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Contemporary English Version

Judges 15:11

Three thousand men from Judah went to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, "Don't you know that the Philistines rule us, and they will punish us for what you did?" "I was only getting even with them," Samson replied. "They did the same things to me first."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Etam;   Lehi;   Samson;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Etam;   Lehi;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Judges, book of;   Samson;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Etam;   Philistines;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Etam;   Judges, the Book of;   Samson;   Timnah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Etam;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Levi;   Marriage;   Philistines;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Etam, the Rock;   Lehi ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Etam;   Smith Bible Dictionary - E'tam, the Rock,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Etam;   Ruler;   Samson;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Etam;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines rule us? What have you done to us?”
Hebrew Names Version
Then three thousand men of Yehudah went down to the cleft of the rock of `Etam, and said to Shimshon, "Don't you know that the Pelishtim are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" He said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.
King James Version
Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
Lexham English Bible
Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and they said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are ruling over us? What is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "Just as they did to me, so I have done to them."
English Standard Version
Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so have I done to them."
New Century Version
Then three thousand men of Judah went to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "What have you done to us? Don't you know that the Philistines rule over us?" Samson answered, "I only paid them back for what they did to me."
New English Translation
Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in the cliff of Etam and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? Why have you done this to us?" He said to them, "I have only done to them what they have done to me."
Amplified Bible
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "Have you not known that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that you have done to us?" He said to them, "As they did to me, so I have done to them."
New American Standard Bible
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "Just as they did to me, so I have done to them."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then three thousande men of Iudah went to the top of the rocke Etam, and sayde to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistims are rulers ouer vs? Wherefore then hast thou done thus vnto vs? And he answered them, As they did vnto me, so haue I done vnto them.
Legacy Standard Bible
Daarop trek drie duisend man uit Juda af na die rotskloof van Etam en vra vir Simson: Weet jy nie dat die Filistyne oor ons heers nie, en wat het jy ons nou aangedoen? En hy sê aan hulle: Soos hulle aan my gedoen het, so het ek aan hulle gedoen.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then 3,000 men from Y'hudah went down to the cave at the Eitam Rock and said to Shimshon, "Don't you know that the P'lishtim are our rulers? What are you doing to us?" He answered, "I've only treated them the way they treated me."
Darby Translation
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the cliff Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? And what is this that thou hast done to us? And he said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then 3000 men from the tribe of Judah went to the cave near the Rock of Etam and said to Samson, "What have you done to us? Don't you know that the Philistines rule over us?" Samson answered, "I only punished them for what they did to me."
George Lamsa Translation
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave of the rock of Attain, and said to Samson, Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this you have done to us? And he said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.
Good News Translation
So these three thousand men of Judah went to the cave in the cliff at Etam and said to Samson, "Don't you know that the Philistines are our rulers? What have you done to us?" He answered, "I did to them just what they did to me."
Literal Translation
And three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? And what is this that you have done tous? And he said to them, As they did to me,so I did to them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then wete there thre M. men of Iuda downe to the stone clyffe of Etam, & sayde vnto Samson: Knowest thou not that the Philistynes raigne ouer vs? Wherfore hast thou done this then vnto vs? He sayde: As they dyd vnto me, so haue I done vnto the agayne.
American Standard Version
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
Bible in Basic English
Then three thousand of the men of Judah went down to the crack of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Is it not clear to you that the Philistines are our rulers? What is this you have done to us? And he said to them, I only did to them as they did to me.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then three thonsande men of Iuda went to the toppe of the rocke Etam, & sayde to Samson: Wottest thou not that the Philistines are rulers ouer vs? Wherfore then hast thou done thus vnto vs? He aunswered them: As they dyd vnto me, so haue I done vnto them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson: 'Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then is this that thou hast done unto us?' And he said unto them: 'As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.'
King James Version (1611)
Then three thousand men of Iudah went to the top of the rocke Etam, and sayd to Samson; Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers ouer vs? What is this that thou hast done vnto vs? And he said vnto them, As they did vnto me, so haue I done vnto them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the three thousand men of Juda went down to the hole of the rock Etam, and they said to Sampson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? and what is this that thou hast done to us? and Sampson said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.
English Revised Version
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
Berean Standard Bible
In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, "Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?" "I have done to them what they did to me," he replied.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor thre thousynde of men of Juda yeden doun to the denne of the flynt of Ethan; and thei seiden to Sampson, Woost thou not, that Filisteis comaunden to vs? Why woldist thou do this thing? To whiche he seide.
Young's Literal Translation
And three thousand men of Judah go down unto the cleft of the rock Etam, and say to Samson, `Hast thou now known that the Philistines are rulers over us? and what [is] this thou hast done to us?' And he saith to them, `As they did to me, so I did to them.'
Update Bible Version
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Don't you know that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then is this that you have done to us? And he said to them, As they did to me, so I have done to them.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines [are] rulers over us? what [is] this [that] thou hast done to us? And he said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.
World English Bible
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, "Don't you know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" He said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.
New King James Version
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so I have done to them."
New Living Translation
So 3,000 men of Judah went down to get Samson at the cave in the rock of Etam. They said to Samson, "Don't you realize the Philistines rule over us? What are you doing to us?" But Samson replied, "I only did to them what they did to me."
New Life Bible
Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the opening of the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this that you have done to us?" Samson said to them, "I have done to them as they did to me."
New Revised Standard
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and they said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then have you done to us?" He replied, "As they did to me, so I have done to them."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then went down three thousand men out of Judah, unto the cleft of the crag Etam, and said unto Samson - Knowest thou not that the Philistines are lording it over us? What, then, is this thou hast done to us? And he said unto them, As they have done to me, so, have I done to them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore three thousand men of Juda went down to the cave of the rock Etam, and said to Samson: Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? Why wouldst thou do thus? And he said to them: As they did to me, so have I done to them.
Revised Standard Version
Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so have I done to them."
THE MESSAGE
Three companies of men from Judah went down to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, "Don't you realize that the Philistines already bully and lord it over us? So what's going on with you, making things even worse?" He said, "It was tit for tat. I only did to them what they did to me."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam and said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "As they did to me, so I have done to them."

Contextual Overview

9 But it wasn't long before the Philistines invaded Judah and set up a huge army camp at Jawbone. 10 The people of Judah asked, "Why have you invaded our land?" The Philistines answered, "We've come to get Samson. We're going to do the same things to him that he did to our people." 11 Three thousand men from Judah went to the cave at Etam Rock and said to Samson, "Don't you know that the Philistines rule us, and they will punish us for what you did?" "I was only getting even with them," Samson replied. "They did the same things to me first." 12 "We came here to tie you up and turn you over to them," said the men of Judah. "I won't put up a fight," Samson answered, "but you have to promise not to hurt me yourselves." 13"We promise," the men said. "We will only tie you up and turn you over to the Philistines. We won't kill you." Then they tied up his hands and arms with two brand-new ropes and led him away from Etam Rock. When the Philistines saw that Samson was being brought to their camp at Jawbone, they started shouting and ran toward him. But the Lord 's Spirit took control of Samson, and Samson broke the ropes, as though they were pieces of burnt cloth. 15 Samson glanced around and spotted the jawbone of a donkey. The jawbone had not yet dried out, so it was still hard and heavy. Samson grabbed it and started hitting Philistines—he killed a thousand of them! 16 After the fighting was over, he made up this poem about what he had done to the Philistines: I used a donkey's jawbone to kill a thousand men; I beat them with this jawbone over and over again. 17 Samson tossed the jawbone on the ground and decided to call the place Jawbone Hill. It is still called that today.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

went: Heb. went down

the rock Etam: Probably near the town Etam, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:32.

Philistines: Judges 13:1, Judges 14:4, Deuteronomy 28:13, Deuteronomy 28:47, Deuteronomy 28:48, Psalms 106:41

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:43 - General 1 Kings 20:4 - I am thine Proverbs 24:29 - I will do Revelation 8:10 - the fountains

Cross-References

Psalms 119:13
With my own mouth, I tell others the laws that you have spoken.
Ezekiel 17:3
so they will understand what I am saying to them: A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers once flew to Lebanon. It broke the top branch off a cedar tree,
Ezekiel 17:7
There was another eagle with strong wings and thick feathers. The roots and branches of the grapevine soon turned toward this eagle, hoping it would bring water for the soil.
Matthew 13:4
While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then three thousand of Judah went up to the top of the rock of Etam,.... Or "went down" g; that is, into the cave of the rock of Etam, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions; and so it is taken by David de Pomis h for a cave dug in the rock: this was a large number that went to take one man; the reason is, they knew his great strength:

and said to Samson, knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? and therefore it must be a very unwise thing to disoblige and provoke them, when it lay in their power to oppress them yet more and more, to increase their tribute, and make their burdens heavier, and even take away their lives:

what is this that thou hast done unto us? they ask not what he had done to them, but unto us; though they mean that, but express themselves thus, because what he had done to the Philistines was the occasion of their coming up against them, and so eventually it was doing them ill:

and he said unto them, as they did unto me, so have I done to them; they had done him ill, and therefore he did ill to them; they had burnt his wife and her father with fire, and he had slain many of them; at least this was what he thought fit to say in his own vindication; otherwise what he did was not in a way of private revenge, but on account of the injury done to the people of Israel, he taking what was done to them as done to himself, the chief magistrate and judge of Israel.

g וירדו, "et descenderunt", Pagninus, Montanus; "descenderunt ergo", V. L. Tigurine version. h Tzemach David, fol. 112. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The dispirited men of Judah were prepared to give up their champion, in order to conciliate their masters. This shows how hard was the task of the Judge, whose office it was to restore his countrymen to freedom and independence.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 15:11. Three thousand men of Judah went — It appears evidently from this that Samson was strongly posted, and they thought that no less than three thousand men were necessary to reduce him.


 
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