Judges 15:11

9 Then the Philistines went up, camped in Judah, and deployed themselves near the town of Lehi.

10 “Why have you attacked us?” said the men of Judah. The Philistines replied, “We have come to arrest Samson and pay him back for what he has done to us.”

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.

12 But they said to him, “We have come down to arrest you and hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson replied, “Swear to me that you will not kill me yourselves.”

13 “No,” they answered, “we will not kill you, but we will tie you up securely and hand you over to them.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
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.
KJV
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.
WEB
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in Etam’s rock, and said to Samson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” He said to them, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.”
ASV
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
DARBY
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the cliff Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? And what is this that thou hast done to us? And he said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.
BLB
And three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are ruling over us? And what [is] this you have done to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.”
ÅB
Da dro tre tusen mann av Juda ned til fjellkløften ved Etam, og de sa til Samson: Vet du ikke at filistrene hersker over oss? Hvorfor har du da gjort dette mot oss? Men han sa til dem: Som de har gjort mot meg, så har jeg gjort mot dem.
OTB
Da gikk tre tusen menn fra Juda ned til hulen i klippen ved Etam og sa til Samson: "Forstår du ikke at filisterne hersker over oss? Hva har du gjort mot oss?" Han svarte: "Jeg har gjort mot dem som de gjorde mot meg."
B1930
Da drog tre tusen mann av Juda ned til fjellkløften ved Etam, og de sa til Samson: Vet du ikke at filistrene hersker over oss? Hvorfor har du da gjort dette mot oss? Men han sa til dem: Som de har gjort mot mig, så har jeg gjort mot dem.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 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.)

    Read in context
  • 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.

    Read in context
  • Psalms 106:40–42

    So the anger of the LORD burned against His people, and He abhorred His own inheritance.

    Read in context
  • 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.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 28:47–48

    Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance,

    Read in context