The Feat of the Foxes

In time, Samson’s anger over the betrayal of his Philistine wife cools somewhat and he goes to Philistia to visit her, taking a young goat, which he probably means to be the main course at a meal of reconciliation. He seeks for her at her father’s house, not knowing that the man has given her to another. When the father admits what he has done, he attempts to justify his actions—“ ‘I really thought that you thoroughly hated her’ ”—then tries to pacify Samson by offering him the woman’s sister. Following this suggestion would amount to gross sin (Lev. 18:18), but Samson never really considers it. He evidently is filled with anger at the news that his lawful wife has been given to another, but he holds all the Philistines responsible. “Had he designed herein only to plead his own cause he would have challenged his rival, and would have chastised him and his father-in-law only,” Matthew Henry writes. “But he looks upon himself as a public person, and the affront as done to the whole nation of Israel.” Thus, he sees himself as justified (“ ‘blameless’ ”) in carrying out a general reprisal.

Samson first captures three hundred foxes, perhaps with unnamed helpers or perhaps alone over a period of time. He then ties the animals tail to tail, with burning torches in the knots, and releases them. The foxes seek shelter in the Philistine wheat fields, but because they cannot escape the flaming torches, they scamper about wildly in panic. The result is that the mature wheat is set ablaze in numerous places. This “attack,” therefore, proves very difficult for the Philistines to combat, and they suffer great losses, not just to their wheat but to their vineyards and olive groves.

Somehow the Philistines learn that Samson is responsible for their losses, and even his motive is revealed. Because his whereabouts are unknown, the collective anger falls on his wife and her father. The Philistines, we are told, burn the woman and her father—just as they had threatened to do in Judges 14:15. That, in turn, provokes Samson, and he attacks them “hip and thigh,” that is, wildly, pell-mell, indis-criminantly, with “a great slaughter.” He seems to have a naive assumption that this blow will settle things and the Philistines will engage in no reprisal, for he says, “ ‘after that I will cease.’ ” But he is wrong—his confrontations with the Philistines are just beginning.