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Judges 15:4

And he went and caught three hundred foxes, and coupled them tail to tail, and fastened torches between the tails.

Challoner: FoxesBeing judge of the people he might have many to assist him to catch with nets or otherwise a number of these animals; of which there were great numbers in that country.

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The verse in its languages

Vulgate (Clementine): Perrexitque et cepit trecentas vulpes, caudasque earum junxit ad caudas, et faces ligavit in medio :
Septuagint (Swete): καὶ ἐπορεύθη Σαμψὼν καὶ συνέλαβεν τριακοσίας ἀλώπηκας, καὶ ἔλαβεν λαμπάδας, καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν κέρκον πρὸς κέρκον, καὶ ἔθηκεν λαμπάδα μίαν ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν δύο κέρκων καὶ ἔδησεν.
Hebrew (WLC): וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד שְׁלֹשׁ מֵא֣וֹת שׁוּעָלִ֑ים וַיִּקַּ֣ח לַפִּדִ֗ים וַיֶּ֤פֶן זָנָב֙ אֶל זָנָ֔ב וַיָּ֨שֶׂם לַפִּ֥יד אֶחָ֛ד בֵּין שְׁנֵ֥י הַזְּנָב֖וֹת בַּתָּֽוֶךְ

Haydock's commentary

Foxes. Being judge of the people, he might have many to assist him to catch with nets or otherwise a number of these animals; of which there were great numbers in that country, (Challoner) as we may gather from Canticle of Canticles ii. 15., and Lamentations v. 15. (Menochius)

Hence many places received the name of Sual, Josue xv. 28., and xix. 42. Pompey exhibited 600 lions at Rome, and the Emperor Probus 5000 ostriches, and as many wild boars, &., in the theatre. (Vopisc.; Pliny [Natural History?] viii. 16.; Cornelius a Lapide)

Is it more incredible that Samson should collect 300 foxes? By this means he cleared his country of a pernicious animal, the most proper for carrying flambeaux, and spreading fire far and wide among the fields of the enemy. By tying the foxes together, he hindered them from retiring into their holes, and gave the fire time to take hold of the corn and vineyards. (Calmet)

Ovid mentions a Roman custom of burning foxes in the theatre, with torches tied upon their backs, in the month of April; which some have imagined was in memorial of this transaction. (Serarius, q. 7.)

"Factum abiit, monumenta manent, nam vivere captam

Nunc quoque lex vulpem Carseolana vetat.

Utque luat pænas genus hoc cerealibus ardet,

Quoque modo segetes perdidit, illa perit."

Fast. iv.

Torches. Hebrew and Septuagint, "a torch or firebrand," (Haydock) made of resinous wood, such as the pine, olive, &c., which easily catch fire, and are extinguished with difficulty. (Calmet)

Quâ fugit incendit vestitos messibus agros

Read on

Damnosis vires ignibus aura dabat. (Ovid)

"Where'er he flees, corn-fields in flames appear,

The fanning breeze brings devastation near."

A hundred and fifty firebrands, in different parts of the country, destroy the farmer's hopes. (Haydock)

And olive. The conjunction is now wanting in Hebrew and some translate, "the vineyards of olive-trees." (Kimchi)

But who ever heard of such an expression? It is better therefore to supply and, with the Septuagint (Calmet) as the Protestants also have done. (Haydock)

"The foxes signify the deceitful ensnarers, and chiefly heretics." (St. Augustine in Psalm viii.) (Du Hamel)

Haydock wrote amid the controversies of his day. The Church teaches that those born into communities separated from her cannot be charged with the sin of separation, and embraces them as brothers (CCC 818).

From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.