They said to him, We have come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines. Samson said to them, Swear to me that you will not fall on me yourselves.
During his whole ministry Samson never had an army or even several Israelites behind him. He fought the Lord’s battles alone. The Judahites were doing their enemies’ work for them by binding Samson and handing him over to them (Judges 15:12). They swore not to kill their judge themselves, but they bound him and handed him over to the Philistines so they could kill him (Judges 15:13).