Judges 15:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Just as those journeying through an uncharted wilderness shuddered at the sight of serpents slithering on the ground, and as those traveling along well-trodden paths recoiled in fear from snakes concealed along the way, so too were the Philistines, navigating their roads and barren lands, struck with terror at the presence of Samson. He would become a serpent in the road, an adder along the way, a viper poised to strike, causing his rider to be thrown backward (Gen. 49:17). In the midst of the severe famine that God inflicted upon the Philistines, Samson ignited their fields using foxes, who bore the flames upon their backs like a mounted rider. Consequently, the Philistines suffered from hunger and faltered due to the lack of sustenance.

Samson not only distanced himself from the woman whose betrayal he uncovered but returned to his homeland. The woman, fearing the anger of the man who had been wronged and apprehensive that this wrath would descend upon her, agreed to marry another man whom Samson considered a friend—a companion in union. Despite the justification for their union, she was not spared from the threat of his fury. When this news reached Samson, and he learned that he could not see his wife because her father claimed she had wed another, he was told he might take her sister as his own spouse. This injustice stung him deeply, and in his anguish, he schemed to unleash vengeance upon the entire nation, consumed by his personal affront.

Beloved, let us steer clear of the seductive falsehoods presented by crafty deceivers. We must guard ourselves against the destructive schemes of wicked individuals, lest, akin to the foxes that the mighty Samson released into the Philistine fields, with their fiery tails igniting devastation, the cunning of erroneous beliefs similarly leads us to ruin. Hence, we should strive to embody the wisdom of Scripture, being innocent as doves while also shrewd as serpents, so that the cunning of the serpent may safeguard the purity of the dove.

Samson embodies irresistible power, for his strength lies in his hair. When a lion attacks him, he triumphs over it, and honey flows from its carcass (See Judges 14:8). The jawbone of a donkey becomes a source of refreshment (See Judges 15:19). Foolishness is washed away by the pure water, and courage is sweetened. He captures three hundred foxes, using their tails to fashion torches that he releases into the grain fields of the Philistines, igniting destruction in their crops. In a similar way, the flames of error infiltrate the vineyards of our faith.