Judges 15 in the early church

42 passages quote, allude to, or echo Judges 15, grouped by verse; passages on the same verse are in date order. Verse text from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). References use the Protestant English Bible's numbering, with a writer's own numbering in brackets where it differs.

Verses: 1 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 8 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 18 · 19 · 20

Judges 15:1

Later on, at the time of the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. “I want to go to my wife in her room,” he said. But her father would not let him enter.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:1–2Sermon 364.3 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, high confidenceca. 391-430
Judg 15:1–3Judges, lines 574–600 · Cyprianus Gallusallusion, high confidenceearly 5th cent.
Judg 15:1–6Part 2, chapter 22 · Quodvultdeus of Carthageallusion, high confidenceca. 445-450

Judges 15:3

Samson said to them, “This time I will be blameless in doing harm to the Philistines.”

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:3Commentary on the Song of Songs 3.237 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 240–245 (Rufinus's translation ca. 410)

Judges 15:4

Then 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.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:4Commentary on the Song of Songs, fragment 11 (Song 2:15) · Hippolytus of Romequotation, high confidenceca. 202-235
Judg 15:4Homilies on Ezekiel 2.4 · Origenallusion, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Jerome's translation in the 380s)
Judg 15:4Commentary on the Song of Songs 3.237 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 240–245 (Rufinus's translation ca. 410)
Judg 15:4Commentary on the Song of Songs 3.239 · Origenallusion, high confidenceca. 240–245 (Rufinus's translation ca. 410)
Judg 15:4Letter 78.27 · Jeromeallusion, high confidenceca. 370–419
Judg 15:4Exposition of Psalm 118 11.29.2 · Ambroseallusion, high confidenceca. 386-397
Judg 15:4Exposition of Psalm 118 11.29.3 · Ambroseallusion, high confidenceca. 386-397
Judg 15:4–5Sermon 364.1 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, high confidenceca. 391-430
Judg 15:4–5Sermon 364.3 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, high confidenceca. 391-430
Judg 15:4–14Judges, lines 601–624 · Cyprianus Gallusallusion, high confidenceearly 5th cent.

Judges 15:5

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.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:5Commentary on the Song of Songs, fragment 11 (Song 2:15) · Hippolytus of Romeallusion, high confidenceca. 202-235
Judg 15:5Commentary on the Song of Songs 3.238 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 240–245 (Rufinus's translation ca. 410)
Judg 15:5Commentary on the Song of Songs 3.239 · Origenallusion, high confidenceca. 240–245 (Rufinus's translation ca. 410)
Judg 15:5Second Apology of David 16 · Ambroseallusion, high confidenceca. 384-397
Judg 15:5Apology of the Prophet David 16 · Ambroseallusion, high confidenceca. 384-390
Judg 15:5Exposition of Psalm 118 11.29.2 · Ambroseallusion, high confidenceca. 386-397

Judges 15:8

And he struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter, and then went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:8Fragment 40 · Irenaeus of Lyonsallusion, high confidenceca. 170–200

Judges 15:13

“No,” they answered, “we will not kill you, but we will tie you up securely and hand you over to them.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:13–14Fragment 42 · Irenaeus of Lyonsallusion, high confidenceca. 170–200

Judges 15:14

When Samson arrived in Lehi, the Philistines came out shouting against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him. The ropes on his arms became like burnt flax, and the bonds broke loose from his hands.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:14Commentary on Matthew, Latin Series 115 · Origenallusion, high confidenceca. 244–249 (Latin translation, 4th–5th century)
Judg 15:14Homily 5, part 5.4 · Asterius of Amaseaallusion, low confidenceca. 380-410
Judg 15:14Second Apology of David 16 · Ambroseallusion, high confidenceca. 384-397
Judg 15:14–20Judges, lines 625–648 · Cyprianus Gallusallusion, high confidenceearly 5th cent.
Judg 15:14–19Part 2, chapter 23 · Quodvultdeus of Carthageallusion, high confidenceca. 445-450

Judges 15:15

He found the fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and struck down a thousand men.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:15Fragment 39 · Irenaeus of Lyonsquotation, high confidenceca. 170–200
Judg 15:15–19Demonstration 15.5 · Aphrahatquotation, high confidence337-345
Judg 15:15Homilies 2.4 · Basil of Caesareaallusion, high confidenceca. 363-378
Judg 15:15Letter 22.12 · Jeromeallusion, high confidenceca. 370–419
Judg 15:15On the Duties of the Clergy 2.26 · Ambroseallusion, high confidenceca. 386–390
Judg 15:15Poem 24, lines 600–632 · Paulinus of Nolaallusion, high confidenceca. 393–431

Judges 15:18

And being very thirsty, Samson cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great deliverance through Your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:18–19Apostolic Constitutions 7.37.2 · Anonymousallusion, high confidenceca. 380

Judges 15:19

So God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned, and he was revived. That is why he named it En-hakkore, and it remains in Lehi to this day.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:19Commentary on Matthew 16.17 · Origenallusion, high confidenceca. 246–248
Judg 15:19Letter 108.14 · Jeromeallusion, high confidenceca. 370–419
Judg 15:19Poem 24, lines 633–664 · Paulinus of Nolaallusion, high confidenceca. 393–431
Judg 15:19Tractates on the Gospel of John 91.2 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, high confidenceca. 406–420

Judges 15:20

And Samson judged Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Judg 15:20On Christ and Antichrist 15 · Hippolytus of Romeallusion, high confidenceca. 200–215
Judg 15:20Preparation for the Gospel 10.9.7 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, low confidenceca. 313–324
Judg 15:20City of God 18.19 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, medium confidence413–426
Judg 15:20Part 2, chapter 22 · Quodvultdeus of Carthageallusion, high confidenceca. 445-450