Judges 15:15

KJV

And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

KJV (with Strong's)

And he found {H4672} a new {H2961} jawbone {H3895} of an ass {H2543}, and put forth {H7971} his hand {H3027}, and took {H3947} it, and slew {H5221} a thousand {H505} men {H376} therewith.

Complete Jewish Bible

He found a fresh donkey jawbone, took it in his hand, and with it he struck down a thousand men.

Berean Standard Bible

He found the fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and struck down a thousand men.

American Standard Version

And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote a thousand men therewith.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Judges 15:15 powerfully illustrates the extraordinary, divinely bestowed strength of Samson, Israel's judge, as he single-handedly defeats a thousand Philistine adversaries. This remarkable feat, accomplished with nothing more than a freshly found jawbone of a donkey, underscores God's sovereign ability to use the most unconventional and seemingly inadequate means to achieve His mighty purposes and deliver His people from oppression.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated at a critical juncture in the narrative of Samson, immediately following his betrayal by the men of Judah and his surrender to the Philistines. Earlier, Samson had exacted a fierce revenge on the Philistines for burning his wife and her father, setting fire to their fields with foxes (Judges 15:1-8). In retaliation, the Philistines assembled a large force and advanced into Judah, specifically to Lehi (Judges 15:9). Fearing the Philistines, three thousand men of Judah confronted Samson, bound him, and delivered him to his enemies (Judges 15:10-13). It is precisely at this moment of apparent defeat and vulnerability, as the Philistines shout in triumph, that the [Spirit of the Lord rushes upon Samson](/judges/15-14 "Judges 15:14 - The Spirit of the Lord Empowers Samson"), causing the ropes on his arms to become like burnt flax and his bonds to fall away. Verse 15 directly follows this supernatural empowerment, detailing the instrument and scale of his subsequent, miraculous victory.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The period of the Judges was characterized by a cyclical pattern of Israel's disobedience, oppression by foreign powers, their cry for deliverance, and God raising up a judge to rescue them. The Philistines were a formidable enemy, renowned for their military prowess, advanced iron weaponry, and superior organization, often dominating the coastal plains and encroaching upon Israelite territory. Israel, by contrast, was largely disorganized, lacked a central government, and was often spiritually compromised. The Philistine presence represented a significant threat to Israel's existence and their ability to live freely in the land God had promised. Samson's actions, though often driven by personal vendettas, were part of God's larger plan to begin the deliverance of Israel from Philistine subjugation, as prophesied in [Judges 13:5](/judges/13-5 "Judges 13:5 - Samson's Prophetic Role as a Deliverer"). The use of a jawbone, a common animal bone, stands in sharp contrast to the Philistines' sophisticated weaponry, highlighting the divine, rather than human, source of Samson's victory.
* **Key Themes:** The central theme in Judges 15:15, and indeed throughout Samson's narrative, is **Divine Empowerment**. Samson's strength is not inherent but a direct, supernatural gift from God, specifically manifested by the [Spirit of the Lord rushing upon him](/judges/14-6 "Judges 14:6 - The Spirit of the Lord Empowers Samson"). This highlights God's ability to work through chosen, albeit flawed, individuals to accomplish His will. Another significant theme is **Unconventional Warfare and God's Sovereignty**. God frequently demonstrates His power by using weak, unexpected, or even foolish instruments to confound the strong, as seen in this instance where a common animal bone becomes a devastating weapon. This underscores that the victory belongs to the Lord, not to human might or conventional means, echoing the principle found in [Zechariah 4:6](/zechariah/4-6 "Zechariah 4:6 - Not by Might, Nor by Power, But by My Spirit"). Finally, the verse clearly portrays **Deliverance and Judgment**. Samson's act is a powerful blow against the Philistine oppressors, serving as a significant act of deliverance for Israel and a severe judgment upon their enemies, demonstrating God's justice and faithfulness to His covenant people, even when they are unfaithful.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **new (חֲדָשָׁה, _chadashah_):** The Hebrew word signifies "new" or "fresh." This detail is crucial, suggesting that the jawbone was recently acquired, perhaps still retaining some elasticity or strength that an old, brittle bone would lack. It emphasizes that this was not a prepared weapon, but an immediately available, common object, reinforcing the miraculous nature of its effectiveness in Samson's hands.
* **jawbone of an ass (לְחִי חֲמוֹר, _lechi chamor_):** "Lechi" means jaw or cheek, and "chamor" is a donkey or ass. The choice of this specific animal's jawbone is significant. Donkeys were common beasts of burden, and their bones would be readily found and considered lowly. The very name of the place where this event occurred, Lehi (Judges 15:9, 14, 19), means "jawbone," creating a powerful wordplay and memorializing the event through the very instrument of victory. This humble, even contemptible, object sharply contrasts with the immense power unleashed through it, highlighting that the power was not in the weapon but in God's Spirit.
* **slew (וַיַּךְ, _vayyak_):** This verb, from the root נָכָה (_nakah_), means "to strike," "to smite," or "to kill." It is a strong, decisive verb that conveys the force and finality of Samson's actions. The repeated use of this verb in the Old Testament for acts of divine judgment or powerful military victories underscores the devastating effectiveness of Samson's assault on the Philistines.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And he found a new jawbone of an ass":** This opening clause highlights the serendipitous, yet divinely orchestrated, discovery of the weapon. It was not something Samson prepared or sought out; it was "found," implying its commonness and immediate availability. The "new" quality suggests its suitability for the task, setting the stage for the extraordinary feat.
* **"and put forth his hand, and took it":** This describes Samson's immediate and decisive action. Empowered by the Spirit, he doesn't hesitate but seizes the unconventional tool. This demonstrates his readiness to act upon the divine empowerment, transforming an ordinary bone into an instrument of God's judgment.
* **"and slew a thousand men therewith":** This is the climactic declaration of the verse, detailing the astonishing outcome. The number "a thousand men" is staggering, emphasizing the scale of the victory and the supernatural power at work. It signifies a complete and overwhelming rout of the Philistine force by a single individual using the most unlikely of weapons, unequivocally attributing the triumph to God's miraculous intervention through Samson.

#### Literary Devices
Judges 15:15 is rich in **Irony**, a prominent literary device in the Samson narrative. The irony lies in the stark contrast between the humble, common, and seemingly inadequate weapon—a donkey's jawbone—and the immense, devastating outcome of slaying a thousand well-armed Philistine warriors. This highlights that the power was not inherent in the instrument but derived from divine empowerment, making God's strength undeniable. The verse also employs **Hyperbole**, or at least a monumental scale, in stating that "a thousand men" were slain. While potentially a literal number given the miraculous context, it certainly emphasizes the extraordinary and overwhelming nature of Samson's feat, creating a sense of awe and wonder. Furthermore, the jawbone functions as a powerful **Symbolism**. It symbolizes God's ability to use the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the strong, demonstrating that His power is not limited by human conventions or expectations. There is also an implicit **Contrast** between the Philistine's superior military technology and Samson's primitive weapon, further accentuating the divine hand at work.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 15:15 serves as a profound theological statement on God's sovereign power and His unconventional methods of deliverance. It unequivocally demonstrates that God is not limited by human resources, conventional weaponry, or the apparent weakness of His chosen instruments. The victory is not attributed to Samson's inherent strength or the jawbone's efficacy, but to the Spirit of the Lord empowering Samson. This event underscores God's faithfulness to His covenant promises to deliver Israel, even when His people are unfaithful and surrounded by overwhelming odds. It teaches that true power resides solely in God, who delights in manifesting His might through what the world considers weak or foolish, thereby ensuring that all glory redounds to Him alone.

* [1 Samuel 17:47](/1_samuel/17-47 "1 Samuel 17:47 - The Battle is the Lord's"): "And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands."
* [2 Corinthians 12:9](/2_corinthians/12-9 "2 Corinthians 12:9 - God's Strength Made Perfect in Weakness"): "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
* [Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8-9 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Ways are Higher"): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The astonishing account of Samson and the jawbone in Judges 15:15 provides a powerful and enduring lesson for believers today: God is utterly unconstrained by our limitations, our resources, or the conventional wisdom of the world. When we face overwhelming challenges, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, or feel utterly inadequate for the tasks before us, this passage reminds us that God's power is made perfect in weakness. It calls us to relinquish our reliance on our own strength, intellect, or material possessions, and instead to surrender fully to the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Just as God used a common bone to achieve an extraordinary victory, He can use our ordinary lives, our humble gifts, and our perceived weaknesses to accomplish His extraordinary purposes for His glory. This narrative encourages radical trust in God's unconventional methods and His infinite capacity to provide victory through the most unexpected means, reminding us that true effectiveness comes not from our might, but from His Spirit working through us.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life are you tempted to rely on your own strength or conventional solutions instead of seeking God's unconventional power and wisdom?**
* **How does the story of Samson and the jawbone encourage you to trust God with seemingly inadequate resources or when facing overwhelming odds?**
* **What "impossible" situations are you currently facing where you need to surrender your limited means and allow God's supernatural empowerment to work?**
* **How might God be calling you to use a "jawbone"—a humble or overlooked gift, resource, or circumstance—for His glory in a way you haven't considered?**

### FAQ
**Why did Samson use a jawbone of an ass instead of a conventional weapon like a sword or spear?**

Answer: Samson used a jawbone of an ass precisely because it was not a conventional weapon. This choice underscores a key theological principle: God's power is not dependent on human strength, sophisticated weaponry, or conventional means. By using a common, readily available, and seemingly insignificant object, God ensured that the victory was clearly attributed to His supernatural empowerment of Samson, rather than to the weapon's inherent quality or Samson's military skill. It highlights God's ability to use the "foolish things of the world to confound the wise" and the "weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" ([1 Corinthians 1:27](/1_corinthians/1-27 "1 Corinthians 1:27 - God Chooses the Weak")).

**Was it literally a thousand men that Samson slew, or is this number hyperbole?**

Answer: While some ancient texts use large numbers hyperbolically, in the context of Samson's divinely empowered feats, the "thousand men" is generally understood to be a literal number. The narrative consistently emphasizes the supernatural nature of Samson's strength, directly attributing it to the [Spirit of the Lord rushing upon him](/judges/15-14 "Judges 15:14 - The Spirit of the Lord Empowers Samson"). This extraordinary number serves to highlight the immense scale of God's miraculous intervention and the overwhelming victory He granted through Samson. It is a testament to God's power to deliver His people decisively, even against a vastly superior enemy force.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The raw, divinely empowered strength of Samson, manifested in his single-handed victory over a thousand Philistines with a lowly jawbone, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate, perfect deliverance achieved by Jesus Christ. Samson, though a flawed deliverer, was raised up by God's Spirit to begin the rescue of Israel from physical oppression. Christ, the true and perfect Deliverer, was fully empowered by the Spirit without measure, not to defeat physical enemies with a jawbone, but to overcome the spiritual enemies of sin, death, and Satan through His seemingly "weak" act of self-sacrifice on the cross. Just as the jawbone was an unconventional weapon, the cross, a symbol of shame and defeat, became the instrument of God's greatest triumph, disarming the powers and authorities ([Colossians 2:15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Christ's Triumph Over Powers")). Samson's temporary victory points to Christ's eternal triumph, who, as the [Lamb of God](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), takes away the sin of the world and delivers all who believe from the bondage of spiritual death ([Hebrews 2:14-15](/hebrews/2-14-15 "Hebrews 2:14-15 - Christ's Victory Over Death")). In Christ, God's power is not merely displayed through a man, but perfectly embodied in the God-man, securing a complete and final victory far surpassing any physical feat.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Leviticus 26:8

And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

Joshua 23:10

One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he [it is] that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.

Judges 3:31

¶ And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

1 Corinthians 1:27

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

1 Corinthians 1:28

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

1 Samuel 17:49

And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang [it], and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

1 Samuel 17:50

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but [there was] no sword in the hand of David.