Israelites and the Philistines. The "great slaughter" signifies a significant victory for Samson, who was empowered by the Spirit of the Lord (
Judges 14:19). This act of vengeance is part of the larger narrative of Samson's judgeship, where he is often seen as a flawed deliverer of Israel, prefiguring the ultimate deliverance through Christ, who would conquer sin and death.
and then went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam
The "rock of Etam" is a geographical location in the territory of Judah. Caves were often used as places of refuge or hiding in ancient times, as seen in other biblical accounts (1 Samuel 22:1,1 Kings 19:9). Samson's retreat to the cave may symbolize a temporary withdrawal from conflict, reflecting a pattern of seeking solitude after significant events, similar to how Jesus withdrew to pray (Luke 5:16). The rock of Etam's exact location is uncertain, but it is believed to be in the hill country of Judah, emphasizing the strategic and protective nature of such sites. This setting underscores the tension between Samson's role as a judge and his personal struggles, highlighting the need for a perfect deliverer, fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
SamsonA judge of Israel known for his supernatural strength, given by God, and his Nazirite vow. In this passage, he is retaliating against the Philistines.
2.
PhilistinesThe enemies of Israel during the time of the Judges. They oppressed the Israelites, leading to various conflicts, including those involving Samson.
3.
Cleft of the Rock of EtamA location where Samson sought refuge after his attack on the Philistines. It symbolizes a place of temporary safety and strategic retreat.
Teaching Points
Righteous Anger and JusticeSamson's actions, though violent, were part of God's plan to deliver Israel from Philistine oppression. This raises questions about the nature of righteous anger and justice in the context of God's will.
Seeking Refuge in GodJust as Samson sought refuge in the cleft of the rock, believers are encouraged to seek refuge in God during times of trouble. God is our ultimate protector and source of strength.
Consequences of Personal VendettasSamson's actions were driven by personal vendetta, which can lead to further conflict and strife. Believers are called to seek God's guidance and wisdom in handling conflicts.
God's Sovereignty in Human AffairsDespite human flaws and motivations, God's sovereign plan is at work. Samson's life illustrates how God can use imperfect people to achieve His purposes.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Judges 15:8?
2.How does Samson's response in Judges 15:8 demonstrate righteous anger or vengeance?
3.What lessons on justice can we learn from Samson's actions in Judges 15:8?
4.How does Judges 15:8 connect to Romans 12:19 about vengeance?
5.How can we apply Samson's zeal for God's cause in our lives?
6.What does Samson's victory in Judges 15:8 teach about God's empowerment?
7.What does Judges 15:8 reveal about Samson's character and motivations?
8.How does Judges 15:8 fit into the broader narrative of Samson's life?
9.What historical evidence supports the events described in Judges 15:8?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Judges 15?
11.Did Jesus judge others? (John 8:15 vs. John 5:22)
12.John 8:14-18: How do Jesus's statements about His testimony reconcile with other biblical passages that require two or more witnesses?
13.In Leviticus 8:15-17, where does the blood used for the purification truly come from, and how did they handle potential health risks?
14.Does the account of Abimelech's violent rule conflict with other Old Testament portrayals of just leadership (Judges 9:22-24)?What Does Judges 15:8 Mean
And he struck them ruthlesslySamson’s response to the Philistines is immediate and forceful. Having vowed inJudges 15:7 to avenge their cruelty, he now fulfills that promise. His action is not impulsive rage but the divinely empowered deliverance God had begun to work through him (Judges 14:4; 14:19). Scripture often depicts God raising up a deliverer who meets oppression head-on—compare Ehud inJudges 3:15–30 or David facing Goliath in1 Samuel 17:45–47. Samson’s ruthlessness underlines that he is God’s appointed judge, wielding God’s judgment against Israel’s enemies (Exodus 15:3;Psalm 18:34).
with a great slaughterThe phrase highlights both scale and finality. • Earlier, Samson had killed thirty Philistines at Ashkelon (Judges 14:19); here the text stresses an even broader defeat. • Soon after, he will slay a thousand more with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:15). The pattern shows escalating victories that weaken Philistine dominance and remind Israel that “salvation belongs to the LORD” (Psalm 3:8). Such “great slaughters” recur throughout Judges (e.g., Gideon inJudges 8:10; Jephthah inJudges 11:33), each time reaffirming that God’s power is not limited by the number or strength of the enemy (1 Samuel 14:6).
and then went downThe physical descent signals a strategic withdrawal, not defeat. Samson often “goes down” after major exploits—he went down to Ashkelon (Judges 14:19) and later goes down to Gaza (Judges 16:1). By moving away, he avoids immediate retaliation and positions himself for God’s next assignment. The pattern fits biblical wisdom that there is “a time to fight and a time to refrain” (Ecclesiastes 3:8).
and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam• Caves regularly serve as refuges for God’s servants—David at Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1), Elijah at Horeb (1 Kings 19:9).
• The “rock of Etam” provides both physical shelter and symbolic assurance: God Himself is the believer’s rock (Psalm 18:2). Samson may appear isolated, yet he is exactly where the Lord wants him, preparing for the next deliverance recorded inJudges 15:9-20. Even in hiding, God’s purposes advance, echoingHebrews 11:32, which lists Samson among the faithful who “conquered kingdoms” by faith.
summaryJudges 15:8 portrays Samson fulfilling his vow of vengeance with decisive, Spirit-empowered judgment on the Philistines, executing a “great slaughter” that weakens enemy oppression. His subsequent retreat to the cave at Etam is a tactical pause in God’s ongoing plan, illustrating that the Lord provides both victory and refuge for His chosen deliverer.
(8)
Hip and thigh.--There is no doubt that the expression intensifies the words "with a great slaughter;" but the origin of the phrase is a matter of conjecture. It may be purely general, like the German expression "
Arm und Bein,"or "
er hieb den Feind in die Pfanne,"or "in
Kochstcke" ("A blow strikes a fugitive on the hip, and that would be enough; another blow on the thigh ends him"). "Hence," says Ewald, "it means thigh over and above"--
i.e.,besides the hip. It cannot possibly mean "cavalry and infantry," as the Chaldee renders it, or be a reference to wrestling (Greek,
huposkelizein)
;nor is it likely to have a sacrificial origin ("good and bad pieces"). It is hard to see what St. Jerome means by his gloss "
ita ut slupentes suram femori imponerent."Literally it is,
thigh upon hip,or
leg upon thigh(LXX.,
?????? ??? ?????)
.May it not have had its origin in some such fierce custom as that known to the Greeks as
akroteriasmos,or
maschalismos,in which the extremities of a corpse were cut off and placed under the arm-pits? ('sch.
Cho.439; Soph.
El.445.) Thus in Hesychius and Suidas
maschalismatameans "mutilated limbs," and also "the flesh of the shoulders laid on the haunches at sacrifices."
With a great slaughter.--It is not said, nor is it necessarily implied (any more than in the case of Shamgar), that Samson was absolutely alone in these raids. There is nothing either in the narrative or in the ordinary style of Hebrew prose which makes any such inference necessary, nor, indeed, is there any such inference drawn in many similar passages (e.g.,Judgesi. 20, &c.).
In the top of the rock Etam.--It should undoubtedly bein a ravine(or cave)of the cliff Etam.For instance, inJudges 15:11 the men of Judah could not godownto the top of a rock, and the same word is rendered "cleft" inIsaiah 57:5, and should be so rendered for "top" inIsaiah 3:21 (LXX., "in a hole of the rock," and "in the cave of Etam;" Vulg.,in spelunca petrae).This explains the expression "went down" in this verse, and "brought him up" inJudges 15:13. Such cliff-caves are the natural refuge of oppressed peoples (Judges 6:2;1Samuel 13:6;1Kings 18:13). These caves, like the cave of Aduliam, are often supplied with water by natural springs, and one man may defend them against a multitude. The LXX. (Cod. A) add the words "by the torrent." The site of Etam is uncertain; but it is in the tribe of Judah, which Samson only enters once, or, possibly (Judges 16:3), twice, and then only as a fugitive. . . .
Verse 8. -
He smote them hip and thigh, etc. A proverbial expression, the origin of which is uncertain; it means, he smote them with a great and complete slaughter. It is reasonable to suppose that he had gathered a few Hebrews round him to help him.
He went down, etc. This shows that
Etam must have been situated lower than Tinmath, and seems to preclude its identification with
Urtas, in the hill country of Judah, between Bethlehem and Tekoah, which apparently represents the
Etam of
2 Chronicles 11:6. But there is another Etam in the tribe of Simeon (
1 Chronicles 4:32), which may possibly be the Etam of our text.
In the top of the rock. Rather, the
cleft or fissure of the rock - some narrow and inaccessible ravine. The site has not been identified.
CHAPTER 15:9-20
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
And he struckוַיַּ֨ךְ(way·yaḵ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221:To strikethem ruthlesslyשׁ֛וֹק(šō·wq)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7785:The, legwith a greatגְדוֹלָ֑ה(ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh)Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419:Great, older, insolentslaughter,מַכָּ֣ה(mak·kāh)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4347:A wound, carnage, pestilenceand then went downוַיֵּ֣רֶד(way·yê·reḏ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3381:To come or go down, descendand stayedוַיֵּ֔שֶׁב(way·yê·šeḇ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3427:To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marryin the caveבִּסְעִ֖יף(bis·‘îp̄)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5585:A fissure, a boughat the rockסֶ֥לַע(se·la‘)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5553:A craggy rockof Etam.עֵיטָֽם׃(‘ê·ṭām)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5862:Etam -- three places in Israel
Links
Judges 15:8 NIVJudges 15:8 NLTJudges 15:8 ESVJudges 15:8 NASBJudges 15:8 KJV
Judges 15:8 BibleApps.comJudges 15:8 Biblia ParalelaJudges 15:8 Chinese BibleJudges 15:8 French BibleJudges 15:8 Catholic Bible
OT History: Judges 15:8 He struck them hip and thigh (Jd Judg. Jdg) 
