שופטים, פרק ט״ו, פסוק י״א

A tense encounter unfolds between Samson and his own people, highlighting a sharp conflict between a personal grievance and the heavy burden of national responsibility under foreign occupation. Three thousand men from the tribe of Judah track down Samson at his hiding place. Their goal is to convince him to surrender, fearing that his recent provocations against the Philistines have placed the entire nation in grave danger [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The men of Judah confront Samson about the consequences of his actions. They argue that he is fully aware of the reality they live in, with the Philistines ruling over the land. By antagonizing their rulers, Samson has exposed all the Israelites to the threat of harsh retaliation [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This fear is rooted in a deeper legal perspective. Because Samson has provoked the anger of the authorities and brought an existential threat upon the public, the men of Judah classify him as a dangerous pursuer, someone actively threatening their lives. From this standpoint, they feel completely justified in handing him over to the Philistines in order to save the community [מלבי״ם].

Samson, however, defends his actions as entirely justified. He maintains that his behavior was a measured and appropriate response, simply returning the exact treatment the Philistines had given him [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The specific injustice he is avenging is the fact that the Philistine community stood by silently, neither protesting nor preventing his wife from being taken and given to another man [מצודת דוד].

Responding directly to the accusation that he is recklessly endangering the public, Samson insists that the thought of bringing harm to his own people never even crossed his mind. He views the situation as a strictly private dispute between himself and the Philistines, completely separate from the wider Israelite community. Because his intentions and actions are personal, he argues that he cannot be legally categorized as a pursuer, and therefore, turning him over to the enemy is unjustified [מלבי״ם].