God’s Word Translation
Judges 15:20
20Samson judged Israel for 20 years during the time of the Philistines.
Judges 15:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
- New International Version (NIV)Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines.
Context of Judges 15:20
18Samson was very thirsty. So he called out to the Lord and said, “You have given me this great victory. But now I’ll die from thirst and fall into the power of godless men.” 19So God split open the hollow place at Lehi, and water gushed out. Samson drank some water. Then he was refreshed and revived. So he called the place En Hakkore [Spring of the One Who Calls Out]. It is still there at Lehi today. Samson judged Israel for 20 years during the time of the Philistines.
Read all of Judges 15Judges 15:20 word by word
וַיִּשְׁפֹּ֧ט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בִּימֵ֥י פְלִשְׁתִּ֖ים עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָֽה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Judges 15:20
- Judges 13:1The people of Israel again did what the Lord considered evil. So the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years.
- Judges 16:31Then his relatives and his father’s whole family went to Gaza. They took Samson and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. Samson had judged Israel for 20 years.
Commentaries on Judges 15:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20He judged Israel - twenty years - In the margin it is said, He seems to have judged southwest Israel during twenty years of their servitude of the Philistines, Judges 13:1. Instead of שנה עשרים esrim shanah, twenty years, the Jerusalem Talmud has שנה ארבעים arbaim shanah, forty years; but this reading is not acknowledged by any MS. or version. According to Calmet, the twenty years of the judicature of Samson began the eighteenth year of the subjection of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-20Verses 18-20 So little notice did the men of Judah take of their deliverer, that he was ready to perish for want of a draught of water. Thus are the greatest slights often put upon those who do the greatest services. Samson prayed to God in this distress. Those that forget to attend God their praises, may be compelled to attend him with their prayers. Past experiences of God's power and goodness, are excellent pleas in prayer for further mercy. He pleads…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20This summary formula is repeated in Judges 16:31. Its presence here shows that Samson's time as a judge was effectively over (compare Judges 10:2, 3; 12:7). He had done little more than demonstrate Israel's potential for rescue; the Philistines still controlled the land.Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 15:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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