So he attacked them ruthlessly in a massive slaughter, then left to live in the caves of Etam.

In response, 3,000 soldiers from the tribe of Judah went down to the caves of the rock of Etam and asked Samson, "Don't you know that the Philistines have us in their control? What have you done to us?" "I did to them what they did to me," he answered.

These were the descendants of the ancestor of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and their sister's name was Hazzelelponi.

Their cities were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, for a total of five cities,

including Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,