Judges 15:18
New International Version
Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the LORD, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

New Living Translation
Samson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?”

English Standard Version
And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the LORD and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

Berean Standard Bible
And being very thirsty, Samson cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great deliverance through Your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

King James Bible
And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

New King James Version
Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?”

New American Standard Bible
Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, “You have handed this great victory over to Your servant, and now am I to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

NASB 1995
Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

NASB 1977
Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, “Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of Thy servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he became very thirsty, and he called to Yahweh and said, “You have given this great salvation by the hand of Your slave, but now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

Amplified Bible
Then Samson was very thirsty, and he called out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great victory through the hand of Your servant, and now am I to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised (pagans)?”

Christian Standard Bible
He became very thirsty and called out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great victory through your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He became very thirsty and called out to the LORD: “You have accomplished this great victory through Your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

American Standard Version
And he was sore athirst, and called on Jehovah, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised.

Contemporary English Version
Samson was so thirsty that he prayed, "Our LORD, you helped me win a battle against a whole army. Please don't let me die of thirst now. Those heathen Philistines will carry off my dead body."

English Revised Version
And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Samson was very thirsty. So he called out to the LORD and said, "You have given me this great victory. But now I'll die from thirst and fall into the power of godless men."

Good News Translation
Then Samson became very thirsty, so he called to the LORD and said, "You gave me this great victory; am I now going to die of thirst and be captured by these heathen Philistines?"

International Standard Version
Aferward, he became thirsty, called out to the LORD, and told him, "So, you provided this great deliverance at the hands of your servant, but now I'm to die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?"

Majority Standard Bible
And being very thirsty, Samson cried out to the LORD, ?You have accomplished this great deliverance through Your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised??

NET Bible
He was very thirsty, so he cried out to the LORD and said, "You have given your servant this great victory. But now must I die of thirst and fall into hands of the Philistines?"

New Heart English Bible
He was very thirsty, and called on the LORD, and said, "You have given this great deliverance by the hand of your servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And he was very thirsty, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die by thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

World English Bible
He was very thirsty, and called on Yahweh and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of your servant; and now shall I die of thirst, and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he thirsts exceedingly, and calls to YHWH, and says, “You have given this great salvation by the hand of Your servant; and now, I die with thirst, and have fallen into the hand of the uncircumcised.”

Young's Literal Translation
and he thirsteth exceedingly, and calleth unto Jehovah, and saith, 'Thou -- Thou hast given by the hand of Thy servant this great salvation; and now, I die with thirst, and have fallen into the hand of the uncircumcised.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will thirst greatly, and he will call to Jehovah and will say, Thou gavest into the hand of thy servant this great salvation, and now shall I die with thirst and fall into the hand of Philisteim?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Arid being very thirsty, he cried to the Lord, and said: Thou hast given this very great deliverance and victory into the hand of thy servant: and behold I die for thirst, and shall fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And being very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, and he said: “You have given, to the hand of your servant, this very great salvation and victory. But see that I am dying of thirst, and so I will fall into the hands of the uncircumcised.”

New American Bible
Being very thirsty, he cried to the LORD and said, “You have put this great victory into the hand of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

New Revised Standard Version
By then he was very thirsty, and he called on the LORD, saying, “You have granted this great victory by the hand of your servant. Am I now to die of thirst, and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he was very thirsty, so he called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great victory into the hand of thy servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he was very thirsty and he called LORD JEHOVAH and said: “You have given into the hand of your Servant this great victory, and now shall I die of thirst or shall I fall into the hand of these uncircumcised men?”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said: 'Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of Thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he was very thirsty, and wept before the Lord, and said, Thou hast been well pleased to grant this great deliverance by the hand of thy servant, and new shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samson's Revenge
17And when Samson had finished speaking, he cast the jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi. 18And being very thirsty, Samson cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great deliverance through Your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19So God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned, and he was revived. That is why he named it En-hakkore, and it remains in Lehi to this day.…

Cross References
Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:11
Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.

Psalm 78:15-16
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas. / He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

Isaiah 41:17-18
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. / I will open rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the middle of the valleys. I will turn the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into flowing springs.

John 4:10-14
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” / “Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water? / Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?” ...

1 Corinthians 10:4
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Psalm 107:4-9
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell. / They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them. / Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. ...

Isaiah 12:3
With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation,

Revelation 7:16-17
‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’ / For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Psalm 42:1-2
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. / My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

John 7:37-39
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. / Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” / He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!

Psalm 63:1
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.

Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.


Treasury of Scripture

And he was sore thirsty, and called on the LORD, and said, You have given this great deliverance into the hand of your servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

he was sore

Judges 8:4
And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

Psalm 22:14,15
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels…

John 19:28
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

thou hast given

Psalm 3:7,8
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly…

Psalm 18:31-40
For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? …

shall

Genesis 32:31
And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

2 Corinthians 12:7,8
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure…

and fall

Genesis 12:12,13
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive…

Genesis 20:11
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

1 Samuel 27:1
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

the uncircumcised

1 Samuel 17:26,36
And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? …

2 Samuel 1:20
Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

Jump to Previous
Athirst Circumcision Cried Death Deliverance Die Exceedingly Hand Hands Need Salvation Servant Sore Thirst Thirsteth Thirsty Uncircumcised Victory Water
Jump to Next
Athirst Circumcision Cried Death Deliverance Die Exceedingly Hand Hands Need Salvation Servant Sore Thirst Thirsteth Thirsty Uncircumcised Victory Water
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
8. 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














And he was very thirsty
This phrase captures the intense physical need of Samson after his exertion in battle. The Hebrew word for "thirsty" (צָמֵא, tsame) conveys a deep craving for water, symbolizing human vulnerability and dependence on God for sustenance. In a spiritual sense, this thirst can be seen as a metaphor for the soul's longing for God, reminiscent of Psalm 42:1, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God."

and he cried out to the LORD
Samson's cry to the LORD signifies a moment of humility and recognition of God's sovereignty. The Hebrew verb "cried out" (זָעַק, za'aq) often denotes a desperate plea for help. This reflects a turning point where Samson acknowledges his need for divine intervention, reminding us of the importance of prayer and reliance on God in times of distress.

You have accomplished this great deliverance
Here, Samson acknowledges that the victory over the Philistines was not by his own strength but by God's power. The word "deliverance" (תְּשׁוּעָה, teshuah) is often associated with salvation and rescue, emphasizing God's role as the ultimate deliverer. This acknowledgment serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and might, encouraging believers to give glory to God for their victories.

by the hand of Your servant
Samson refers to himself as God's "servant" (עֶבֶד, ebed), a term denoting submission and service to a higher authority. This reflects a moment of humility and recognition of his role in God's plan. It is a reminder that believers are called to be servants of God, fulfilling His purposes through their lives.

Must I now die of thirst
This rhetorical question highlights Samson's desperation and the human tendency to doubt God's provision in times of need. It echoes the Israelites' complaints in the wilderness (Exodus 17:3), serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of ingratitude and lack of faith.

and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?
The term "uncircumcised" refers to the Philistines, who were outside the covenant community of Israel. This phrase underscores the cultural and religious divide between Israel and its enemies. It also reflects Samson's fear of being defeated by those who do not know God, emphasizing the importance of remaining faithful and trusting in God's protection against adversaries.

(18) He was sore athirst.--It was in the heat of harvest time, and he had pursued the Philistines till he was exhausted.

Into the hand.--Rather, by the hand.

Verse 18. - He was sore athirst. The incredible exertions which he had made in pursuing and slaying the Philistines put him in danger of his life from thirst. He thought he should die, and be found and abused by his uncircumcised foes. His only resource was prayer to God, who had helped him hitherto, We may note by the way that the more God gives, the more he encourages us to ask.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And being very
מְאֹד֒ (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

thirsty,
וַיִּצְמָא֮ (way·yiṣ·mā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6770: To be thirsty

[Samson] cried out
וַיִּקְרָ֤א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the LORD,
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

“You
אַתָּה֙ (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

have accomplished
נָתַ֣תָּ (nā·ṯa·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

this
הַזֹּ֑את (haz·zōṯ)
Article | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

great
הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה (hag·gə·ḏō·lāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

deliverance
הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה (hat·tə·šū·‘āh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8668: Deliverance, salvation

through
בְיַֽד־ (ḇə·yaḏ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

Your servant.
עַבְדְּךָ֔ (‘aḇ·də·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

Must I now
וְעַתָּה֙ (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

die
אָמ֣וּת (’ā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

of thirst
בַּצָּמָ֔א (baṣ·ṣā·mā)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6772: Thirst

and fall
וְנָפַלְתִּ֖י (wə·nā·p̄al·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

into the hands
בְּיַ֥ד (bə·yaḏ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3027: A hand

of the uncircumcised?”
הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃ (hā·‘ă·rê·lîm)
Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6189: Having foreskin (uncircumcised)


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OT History: Judges 15:18 He was very thirsty and called (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 15:17
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