· Translation: KJV

Judges 15:10The men of Judah said, "Why have you come up against us?" They said, "We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us."

The setting

Hill country of Judah, ~1100 BC. Philistine army camps threaten the tribe of Judah. The men are terrified, demanding answers from their own leaders about why foreign troops are massing against them. Modern-day West Bank, Israel/Palestine.

The emotion here: fearful desperation seeking someone to blame

The original word

ʿālāh (עָלָה) — to go up, ascend in warfare formation

Why it matters

The Philistines had iron weapons while the Israelites were still using bronze, giving them massive military superiority

Read with care

What most readers miss in Judges 15:10

Judah is interrogating their own leaders like suspects — they're more afraid of the Philistines than loyal to their kinsman

Common misconceptionPeople think this is about Samson being the villain, but it reveals how oppressed people often turn on their own liberators when freedom becomes too costly.

Bible Genome reading

Judges 15:10 — Bible Genome reading

Speakermen of Judah
Erajudges
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typedialogue

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability30%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance80%
Standalone60%
Themes:inquiryjustice

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Judges 15

Judges 15:10 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. These words are attributed to men of Judah. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include inquiry, justice. Notable phrases: Why have you come up; bind Samson; do to him as he has done.

Your reflection

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