Etam, the cliff where Samson hid after defeating the Philistines, located in Judah.
Etam is mentioned in the Book of Judges as the place where Samson went and stayed after he had struck down many Philistines in revenge for his wife being given to another man (Judges 15:8). The text describes Etam as a cleft or split in the rock, suggesting that it was a natural stronghold or hiding place.
After Samson's attack on the Philistines, they came up to Judah and demanded that the men of Judah deliver Samson to them. Three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam and asked Samson to surrender, fearing Philistine retaliation (Judges 15:11). Samson agreed to be bound and handed over to the Philistines, but he broke free from his bonds and struck down a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:14-15).
The exact location of the rock of Etam is uncertain, but it was likely situated in the territory of Judah, possibly near the border with Philistia. The area was known for its rugged terrain and numerous caves, which would have provided natural shelter and defense.
Approximate location: 31.736, 35.055 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
E'TAM, THE ROCK, Samson's retreat after the slaughter of the Philistines. Jud 15:8, Jud 8:11. Condor locates it at Beit 'Atab, a little north of Esba'a (Eshtaol), which he thinks fully meets all the requisites of the case. It has clefts, caves, and a rock-tunnel which would so effectually conceal one that those not acquainted with the place might not find him, nor even the
entrance to the tunnel except by accident. (Tent-Life, vol. i. p. 275.)
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
2 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5862
And he struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter, and then went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam.
In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?” “I have done to them what they did to me,” he replied.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.