Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines: The saga continues with the conflict between Samson and the Philistines heating up and expanding to affect a larger number of people. Samson’s burning anger led him to some unusual and radical actions, which he justified as doing unto them what they had done to him (v. 11). There are also some surprising developments within the Israelite camp. Admittedly shocking is the role of the Judahites. Whereas Judges 1 presents them as zealots who alone of all the Israelites obediently drove out the Canaanites, by this point they had succumbed to their enslavement and sought to avoid any move that would upset the status quo, even if that entailed handing over to the enemy one of their own. The theme of intercommunal conflict stands out in this episode, as Israe…