Judges 15:9 kjv
Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
Judges 15:9 nkjv
Now the Philistines went up, encamped in Judah, and deployed themselves against Lehi.
Judges 15:9 niv
The Philistines went up and camped in Judah, spreading out near Lehi.
Judges 15:9 esv
Then the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah and made a raid on Lehi.
Judges 15:9 nlt
The Philistines retaliated by setting up camp in Judah and spreading out near the town of Lehi.
Judges 15 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Judg 10:7 | So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them... Philistines. | Consequences of sin leading to Philistine oppression. |
| Judg 13:1 | The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord... 40 years. | Israel's recurrent sin leads to Philistine dominion. |
| Judg 14:4 | His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord... Philistines. | God's sovereign plan uses Philistine oppression. |
| Judg 15:3 | Samson said to them, “This time I shall be innocent of the Philistines…” | Samson's ongoing conflict and retaliation against Philistines. |
| Judg 15:5 | ...and burned up both the stacks and the standing grain… Philistines. | Immediate cause of Philistine retaliation in Judg 15:9. |
| Judg 15:10 | The men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” Philistines… | The Philistines' reason for invading Judah. |
| Judg 15:12 | Then they said to Samson, “We have come down to bind you and hand…” | Judah's fear-driven compromise with Philistines. |
| Judg 15:14 | ...and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him… bindings melted. | God's power enabling Samson against overwhelming odds. |
| Judg 15:16 | And Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps…” | Samson's victory at Lehi with a jawbone. |
| Josh 15:21 | The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah… Negev. | Historical context of Judah's territorial boundaries. |
| 1 Sam 7:7 | When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah… | Later Philistine aggression against Israel. |
| 1 Sam 13:5 | And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel… 30,000 chariots. | Extensive Philistine military might. |
| Isa 36:1 | In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria… Judah. | Historical precedent of foreign invaders entering Judah. |
| Ps 78:9 | The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. | Reflects Israel's cowardice in facing enemies. |
| Lev 26:17 | I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before… | Divine warning of enemies' triumph for disobedience. |
| Deut 28:48 | ...therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send… | Consequences of not obeying God's covenant. |
| Hab 1:6 | For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation… | God uses foreign nations as instruments of judgment. |
| Hos 8:7 | For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind… | Retributive justice, matching Samson's act with Philistine response. |
| Lk 22:52-53 | Then Jesus said to the chief priests… “When I was daily with you in the temple…” | Foreshadows how righteous individuals might be handed over by their own people. |
| Jn 18:28-30 | Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetoriam… said to them… | Parallels of a deliverer being brought before foreign powers. |
| Neh 4:7-8 | When Sanballat and Tobiah… Philistines… heard that the repairing of… | Continual external threats to Judah/Jerusalem. |
Judges 15 verses
Judges 15 9 Meaning
Judges 15:9 describes the aggressive retaliatory action of the Philistines following Samson's act of burning their harvest. They ascended into the territory of Judah, specifically establishing a military camp, and subsequently fanned out into the area known as Lehi, a name meaning "jawbone." This maneuver was a strategic military deployment, aimed at asserting dominance, punishing Samson, and intimidating the people of Judah, compelling them to deliver Samson into Philistine hands. It underscores the oppressive grip the Philistines held over Israel at this time due to Israel's disobedience.
Judges 15 9 Context
Judges chapter 15 continues the narrative of Samson, the divinely appointed but deeply flawed deliverer of Israel. Immediately prior to this verse, Samson has avenged himself against the Philistines for taking his wife by tying torches to the tails of 300 foxes, releasing them into the Philistine grain fields, and burning their standing grain and olive groves (Judges 15:4-5). This devastating agricultural attack was a massive economic blow to the Philistines. Verse 9 describes their predictable and formidable response. The people of Judah, fearful of the overwhelming Philistine military presence, instead of rising to support Samson, decide to appease the Philistines by delivering Samson to them (Judges 15:11-13). This paints a stark picture of Israel's spiritual and military weakness, their disunity, and their reluctance to trust in God's appointed deliverer. The geographical placement in Judah signifies a direct challenge and occupation of Israelite territory.
Judges 15 9 Word analysis
- Then (וַיַּעֲלוּ - wayya‘ălû): Connects the action to Samson's preceding destructive act. This Hebrew verb means "and they went up," signifying a strategic military movement from the Philistine coastal plain (lower elevation) to the central highlands of Judah (higher elevation). This was not a casual stroll but a calculated military ascent to punish and reclaim authority.
- the Philistines (פְּלִשְׁתִּים - Pəlištîm): The perennial antagonists of Israel in the Book of Judges and Samuel. Their name likely means "immigrants" or "strangers," suggesting their origin from outside the Levant (often associated with the "Sea Peoples"). They represent a strong, organized, and technologically advanced (iron-working) adversary, highlighting Israel's vulnerability and God's power demonstrated through flawed heroes.
- went up and (וַיַּעֲלוּ - wayya‘ălû): The same verb again, emphasizing the upward movement and initial phase of their military deployment. It sets the scene for their invasive presence.
- encamped (וַיַּחֲנוּ - wayyaḥănû): Means "and they pitched camp" or "encamped." This denotes military occupation and a settled, menacing presence in enemy territory. It's a show of force, establishing a base of operations within Judah's borders. This action declares their intention to dominate and demand retribution.
- in Judah (בִּיהוּדָה - bîhûḏāh): Refers to the territory of the tribe of Judah. This is significant because Samson was from the tribe of Dan, but the Philistines' response impacts Judah, a major Israelite tribe, further demonstrating their reach and Israel's internal disunity in dealing with foreign oppressors. It shows the widespread effect of Samson's individual action.
- and spread out (וַיִּנָּטְשׁוּ - wayyinnāṭəšû): A vivid verb meaning "and they were deployed," "spread out," "loosed themselves," or "raided." It indicates not just encamping, but also dispersing throughout the region to conduct military operations, forage, loot, or terrorize the local populace. This signifies an active, aggressive presence, putting pressure on the people to comply.
- in Lehi (בַּלֶּחִי - ballæḥî): A specific geographical location. Its name means "jawbone." This naming foreshadows Samson's miraculous victory where he slays a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:15-19). This is an example of divine irony and how God can use humble, seemingly insignificant things for His great purposes.
Judges 15 9 Bonus section
The narrative here subtly highlights the covenant curse mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:48, where disobedience leads to serving one's enemies in hunger and thirst. The Philistines' strategic move into Judah forced a confrontation that exposed Judah's internal weakness and their preference for worldly peace over godly principle. The imagery of the Philistines "spreading out" in Lehi paints a picture of their effective control and harassment of the local population, further motivating the desperate actions of the men of Judah. The place name Lehi serves not just as a geographical marker but as a divine literary device, ensuring that Samson's eventual weapon, the donkey's jawbone, directly references and ultimately overpowers the place of the Philistine incursion. This ironic twist showcases God's sovereignty over the seemingly mundane and profane, transforming a name of oppressive presence into a symbol of divine deliverance.
Judges 15 9 Commentary
Judges 15:9 encapsulates a moment of intense crisis for the people of Judah, illustrating the severe consequences of Samson's actions and the Philistines' brutal response. This verse serves as a crucial setup, highlighting the formidable nature of the Philistine threat and Israel's spiritual bankruptcy, which leads them to prefer appeasement over standing with God's appointed deliverer. The Philistines' coordinated ascent, encampment, and spreading out signify a strategic military operation, not merely a punitive raid, designed to subjugate and demand concessions. The choice of Lehi, meaning "jawbone," is a rich textual detail, divinely placed to prefigure the unlikely instrument of Samson's future victory over this very invading force. The Israelites, particularly the men of Judah, demonstrate their fear and faithlessness by their subsequent decision to bind Samson and hand him over (Judges 15:11-13), prioritizing immediate peace with the oppressor over trust in their Deliverer, mirroring at times our own hesitations in following God's difficult call.