Judges 15:5
New International Version
lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.

New Living Translation
Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves.

English Standard Version
And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards.

Berean Standard Bible
Then he lit the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, burning up the piles of grain and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

King James Bible
And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

New King James Version
When he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

New American Standard Bible
When he had set fire to the torches, he released the jackals into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to both the bundled heaps and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and olive groves.

NASB 1995
When he had set fire to the torches, he released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, thus burning up both the shocks and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and groves.

NASB 1977
When he had set fire to the torches, he released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, thus burning up both the shocks and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and groves.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he set fire to the torches and sent the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines. So he caused both the shocks and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and groves, to burn.

Amplified Bible
When he had set the torches ablaze, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and he burned up the heap of sheaves and the standing grain, along with the vineyards and olive groves.

Christian Standard Bible
Then he ignited the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned the piles of grain and the standing grain as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then he ignited the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the piles of grain and the standing grain as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

American Standard Version
And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the oliveyards.

Contemporary English Version
Then Samson took the foxes into the Philistine wheat fields that were ready to be harvested. He set the rags on fire and let the foxes go. The wheat fields went up in flames, and so did the stacks of wheat that had already been cut. Even the Philistine vineyards and olive orchards burned.

English Revised Version
And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing corn, and also the oliveyards.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He set the torches on fire and released the foxes in the Philistines' grain fields. So he set fire to all their grain, whether it was stacked or in the fields. Their olive orchards also caught on fire.

Good News Translation
Then he set fire to the torches and turned the foxes loose in the Philistine wheat fields. In this way he burned up not only the wheat that had been harvested but also the wheat that was still in the fields. The olive orchards were also burned.

International Standard Version
Then he ignited the torches, set the foxes loose into the Philistines' unharvested grain, and burned up both the harvested shocks and the standing grain, along with their vineyards and olive groves.

Majority Standard Bible
Then he lit the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, burning up the piles of grain and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

NET Bible
He lit the torches and set the jackals loose in the Philistines' standing grain. He burned up the grain heaps and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

New Heart English Bible
And when he had set fire to the torches, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

World English Bible
When he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the olive groves.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and kindles fire in the torches, and sends [them] out into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burns [it] from heap even to standing grain, even to vineyard [and] olive-yard.

Young's Literal Translation
and kindleth fire in the torches, and sendeth them out into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burneth it from heap even unto standing corn, even unto vineyard -- olive-yard.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will kindle fire upon the torches and will send into the standing grain of Philisteim, and will burn up from the heap of sheaves and even to the standing grain, and even to the vineyard and the olive.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And setting them on fire he let the foxes go, that they might run about hither and thither. And they presently went into the standing corn of the Philistines. Which being set on fire, both the corn that was already carried together, and that which was yet standing, was all burnt, insomuch, that the flame consumed also the vineyards and the oliveyards.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And setting these on fire, he released them, so that they might rush from place to place. And immediately they went into the grain fields of the Philistines, setting these on fire, both the grain that was already bound for carrying, and what was still standing on the stalk. These were completely burned up, so much so that the flame also consumed even the vineyards and the olive groves.

New American Bible
He then kindled the torches and set the jackals loose in the standing grain of the Philistines, thus burning both the shocks and standing grain, the vineyards and olive groves.

New Revised Standard Version
When he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, and also the vineyards and olives.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he set fire to the torches and he left them in the standing grain of the Philistines, and he burned from the shocks of corn and unto the standing grain and unto the vineyards and unto the olive trees
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And when he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing corn, and also the oliveyards.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he set fire to the torches, and sent the foxes into the corn of the Philistines; and every thing was burnt from the threshing floor to the standing corn, and even to the vineyard and olives.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samson's Revenge
4Then Samson went out and caught three hundred foxes. And he took torches, turned the foxes tail-to-tail, and fastened a torch between each pair of tails. 5Then he lit the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines, burning up the piles of grain and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves. 6“Who did this?” the Philistines demanded. “It was Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite,” they were told. “For his wife was given to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.…

Cross References
Exodus 22:6
If a fire breaks out and spreads to thornbushes so that it consumes stacked or standing grain, or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make full restitution.

2 Samuel 14:30
Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

Isaiah 5:24
Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Joel 1:19-20
To You, O LORD, I call, for fire has consumed the open pastures and flames have scorched all the trees of the field. / Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures.

1 Samuel 6:12
And the cows headed straight up the road toward Beth-shemesh, staying on that one highway and lowing as they went, never straying to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

2 Kings 19:23
Through your servants you have taunted the Lord, and you have said: “With my many chariots I have ascended to the heights of the mountains, to the remote peaks of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the finest of its cypresses. I have reached its farthest outposts, the densest of its forests.

Psalm 83:14
As fire consumes a forest, as a flame sets the mountains ablaze,

Isaiah 9:18
For wickedness burns like a fire that consumes the thorns and briers and kindles the forest thickets, which roll upward in billows of smoke.

Matthew 3:12
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Luke 3:17
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

James 3:5
In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze.

1 Corinthians 3:13
his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.

Hebrews 12:29
“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Revelation 8:7
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.

Revelation 9:4
They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.


Treasury of Scripture

And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

he let them go

Exodus 22:6
If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

2 Samuel 14:30
Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

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Brands Burnt Corded Corn Heap Kindleth Lit Olive Olives Olive-Yard Oliveyards Orchards Philistines Released Shocks Standing Stems Torches Uncut Vineyard Vineyards
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Brands Burnt Corded Corn Heap Kindleth Lit Olive Olives Olive-Yard Oliveyards Orchards Philistines Released Shocks Standing Stems Torches Uncut Vineyard Vineyards
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














Then he lit the torches
This phrase marks the beginning of Samson's act of retribution against the Philistines. The Hebrew word for "lit" (יַּבְעֵר) suggests an intentional and deliberate action. Samson's lighting of the torches symbolizes the spark of divine justice and judgment. In a broader biblical context, fire often represents God's presence and purification (e.g., Exodus 3:2, Malachi 3:2-3). Here, it signifies the beginning of a divinely orchestrated plan to weaken the Philistines, who were oppressing Israel.

and released the foxes
The Hebrew term for "foxes" (שׁוּעָלִים) can also be translated as "jackals." This act of releasing the animals is strategic and symbolic. Foxes or jackals, known for their cunning and destructiveness, represent the chaos and disorder that Samson unleashes upon the Philistines. This imagery aligns with the biblical theme of God using the weak or unexpected to confound the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27).

into the standing grain of the Philistines
The "standing grain" refers to the crops that were ready for harvest. In ancient agrarian societies, such as that of the Philistines, the destruction of crops was a severe blow, both economically and symbolically. The Philistines' reliance on their harvests for sustenance and trade is disrupted, illustrating how God can dismantle human security and pride. This act serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of earthly resources and the ultimate sovereignty of God over all nations.

burning up the shocks and standing grain
The "shocks" are bundles of harvested grain, while the "standing grain" refers to crops still in the field. The comprehensive destruction of both harvested and unharvested grain signifies total devastation. This mirrors the biblical principle that God’s judgment is thorough and complete. The fire consuming the grain can be seen as a metaphor for divine retribution against sin and oppression, echoing the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25).

along with the vineyards and olive groves
Vineyards and olive groves were vital to the Philistine economy, providing wine and oil, essential commodities in ancient times. The destruction of these resources not only impacts the immediate food supply but also the long-term economic stability of the Philistines. This act of judgment highlights the futility of relying on material wealth and the importance of seeking spiritual riches. In a broader biblical context, vineyards and olive groves often symbolize peace and prosperity (Micah 4:4), which are now stripped away from the Philistines as a consequence of their actions against God's people.

(5) Into the standing corn of the Philistines.--He probably did this at night, when his actions would be unobserved, and no one would be at hand to quench the flames. We may imagine him watching the trails of fire from his rocky fastness, and exulting as the conflagration reddened the night. The heat of a tropical country makes everything so dry that his plan would be certain to succeed. To burn the crops of an Arab is to this day the deadliest of all injuries (Burckhardt). This was the method adopted by Absalom, in 2Samuel 14:30, to gain an interview with Joab. It is needless to point out that the adoption of these rough, coarse, and cruel expedients must be as little judged by a later and better standard as his thirst for the revenge of personal wrongs. There can be no ground to question the literal truth of the narrative. It is in entire accordance with the custom of the East, and it finds curious confirmation from the story in Ovid's Fasti, that every year, at the Cerealia, torches were tied to the tails of foxes, and they were let loose in the Roman circus, to commemorate the incident that on one occasion a young man at Carseoli, to punish a fox for depredations on his hen-coops, had wrapped it up in straw, and set it on fire, and that the creature had escaped into the corn-fields and burnt down the standing crops (Ovid, Fasti, iv. 681-711). The attempt of Bochart to establish any connection between this custom and the revenge of Samson is quite untenable, but the incident itself throws light on the possibility of the narrative. Ewald refers to Meghad-ta, liv. 4; Babrius, Fab., 11

Both the shocks, and also the standing corn.--Literally, from the heap, even up to the standing. The extent of the vengeance and its terrible future consequences would be fully, and we fear ruthlessly, estimated by Samson, as he saw the rivers of fire running and spreading through that vast plain of corn-land in harvest-time. (Comp. Exodus 22:6.)

With the vineyards and olives.--Literally, and to vineyard, to olive. There may be some slight corruption in the text, or it may be an abbreviation of "from vineyard to vineyard, and from olive to olive." (Comp. Micah 7:12.) The low vines festooning the trees and trellis-work, and the olives with their dry trunks, would be sure to suffer injury.

Verse 5. - The shocks and the standing corn. See ver. 1, note. With the vineyards and olives. The Hebrew text has the orchards of olive trees - the word cherem, usually translated vineyard, meaning also any orchard; but the Septuagint in both codices supplies and, as does the A. Y., which gives the more probable sense, vineyards and olives. It is unlikely that the vineyards should not be mentioned, in a district abounding in them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then he lit
וַיַּבְעֶר־ (way·yaḇ·‘er-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish

the torches
בַּלַּפִּידִ֔ים (bal·lap·pî·ḏîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3940: A flambeau, lamp, flame

and released [the foxes]
וַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח (way·šal·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

into the standing grain
בְּקָמ֣וֹת (bə·qā·mō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 7054: Something that rises, a stalk of grain

of the Philistines,
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

burning up
וַיַּבְעֵ֛ר (way·yaḇ·‘êr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1197: To kindle, consume, to be, brutish

the piles of grain
מִגָּדִ֥ישׁ (mig·gā·ḏîš)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1430: A stack of sheaves, a tomb

and the standing grain,
קָמָ֖ה (qā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7054: Something that rises, a stalk of grain

as well as
וְעַד־ (wə·‘aḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the vineyards
כֶּ֥רֶם (ke·rem)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3754: A garden, vineyard

and olive groves.
זָֽיִת׃ (zā·yiṯ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2132: An olive, the tree, the branch, the berry


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OT History: Judges 15:5 When he had set the brands (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 15:4
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