Etam

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.

A village of the tribe of Simeon (1 Chr. 4:32). Into some cleft (“top,” A.V.,; R.V., “cleft”) of a rock here Samson retired after his slaughter of the Philistines (Judg. 15:8, 11). It was a natural stronghold. It has been identified with Beit ’Atab, west of Bethlehem, near Zorah and Eshtaol. On the crest of a rocky knoll, under the village, is a long tunnel, which may be the “cleft” in which Samson hid.