Chapter 15

1And it was, after a few days, in the time of the wheat harvest, and Samson remembered his wife with a kid, and said, "I will come to my wife into the room." But her father did not allow him to come in.   אוַיְהִ֨י מִיָּמִ֜ים בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּפְקֹ֨ד שִׁמְשׁ֚וֹן אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ בִּגְדִ֣י עִזִּ֔ים וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָבֹ֥אָה אֶל־אִשְׁתִּ֖י הֶחָ֑דְרָה וְלֹֽא־נְתָנ֥וֹ אָבִ֖יהָ לָבֽוֹא:
2And her father said, "I said that you had utterly hated her, and I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Let her now be yours, instead of her."   בוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֗יהָ אָמֹ֚ר אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ כִּי־שָׂנֹ֣א שְׂנֵאתָ֔הּ וָאֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה לְמֵרֵעֶ֑ךָ הֲלֹ֨א אֲחֹתָּ֚הּ הַקְּטַנָּה֙ טוֹבָ֣ה מִמֶּ֔נָּה תְּהִי־נָ֥א לְךָ֖ תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ:
3And Samson said to them, "This time I shall be blameless from the Philistines, when I will do them harm."   גוַיֹּ֚אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן נִקֵּ֥יתִי הַפַּ֖עַם מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים כִּֽי־עֹשֶֹ֥ה אֲנִ֛י עִמָּ֖ם רָעָֽה:
This time I shall be blameless Justly will I harm them.   נקיתי הפעם  בדין אעשה להם הרעה:
4And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put one torch between (every) two tails in the middle.   דוַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד שְׁלשׁ־מֵא֣וֹת שׁוּעָלִ֑ים וַיִּקַּ֣ח לַפִּדִ֗ים וַיֶּ֚פֶן זָנָב֙ אֶל־זָנָ֔ב וַיָּ֨שֶׂם לַפִּ֥יד אֶחָ֛ד בֵּין־שְׁנֵ֥י הַזְּנָב֖וֹת בַּתָּֽוֶךְ:
and turned The tails, tail to tail. וַיִּפֶן implies he himself turned. וַיַּפֶן implies he made others turn. And likewise is conjugated every word whose verb contains a “heh” (at the end which drops such as גלה רבה פנה) as in, (Ex. 1:20) הָעָם וַיִּרֶב (“And the people multiplied”), (Lamen. 2:5) יְהוּדָה וַיֶרֶב בְּבַת (“And He multiplied in Judah grief”), (II Kings 25:21) וַיִּגֶל יְהוּדָה מֵעַל אַדְמָתוֹ (“And Judah exited from his land”), (II Kings 17:6) וַיֶּגֶל אֶת ישְׂרָאֵל אַשּׁוּרָה (“And he exiled Israel to Ashur”) [as per Shem Ephraim].   ויפן  את הזנבות זנב אל זנב ויפן, משמע הוא עצמו פנה (שמות לב טו) ;. ויפן, משמע הפנה את אחרים, וכן שימוש כל תיבה שפעל שלה בה"א ; (שמות א כ): וירב העם ; (איכה ב ה): וירב בבת יהודה תאניה ; (מלכים ב כה כא): ויגל יהודה מעל אדמתו, הגלה ; (שם ב: יח יא): ויגל מלך אשור את ישראל אשורה, ויגלה:
5And he kindled fire on the torches and set them loose in the standing grain of the Philistines, and burnt up from the stacks to the standing grain and to the vineyards and olive trees.   הוַיַּבְעֶר־אֵשׁ֙ בַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים וַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח בְּקָמ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיַּבְעֵ֛ר מִגָּדִ֥ישׁ וְעַד־קָמָ֖ה וְעַד־כֶּ֥רֶם זָֽיִת:
6And the Philistines said, "Who has done this?" And they said, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife, and has given her to his companion." And the Philistines went up and burnt her and her father with fire.   ווַיֹּאמְר֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּים֘ מִ֣י עָ֣שָׂה זֹאת֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ חֲתַ֣ן הַתִּמְנִ֔י כִּ֚י לָקַ֣ח אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַֽיִּתְּנָ֖הּ לְמֵרֵעֵ֑הוּ וַיַּעֲל֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַיִּשְׂרְפ֥וּ אוֹתָ֛הּ וְאֶת־אָבִ֖יהָ בָּאֵֽשׁ:
the son-in-law of the Timnite The son-in-law of the Philistine who is in Timnah.   חתן התמני  חתן הפלשתי אשר בתמנה (לעיל יד א):
7And Samson said to them, "Are you accustomed to do like this? Then I have to be avenged from you and after that I shall cease."   זוַיֹּ֚אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן אִֽם־תַּעֲשֹ֖וּן כָּזֹ֑את כִּ֛י אִם־נִקַּ֥מְתִּי בָכֶ֖ם וְאַחַ֥ר אֶחְדָּֽל:
Are you accustomed to do like this Perhaps you are accustomed to do such; to give the wife of one to another?   אם תעשון כזאת  ושמא רגילין אתם בכך, לתת אשתו של זה לזה:
8And he struck them, the riders and the foot soldiers, with a great slaughter; and he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.   חוַיַּ֨ךְ אוֹתָ֥ם שׁ֛וֹק עַל־יָרֵ֖ךְ מַכָּ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֑ה וַיֵּ֣רֶד וַיֵּ֔שֶׁב בִּסְעִ֖יף סֶ֥לַע עֵיטָֽם:
the riders and the foot soldiers (Lit., leg on thigh) (Targum Jonathan renders) “riders and foot soldiers.” A horse rider is not supported by his thigh but rather by his leg, with one foot inserted into the metal (stirrup) which hangs from the saddle.   שוק על ירך  (תרגום:) פרשין עם רגלאין, רוכב סוס אינו נשען על ירכו כי אם על שוקו, רגל אחד נתון בברזל התלוי במרכבת:
in the cleft  In the cleft (which is a crevice between the protrusions) of the rock of Etam, and similarly, (Isa. 2:21) וּבִסְעִיפֵי הַסְּלָעִים (“The protrusions of the rocks”), (Isa. 10: 33) מְסָעֵף פֻּארָה (“Will cut down its branches”).   בסעיף  בנקרת סלע עיטם, וחברו (ישעיהו נז ה): סעיפי הסלעים, (שם י לג): מסעף פארה:
9And the Philistines went up and encamped in Judah; and spread out in Lehi.   טוַיַּעֲל֣וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בִּיהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּנָּטְשׁ֖וּ בַּלֶּֽחִי:
and spread out    וינטשו  ויתפזרו:
in Lehi (lit., a jaw) This is the name of a place.   בלחי  שם מקום:
10And the men of Judah said, "Why have you come up against us?" And they said, "(To get you) to bind Samson we have come up; to do to him as he has done to us."   יוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה לָמָ֖ה עֲלִיתֶ֣ם עָלֵ֑ינוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ לֶאֱס֚וֹר אֶת־שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ עָלִ֔ינוּ לַעֲשֹ֣וֹת ל֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר עָ֥שָׂה לָֽנוּ:
Why have you come up against us Are we not subservient to you?   למה עליתם עלינו  הלא עבדים אנחנו לכם:
to bind Samson I.e., so that you should bind him and deliver him to us.   לאסור את שמשון  שתאסרוהו ותסגירוהו לנו:
11And there went down three thousand men from Judah to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and they said to Samson, "Did you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Now what is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so have I done to them."   יאוַיֵּרְד֡וּ שְׁלשֶׁת֩ אֲלָפִ֨ים אִ֜ישׁ מִֽיהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־סְעִיף֘ סֶ֣לַע עֵיטָם֒ וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֗וֹן הֲלֹ֚א יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ כִּֽי־משְׁלִ֥ים בָּ֙נוּ֙ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וּמַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִֹ֣יתָ לָּ֑נוּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ עָ֣שׂוּ לִ֔י כֵּ֖ן עָשִֹ֥יתִי לָהֶֽם:
12And they said to him, "We have come down to bind you, to give you into the hand of the Philistines." And Samson said to them, "Swear to me, lest you strike me yourselves."   יבוַיֹּ֚אמְרוּ לוֹ֙ לֶאֱסָרְךָ֣ יָרַ֔דְנוּ לְתִתְּךָ֖ בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֚אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן הִשָּׁבְע֣וּ לִ֔י פֶּֽן־תִּפְגְּע֥וּן בִּ֖י אַתֶּֽם:
13And they spoke to him, saying, "No, however, we will bind you and give you into their hand, but we will not kill you." And they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.   יגוַיֹּ֧אמְרוּ ל֣וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר לֹ֚א כִּֽי־אָסֹ֚ר נֶֽאֱסָרְךָ֙ וּנְתַנּ֣וּךָ בְּיָדָ֔ם וְהָמֵ֖ת לֹ֣א נְמִיתֶ֑ךָ וַיַּאַסְרֻ֗הוּ בִּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ עֲבֹתִ֣ים חֲדָשִׁ֔ים וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּהוּ מִן־הַסָּֽלַע:
No, however we will bind you I.e., We will not kill you, however, we will bind you.   לא כי אסור נאסרך  לא נהרוג אותך, כי אם אסור נאסרך:
14(As) he came up to Lehi, the Philistines shouted towards him: and there rested upon him a spirit of the Lord, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.   ידהוּא־בָ֣א עַד־לֶ֔חִי וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים הֵרִ֣יעוּ לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַתִּצְלַ֨ח עָלָ֜יו ר֣וּחַ יְהֹוָ֗ה וַתִּהְיֶ֨ינָה הָעֲבֹתִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־זְרוֹעוֹתָ֗יו כַּפִּשְׁתִּים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּעֲר֣וּ בָאֵ֔שׁ וַיִּמַּ֥סּוּ אֲסוּרָ֖יו מֵעַ֥ל יָדָֽיו:
A spirit of the Lord A spirit of might emanating from God [quoting Targum Jonathan].   רוח ה'  (תרגום:) רוח גבורה מן קדם ה':
his bonds   His bonds.   אסוריו  קשוריו:
15And he found a moist jawbone of a donkey, and put forth his hand and took it, and killed with it a thousand men.   טווַיִּמְצָ֥א לְחִֽי־חֲמ֖וֹר טְרִיָּ֑ה וַיִּשְׁלַ֚ח יָדוֹ֙ וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ וַיַּךְ־בָּ֖הּ אֶ֥לֶף אִֽישׁ:
טְרִיָּה Moist. I saw in a book of cures that the moisture which issues from a wound is called טְרִיָּה.   טריה  לחה, וראיתי בספר רפואות שקורא ללחה שיוצא מן המכה: 'טריה':
16And Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey I heaped them up; with the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men."   טזוַיֹּ֣אמֶר שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן בִּלְחִ֣י הַחֲמ֔וֹר חֲמ֖וֹר חֲמֹרָתָ֑יִם בִּלְחִ֣י הַחֲמ֔וֹר הִכֵּ֖יתִי אֶ֥לֶף אִֽישׁ:
חֲמוֹר חֲמוֹרָתָיִם With the jawbone of a donkey I piled many piles, i.e., with the jawbone of a donkey I heaped them up [after Targum Jonathan].   חמור חמרתים  בלחי החמור לצבור צברים רבים, (תרגום:) בלועא דחמרא רמיתינון דגורין:
17And it was, when he had finished speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand; and called that place Ramath-lehi.   יזוַֽיְהִי֙ כְּכַלֹּת֣וֹ לְדַבֵּ֔ר וַיַּשְׁלֵ֥ךְ הַלְּחִ֖י מִיָּד֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֛א לַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא רָ֥מַת לֶֽחִי:
18And he became very thirsty and called to the Lord and said, "You have given through the hand of Your servant this great deliverance; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?"   יחוַיִּצְמָא֘ מְאֹד֒ וַיִּקְרָ֚א אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אַתָּה֙ נָתַ֣תָּ בְּיַֽד־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את וְעַתָּה֙ אָמ֣וּת בַּצָּמָ֔א וְנָפַלְתִּ֖י בְּיַ֥ד הָעֲרֵלִֽים:
19And God cleaved the socket which was in the jawbone, and water came out of it, and he drank, and his spirit returned and he revived; therefore he called its name En-hakkore, which is in Lehi until this day.   יטוַיִּבְקַ֨ע אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־הַמַּכְתֵּ֣שׁ אֲשֶׁר־בַּלֶּ֗חִי וַיֵּצְא֨וּ מִמֶּ֚נּוּ מַ֙יִם֙ וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ וַתָּ֥שָׁב רוּח֖וֹ וַיֶּ֑חִי עַל־כֵּ֣ן | קָרָ֣א שְׁמָ֗הּ עֵ֚ין הַקּוֹרֵא֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּלֶּ֔חִי עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה:
the socket The socket within which the tooth rests, thich is shaped like a mortar (מַכְתֶּשֶׁת)   את המכתש  גומא שהשן יושבת בה, עשויה כעין מכתשת:
En-hakkore  The fountain (מַעְיָן) that came about through the prayers of the one who called (הַקּוֹרֵא) to God.   עין הקורא  מעין שבא על ידי זעקת הקורא אל ה':
20And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.   כוַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בִּימֵ֥י פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה: