Judges 15:13They spoke to him, saying, "No; but we will bind you fast, and deliver you into their hand; but surely we will not kill you." They bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
The setting
Etam rock formation, Israel, ~1100 BC. Three thousand Judahites surround their own judge, planning to hand him over to Philistine oppressors to save themselves from retaliation.
The emotion here: recording tragic irony with heavy heart
The original word
asar (אָסַר) — to bind, imprison, literally 'to tie with cords'
Why it matters
The men of Judah used TWO NEW ropes because they knew Samson's supernatural strength required fresh, strong binding
Read with care
What most readers miss in Judges 15:13
These aren't enemies binding Samson — these are his OWN PEOPLE, from his own tribe
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows Samson was weak or foolish to agree. Actually, he was confident in God's power and knew this betrayal would become his victory.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Judges 15:13
Bible Genome reading
Judges 15:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Judges 15:13 comes from the book of Judges, written during the judges period. The setting is the battlefield. These words are attributed to Israelites. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include mercy, compromise. Notable phrases: will not kill. This verse contains a promise of God.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Judges 15:13 mean to you, today?
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