Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 15:12

And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.

Verse 12. That ye will not fall upon me yourselves.] He could not bear the thought of contending with and slaying his own countrymen; for there is no doubt that he could have as easily rescued himself from their hands as from those of the Philistines.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Not that he feared them, or could not as easily have conquered them, as he did the whole host of the Philistines; but because he would be free from all obligation or temptation of doing them any harm, though it were in his own just and necessary defence.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And they said unto him, we are come down to bind thee,…. That is, they were come down into the cave where he was; otherwise more properly they were come up to the top of the rock:

that we may deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines; they own what was their intention in binding him, and what put them upon it was not ill will to him, but fear of the Philistines:

and Samson said unto them, swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves; which shows he did not fear them, though they were 3000; and that if they attempted to take away his life, he should defend himself, but he chose not to shed the blood of any of them; and rather than they should come into any distress through the Philistines, consented to be bound by them, and delivered into their hands; which he was a type of Christ, who was betrayed by the Jews, and delivered by them into the hands of the Romans; and though he could have delivered himself by his great strength, would not, but suffered himself to be taken and bound, and given into the hands of his enemies, that his own people might go free; see Joh 18:4.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(12) Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.It seems as if Samson were parleying with them from some point of vantage which he could easily have defended for a time.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

12. Swear unto me He is willing to risk a combat singlehanded with the Philistines, but would not fight or injure his own countrymen. His work was to smite Philistines, not Israelites.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jdg 15:12 a

‘And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, so that we may deliver you into the hands of the Philistines.” ’

The men of Judah approached the issue with Samson tentatively. They were apprehensive in the extreme. But they had a job to do that they dared not shirk. To arrest Samson. I remember once when I was in the RAF and was in a billet when the wakeup call came. There was one airman who still lay in bed under the covers, and a corporal came in and pointed to me and said, ‘Throw that man out of bed.’ The man in question was a rugby league centre and a huge man and I went up to his bed tentatively and tapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘Excuse me, I am supposed to throw you out of bed.’ I knew exactly how these men of Judah felt. Fortunately like Samson, he responded graciously.

Jdg 15:12 b

‘And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not fall on me yourselves.” ’

He was not afraid of them but he did not want to have to fight his own countrymen. They were his responsibility. They would indeed have had a huge job for only one or two would have been able to enter the cleft in the rock at one time, and they would have had no chance against Samson. But he did not want that. So he asked for their solemn oath that they themselves would not seek to do him harm.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jdg 15:12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.

Ver. 12. We are come down to bind thee. ] In these Israelites we have an example of ingratitude: as in Samson, of meekness, and care of his unworthy countrymen. How fitly might he have said to them, as once Themistocles in like case did to his Athenians, “Are ye weary of receiving so many benefits by one man?”

That we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. ] With shame enough they might speak it, like a company of cowards as they were. But he upbraideth them not with their pusillanimity lack of courage or fortitude or perfidy; but, as solicitous of their safety, yieldeth to be bound. So did our dear Saviour, &c. Facinus vincere civem Romanum, saith the orator. Let me imitate his gradation, It was much for the Son of God to he bound, more to be beaten, most of all to be slain. Quid dicam, in crucem tolli?

That ye will not fall upon me yourselves. ] And so occasion me, in mine own defence, to fall foul again upon you. He made no question of making his party good with the Philistines, though they were an army of them: this showeth the strength of his faith.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

to bind thee: Mat 27:2, Act 7:25

fall: Jdg 8:21, 1Ki 2:25, 1Ki 2:34

Reciprocal: Deu 28:43 – General

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge