Caught three hundred foxes. — Rather, three hundred jackals. The word Shualim is used for both; but it would be difficult to catch three hundred foxes, whereas the jackals are still heard howling in herds about these very regions at night. They must have been still more common in Palestine in ancient days, and hence we find such names as “the land of Shual” (1 Samuel 13:17), Hazar-shual (“jackal’s enclosure,” Joshua 15:28), Shalim (1 Samuel 11:4), Shaalabbin (“place of foxes or jackals,” Joshua 19:42). There would be no difficulty in trapping them; nor is it said that they were all let loose at once.
Turned tail to tail. — This implies that he tied the tails together (LXX., sunedçsen; Vulag.,junxit).
Put a firebrand in the midst. — The firebrands were pieces of resinous wood, like Gideon’s torches (Judges 7:20), which were loosely trailed between the tails of the jackals. The object of tying two together was to impede their motion a little, so that they might not dart away so violently as to extinguish the torch.