What is the meaning of Judges 15:10? Why have you attacked us? - The very question exposes how conditioned Judah has become to foreign domination (Judges 15:11; Deuteronomy 28:47-48). - Instead of assuming God-given authority to resist, they sound surprised, even apologetic. - Comparable moments of fear‐induced questioning appear when Israel faces Goliath (1 Samuel 17:24) and when Gideon threshes in secret (Judges 6:11), reminding us how intimidation silences covenant confidence. said the men of Judah. - Judah—the tribe prophesied for leadership (Genesis 49:10)—voices this timid inquiry, highlighting their spiritual decline. - Earlier they had led Israel’s military campaigns (Judges 1:1-2), yet now they negotiate rather than fight. - The contrast points to the need for a Spirit-empowered deliverer, foreshadowed in Samson and ultimately fulfilled in the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5). The Philistines replied, - The oppressors feel no need to justify themselves; they answer with cold resolve, mirroring later Philistine confidence against Saul (1 Samuel 13:5). - Their reply underlines the power imbalance Israel has tolerated since Judges 13:1. - Throughout Judges, enemy nations readily assert control—Moab (Judges 3:15), Midian (Judges 6:2)—until God raises a judge. We have come to bind Samson - “Bind” signals intent to restrain the God-appointed judge, just as Delilah’s cords will later be used (Judges 16:21). - Previous Philistine losses—burned crops (Judges 15:4-5) and heavy casualties (Judges 15:8)—motivate this mission. - Scripture repeatedly shows enemies seeking to bind God’s servants: Joseph (Psalm 105:18), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:15), and ultimately Jesus (John 18:12). Each time, human chains cannot thwart divine purpose. and pay him back for what he has done to us. - Vengeance, not justice, drives them; they echo the worldly ethic of retaliation that God forbids His people (Leviticus 19:18; Romans 12:19). - Ironically, they ignore their own oppression of Israel (Judges 14:4); Samson’s acts were divine judgment, not personal vendetta (compare Judges 14:19). - The Philistines’ desire to “pay back” sets up another escalation, illustrating the destructive cycle when sinners, rather than God, claim the right to repay (Proverbs 20:22; Galatians 6:7). summary Judges 15:10 captures a tense standoff: fearful Judah questions, confident Philistines answer, and Samson stands at the center of their clash. Judah’s timidity contrasts with Philistine aggression, both highlighting Israel’s need for deliverance. The Philistines’ intent to bind Samson and exact revenge reveals the world’s impulse to suppress God’s savior and settle scores by force. Yet, as the narrative will show, neither their ropes nor their reprisals can hinder the Lord’s purpose to rescue His people through the judge He has raised up. |
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