The Philistine oppression 13:1

 

The translation "again did"in verse 1 implies that the Philistine oppression followed the Ammonite oppression chronologically. However the Hebrew idiom these words translate does not necessarily mean that. It can also mean, and in view of 10:6-7 must mean, the Israelites "continued to do"evil. The Philistines and the Ammonites began oppressing Israel at approximately the same time (ca. 1124-1123 B.C.).²³⁹

"More than any previous agent of deliverance . . . Samson demonstrates that the divinely chosen leaders were part of Israel's problem rather than a lasting solution."²⁴⁰

The present 40-year oppression by the Philistines did not end until Samuel, also a judge (1 Sam. 7:6), defeated them at Ebenezer (1 Sam. 7; ca. 1084 B.C.). Samson only began to deliver Israel from the Philistines (v. 5).

I have already referred to the antagonism of the Philistines on Israel's southwestern flank (3:31; 10:7). This nation continued to increase in power during the period of the judges and became Israel's major enemy by the end of the amphictyony and the beginning of the monarchy.

The Philistines were, ". . . a powerful sea people that settled in the coastal strip in S.W. Palestine, extending along the Mediterranean from Joppa to S. of Gaza . . . about 50 miles long and 15 miles wide. . . .

"The Philistines are said to have come from Caphtor [Crete] (Amos 9:7; Jer. 47:4; cf. Deut. 2:23). . . .

"The Philistines were a non-Semitic people. . . . They appear as a tall, Hellenic-looking people. . . .

"Their power and threat to Israel were due to a large extent to their political organization. It consisted of a league of five great cities [Gaza, Ekron, Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Gath]. . . .

"Besides their warlike nature, effective political organization and economic power, as the result of the fertile farming section they inhabited, Philistine militarism, which was a continual threat to Israel, was explainable by their early control of the iron monopoly. Iron came into widespread use in Palestine around 1200 B.C. Philistines knew the secret of smelting it, which they evidently got from the Hittites. They were able to import, smelt, and forge iron and made use of various iron military weapons. By enforcing a rigid monopoly over Israel, the Philistines were able to make great strides in military encroachments upon Israelite territory [cf. 1 Sam. 13:19-22]. . . .

"The Philistines were intensely religious. They celebrated their victories in the house of their idols' (1 Sam. 31:9) [cf. Judg. 16:23-27]. . . . Dagon . . . fish' was represented with the hands and face of a man and the tail of a fish. . . . To . . . him they offered thanksgiving when they had taken Samson (Judg. 16:23, 24)."²⁴¹

The Philistines evidently lived in Canaan in small numbers as early as the patriarchal period (Gen. 21:32; 26:1; cf. Deut. 2:23). However their major migration into Canaan took place in the first quarter of the twelfth century B.C. (1200--1175 B.C.).²⁴²This would have made them more recent settlers in Canaan than the Israelites. Samson evidently began his judgeship about 1105 B.C.²⁴³The Philistines continued to frustrate the Israelites until David subjugated them early in his reign (ca. 1004 B.C.; 2 Sam. 5:17-25). However, the Philistines continued to oppose the Israelites until the Babylonian Captivity removed both people groups from the land (cf. Isa. 14:29-32; Jer. 47; Ezek. 25:15-17; Amos 1:6-8).

The land of the Philistines became known as Philistia. Palestine is a Greek word that comes from Philistia. The Roman emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-138) gave Canaan the name Palestine.

Note that the writer recorded no Israelite cry for help from their Philistine oppressors. Later we shall see that the Israelites did not cooperate with Samson in opposing this enemy. The Philistines appear to have been attractive neighbors. The Israelites cooperated with them readily instead of opposing them and driving them from the Promised Land.