Judges 15:1-8. After having left in a murderous fit of rage, Samson decides to go back to his wife. When he gets there, he finds that his Philistine father-in-law has given his wife to his best man. His father-in-law urges him to take a younger sister of his wife as his new wife. In another rage, Samson burns all the crops of the Philistines by sending through the fields three hundred foxes tied together with lit torches. When the Philistines learn who did this and why they burn Samson's father-in-law and wife. Samson swears vengeance on them, kills many "with great slaughter" and goes off to hide in a cleft of rock.

Although Samson was a judge of Israel, his passions often got the best of him to both his and Israel's detriment. Just as the stories of Israel's kings show us both the good and the bad in each king, some leaning more towards the good, and some leaning more towards the bad, so the judges' stories do the same. As a judge, Samson is essentially a leader for Israel during its occupation by the Philistines. He is the last judge, perhaps his story and the carnage brought by his passions are meant to show us why he was the last judge.

Samson insisted on marrying a Philistine woman, against his parents wishes, but because he was such a slave to his passions. This marriage led to all sorts of trouble, starting with a murderous rampage when she betrayed a secret of his to her countryman, followed by this scene, which ends in her and her father's death by burning.

Samson clearly does not have his passions under control, his story is a lesson for all of us. God will use us, even our bad actions, for good. If we act in accordance with our passions, instead of accordance with his will, he still loves us and will keep guiding us, but we and others will suffer the consequences. What could have the mighty Samson have have actually achieved if he had learned to tame his passions? We can't know, but his story certainly would not have been as tragic for himself nor for others.