Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Judges 15:3

Samson said, "That does it. This time when I wreak havoc on the Philistines, I'm blameless."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Philistines;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Samson;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Israel;   Judges (1);   Leg;   Levi;   Marriage;   Philistines;   Samson;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Samson;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless when I harm the Philistines.”
Hebrew Names Version
Shimshon said to them, This time shall I be blameless in regard of the Pelishtim, when I do them a mischief.
King James Version
And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
Lexham English Bible
And Samson said to them, "This time, as far as the Philistines are concerned, when I do something evil I am without blame."
English Standard Version
And Samson said to them, "This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm."
New Century Version
But Samson said to them, "This time no one will blame me for hurting you Philistines!"
New English Translation
Samson said to them, "This time I am justified in doing the Philistines harm!"
Amplified Bible
Samson said to them, "This time I shall be blameless in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm."
New American Standard Bible
Samson then said to them, "This time I will have been blameless regarding the Philistines when I do them harm."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Samson saide vnto them, Nowe am I more blamelesse then the Philistims: therefore will I doe them displeasure.
Legacy Standard Bible
Maar Simson het vir hulle gesê: Hierdie keer is ek onskuldig teenoor die Filistyne as ek hulle kwaad aandoen.
Contemporary English Version
"This time," Samson answered, "I have a good reason for really hurting some Philistines."
Complete Jewish Bible
Shimshon said to them, "This time I'm through with the P'lishtim! I'm going to do something terrible to them!"
Darby Translation
And Samson said to them, This time I am blameless toward the Philistines, though I do them harm.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Samson said to him, "Now I have a good reason to hurt you Philistines. No one will blame me now."
George Lamsa Translation
And Samson said to them, Now I shall be more blameless than the Philistines, although I am going to do them mischief.
Good News Translation
Samson said, "This time I'm not going to be responsible for what I do to the Philistines!"
Literal Translation
And Samson said to them, This time I will be blameless regarding the Philistines, though I am doing evil with them.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The sayde Samson vnto the: I haue once gotte a righte occasion agaynst the Philistynes, I wyl do you displeasure.
American Standard Version
And Samson said unto them, This time shall I be blameless in regard of the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.
Bible in Basic English
Then Samson said to them, This time I will give payment in full to the Philistines, for I am going to do them great evil.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Samson sayde vnto hym: Nowe am I more blamelesse then the Philistines, and therfore will I do them displeasure.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Samson said unto them: 'This time shall I be quits with the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.'
King James Version (1611)
And Samson said concerning them, Now shal I be more blamelesse then the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Sampson said to them, Even for once am I guiltless with regard to the Philistines, in that I do mischief among them.
English Revised Version
And Samson said unto them, This time shall I be blameless in regard of the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.
Berean Standard Bible
Samson said to them, "This time I will be blameless in doing harm to the Philistines."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
To whom Sampson answeride, Fro this day no blame schal be in me ayens Filistees, for Y schal do yuels to you.
Young's Literal Translation
And Samson saith of them, `I am more innocent this time than the Philistines, though I am doing with them evil.'
Update Bible Version
And Samson said to them, This time I shall be innocent in regard of the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.
World English Bible
Samson said to them, This time shall I be blameless in regard of the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.
New King James Version
And Samson said to them, "This time I shall be blameless regarding the Philistines if I harm them!"
New Living Translation
Samson said, "This time I cannot be blamed for everything I am going to do to you Philistines."
New Life Bible
Samson said to him, "This time I will be without blame when I hurt the Philistines."
New Revised Standard
Samson said to them, "This time, when I do mischief to the Philistines, I will be without blame."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Samson said of them, I shall be more blameless, this time, than the Philistines, - though I should do them a mischief.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Samson answered him: From this day I shall be blameless in what I do against the Philistines: for I will do you evils.
Revised Standard Version
And Samson said to them, "This time I shall be blameless in regard to the Philistines, when I do them mischief."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Samson then said to them, "This time I shall be blameless in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm."

Contextual Overview

1Later on—it was during the wheat harvest—Samson visited his bride, bringing a young goat. He said, "Let me see my wife—show me her bedroom." But her father wouldn't let him in. He said, "I concluded that by now you hated her with a passion, so I gave her to your best man. But her little sister is even more beautiful. Why not take her instead?" 3 Samson said, "That does it. This time when I wreak havoc on the Philistines, I'm blameless." 4Samson then went out and caught three hundred jackals. He lashed the jackals' tails together in pairs and tied a torch between each pair of tails. He then set fire to the torches and let them loose in the Philistine fields of ripe grain. Everything burned, both stacked and standing grain, vineyards and olive orchards—everything. 6 The Philistines said, "Who did this?" They were told, "Samson, son-in-law of the Timnite who took his bride and gave her to his best man." The Philistines went up and burned both her and her father to death. 7 Samson then said, "If this is the way you're going to act, I swear I'll get even with you. And I'm not quitting till the job's done!" 8 With that he tore into them, ripping them limb from limb—a huge slaughter. Then he went down and stayed in a cave at Etam Rock.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Now shall: etc. or, Now shall I be blameless from the Philistines

though: etc. Judges 14:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 34:13 - deceitfully

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."
Proverbs 13:12
Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.
Proverbs 29:21
If you let people treat you like a doormat, you'll be quite forgotten in the end.
Jeremiah 12:1
You are right, O God , and you set things right. I can't argue with that. But I do have some questions: Why do bad people have it so good? Why do con artists make it big? You planted them and they put down roots. They flourished and produced fruit. They talk as if they're old friends with you, but they couldn't care less about you. Meanwhile, you know me inside and out. You don't let me get by with a thing! Make them pay for the way they live, pay with their lives, like sheep marked for slaughter. How long do we have to put up with this— the country depressed, the farms in ruin— And all because of wickedness, these wicked lives? Even animals and birds are dying off Because they'll have nothing to do with God and think God has nothing to do with them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Samson said concerning them,.... His wife's father, and other relations, and the citizens of Timnath; this, which is what follows, he said either within himself respecting them, or he said it to them openly and publicly before them all:

now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure; signifying, that if he did them an ill thing, or what might be reckoned an injury to their persons or properties, and which would be disagreeable and displeasing to them, they could not justly blame him for it, since they had given him such a provocation as to dispose of his wife to another man; though Samson did not mean to act, nor did he act in the following instances as a private person taking private revenge, but as a public person, and judge of Israel; and took occasion, from the private injuries done him, to avenge the public ones of the children of Israel upon the Philistines; and they might thank themselves for giving the opportunity, which they could not justly condemn him for taking.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the margin. Before, when the Philistines injured him he was in covenant with the Timnathites through his marriage and by the rites of hospitality, for which reason he went off to Ashkelon to take his revenge Judges 14:19. But now the Philistines themselves had broken this bond, and so he was free to take his revenge on the spot.


 
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