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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Judges 15:9–17. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. Samson violently pursued by the Philistine. They went up in a body, a more formidable force than they had together when Samson smote them hip and thigh; and they pitched in Judah, and spread themselves up and down the country, to find out Samson, who they heard had come this way, Jdg 15:9. When the men of Judah, who had tamely submitted to their yoke, pleaded that they had paid their tribute, and that none of their tribe had given them any offence, they freely own they designed nothing in this invasion but to seize Samson; they would fight neither against small nor great, but only that judge of Israel (Jdg 15:10), to do to him as he has done to us, that is, to smite his hip and thigh, as he did ours - an eye for an eye. Here was an army sent against one man, for indeed he was himself an army. Thus a whole band of men was sent to seize our Lord Jesus, that blessed Samson, though a tenth part would have served now that his hour had come, and ten times as many would have done nothing if he had not yielded.
II.Samson basely betrayed and delivered up by the men of Judah, Jdg 15:11.
Of Judah were they? Degenerate branches of that valiant tribe! Utterly unworthy to carry in their standard the lion of the tribe of Judah. Perhaps they were disaffected to Samson because he was not of their tribe. Out of a foolish fondness for their forfeited precedency, they would rather be oppressed by Philistines than rescued by a Danite. Often has the church's deliverance been obstructed by such jealousies and pretended points of honour. Rather it was because they stood in awe of the Philistines, and were willing, at any rate, to get them out of their country. If their spirits had not been perfectly cowed and broken by their sins and troubles, and they had not been given up to a spirit of slumber, they would have taken this fair opportunity to shake off the Philistine's yoke. If they had had the least spark of ingenuousness and courage remaining in them, having so brave a man as Samson was to head them, they would now have made one bold struggle for the recovery of their liberty; but no marvel if those that had debased themselves to hell in the worship of their dung-hill gods (Isa 57:9) thus debased themselves to the dust, in submission to their insulting oppressors. Sin dispirits men, nay, it infatuates them, and hides from their eyes the things that belong to their peace. Probably Samson went into the border of that country to offer his service, supposing his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them, as Moses did, Act 7:25. But they thrust him from them, and very disingenuously,
1.Blamed him for what he had done against the Philistines, as if he had done them a great injury. Such ungrateful returns have those often received that have done the best service imaginable to their country. Thus our Lord Jesus did many good works, and for these they were ready to stone him.
2.They begged of him that he would suffer them to bind him, and deliver him up to the Philistines. Cowardly unthankful wretches! Fond of their fetters and in love with servitude! Thus the Jews delivered up our Saviour, under pretence of a fear lest the Romans should come and take away their place and nation. With what a sordid servile spirit do they argue, Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? And whose fault was that? They knew they had no right to rule over them, nor would they have been sold into their hands if they had not first sold themselves to work wickedness.
III.Samson tamely yielding to be bound by his countrymen, and delivered into the hands of his enraged enemies, Jdg 15:12, Jdg 15:13.
Now easily could he have beaten them off, and kept the top of his rock against these 3000 men, and none of them all could, or durst, have laid hands on him; but he patiently submitted,
1.That he might give an example of great meekness, mixed with great strength and courage; as one that had rule over his own spirit, he knew how to yield as well as how to conquer.
2.That, by being delivered up to the Philistine, he might have an opportunity of making a slaughter among them.
3.That he might be a type of Christ, who, when he had shown what he could do, in striking those down that came to seize him, yielded to be bound and led as a lamb to the slaughter. Samson justified himself in what he had done against the Philistines: "As they did to me, so I did to them; it was a piece of necessary justice, and they ought not to retaliate it upon me, for they began." He covenants with the men of Judah that, if he put himself into their hands, they should not fall upon him themselves, because then he should be tempted to fall upon them, which he was very loth to do. This they promised him (Jdg 15:13), and then he surrendered. The men of Judah, being his betrayers, were in effect his murderers; they would not kill him themselves, but they did that which was worse, they delivered him into the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines, who they knew would do worse than kill him, would abuse and torment him to death. Perhaps they thought, as some think Judas did when he betrayed Christ, that he would by his great strength deliver himself out of their hands; but no thanks to them if he had delivered himself, and, if they thought he would do so, they might of themselves have thought this again, that he could and would deliver them too if they would adhere to him and make him their head. Justly is their misery prolonged who, to oblige their worst enemies, thus abuse their best friend. Never were men so infatuated except those who thus treated our blessed Saviour.
IV.Samson making his part good against the Philistines, even when he was delivered into their hands, fast pinioned with two new cords.
The Philistines, when they had him among them, shouted against him (Jdg 15:14), so triumphing in their success, and insulting over him. If God had not tied their hands faster than the men of Judah had tied his, they would have shot at him (as their archers did at Saul) to dispatch him immediately, rather than have shouted at him, and given him time to help himself. But their security and joy were a presage of their ruin. When they shouted against him as a man run down, confident that all was their own, then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, came mightily upon him, inspired him with more than ordinary strength and resolution. Thus fired,
1.He presently got clear of his bonds. The two new cords, upon the first struggle he gave, broke, and were melted (as the original word is) from off his hands, no doubt to the great amazement and terror of those that shouted against him, whose shouts were hereby turned into shrieks. Observe, When the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, his cords were loosed. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty, and those are free indeed who are thus freed. This typified the resurrection of Christ by the power of the Spirit of holiness. In it he loosed the bands of death, and its cords, the grave-clothes, fell from his hands without being loosed, as Lazarus's were, because it was impossible that the mighty Saviour should be holden of them; and thus he triumphed over the powers of darkness that shouted against him, as if they had him sure.
2.He made a great destruction among the Philistines, who all gathered about him to make sport with him, Jdg 15:15. See how poorly he was armed: he had no better weapon than the jaw-bone of an ass, and yet what execution he did with it! he never laid it out of his hand till he had with it laid 1000 Philistines dead upon the spot; and thus that promise was more than accomplished. One of you shall chase a thousand, Jos 23:10. A jaw-bone was an inconvenient thing to grasp, and, one would think, might easily be wrested out of his hand, and a few such blows as he gave with it might have crushed and broken it, and yet it held good to the last. Had it been the jaw-bone of a lion, especially that which he himself had slain, it might have helped to heighten his fancy and to make him think himself the more formidable; but to take the bone of that despicable animal was to do wonders by the foolish things of the world, that the excellency of the power might be of God and not of man. One of David's worthies slew 300 Philistines at once, but it was with a spear, Ch1 11:11. Another slew of them till his hand was weary and stuck to his sword, Sa2 23:10. But they all came short of Samson. What could be thought too hard, too much, for him to do, on whom the Spirit of the Lord came mightily! Through God we shall do valiantly. It was strange the men of Judah did not now come in to his aid: cowards can strike a falling enemy. But he was to be a type of him that trod the wine-press alone.
V.Samson celebrating his own victory, since the men of Judah would not do even that for him.
He composed a short song, which he sang to himself, for the daughters of Israel did not meet him, as afterwards they did Saul, to sing, with more reason, Samson hath slain his thousands. The burden of this song was, With the jaw-bone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, have I slain a thousand men, Jdg 15:16. The same word in Hebrew (chamor) signifies both an ass and a heap, so that this is an elegant paronomasia, and represents the Philistines falling as tamely as asses. He also gave a name to the place, to perpetuate the Philistines' disgrace, Jdg 15:17. Ramath-lehi, the lifting up of the jaw-bone. Yet he did not vain-gloriously carry the bone about with him for a show, but threw it away when he had done with it. So little were relics valued then.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Their word being pledged he came out of the cave, and left his fastness on the rock, and was bound with two ropes. When he saw the mighty men of the Philistines drawing near to seize him, his spirit rose within him, and he brake all his bands, and taking up a jaw bone of an ass that lay near he slew a thousand men, and put to flight the rest by this exploit of valour, whole hosts of armed soldiers giving way to one unarmed man. Thus those who ventured to close with him hand to hand he slew without effort; the others saved themselves by flight. Wherefore to this day the place is called Agon, because there Samson by his great valour achieved a glorious contest.
And I would that his moderation in victory had been equal to his courage against the enemy. But as is frequently the case, with mind unused to prosperity, he ascribed to himself the issue of the battle, which was due to the Divine favour and protection, saying, "With the jaw bone of an ass have I slain a thousand men." Nor did he build an altar to God, nor offer a victim, but neglecting sacrifice and assuming to himself the glory, to immortalize his triumph by a memorial name he called the place, The slaying of the jaw bone.
Now when Samson destroyed a thousand men with a jawbone from the body of an ass, the Gentiles were prefigured in the ass; for thus Scripture speaks concerning both Jews and Gentiles: “An ox knows its owner, and an ass its master’s manger.” Before the coming of Christ all the Gentiles were torn to pieces by the devil and lay scattered like dry bones from the ass’s body, but when Christ the true Samson came, he seized them all in his holy hands. He restored them by the hands of his power, and with them overcame his and our adversaries. Thus, we who had given our members to the devil before so that he might kill us, were seized by Christ and became instruments of justice unto God.
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Summary
Judges 15:16 records Samson's triumphant and poetic declaration following his extraordinary victory over a thousand Philistines, achieved with the most unlikely of weapons: the fresh jawbone of a donkey. This verse serves as a powerful testament to divine empowerment, showcasing God's ability to use unconventional and seemingly insignificant means to accomplish His mighty purposes, while also subtly revealing Samson's complex character, marked by both supernatural strength and a measure of personal pride in the wake of God's extraordinary deliverance.
Context
Literary Context
This verse immediately follows the dramatic account of Samson's single-handed slaughter of a thousand Philistine men. The narrative in Judges 15 commences with Samson's act of vengeance against the Philistines for burning his wife and her father, leading him to strike them "hip and thigh with a great slaughter" as described in Judges 15:8. The men of Judah, fearing Philistine reprisal, subsequently bind Samson and deliver him to the Philistines. It is at this critical juncture, empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, that Samson breaks his bonds and discovers a fresh jawbone of a donkey, which he then uses to decimate his enemies. Verse 16 is Samson's personal, celebratory pronouncement, a spontaneous victory song or boast, which is then immediately followed by his severe thirst and God's miraculous provision of water from Lehi, the very place of his triumph.
Historical & Cultural Context
The period of the Judges (roughly 1200-1000 BC) was a turbulent era in Israel's history, characterized by a cyclical pattern of apostasy, oppression by foreign nations, cries for deliverance, and the raising of a judge by God to provide temporary relief. The Philistines, a powerful "Sea People" who had settled along the southwestern coast of Canaan, were a formidable military and cultural force, frequently oppressing Israel. Their advanced iron technology gave them a significant military advantage over Israel, who were still largely in the Bronze Age. Samson, a Nazarite from birth, was raised by God to "begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines" as foretold in Judges 13:5. His actions, though often driven by personal vendetta and marked by moral ambiguity, were divinely orchestrated to weaken Philistine control and demonstrate God's sovereignty over the oppressors of His people.
Key Themes
Judges 15:16 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Judges and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights Divine Empowerment, demonstrating that God's strength is not limited by human weakness or the conventional means of warfare; He can equip an individual with supernatural power to achieve His purposes, as seen throughout Samson's life and in the broader narrative of Judges. Secondly, it showcases God's Unconventional Methods, emphasizing that God often chooses the weak, foolish, or unexpected to confound the strong and wise, a principle echoed in passages like 1 Corinthians 1:27. The use of a simple donkey's jawbone against a thousand armed men underscores God's ability to work through seemingly insignificant instruments. Thirdly, the verse, while celebrating victory, also subtly points to Samson's Flawed Character. Despite being divinely used, Samson's personal declaration hints at a prideful and self-aggrandizing nature, a recurring motif that foreshadows his later struggles and ultimate downfall, reminding readers that God works through imperfect vessels but does not endorse their sin.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers specifically to the cheek or jaw-bone. In this context, it denotes the mandible, or lower jaw, of the donkey. The significance lies not in the inherent strength of the bone itself, but in its commonality and unsuitability as a weapon. The fact that it was "fresh" (from Judges 15:15) suggests it still retained some organic material, making its use even more remarkable and highlighting the miraculous nature of Samson's feat.
This word refers to a male donkey, a common beast of burden in ancient Israel. The donkey was an ordinary animal, often associated with humility and labor. Its connection to the Hebrew word for "heap" (as detailed below) forms the central wordplay of Samson's declaration, linking the humble instrument to the overwhelming result.
This word signifies a heap or mound. Its phonetic similarity to chămôwr (donkey) is central to Samson's pun. The repetition "heaps upon heaps" (or literally "heap, two heaps" in the Hebrew dual form) vividly describes the immense number of slain Philistines, piled high like mounds of bodies. The clever wordplay emphasizes the scale of the victory and Samson's audacious wit, linking the instrument of death (the donkey's jawbone) to the gruesome result (mounds of dead Philistines, like "donkeys" or "heaps").
Verse Breakdown
"And Samson said"
This introductory phrase sets the stage for Samson's personal declaration. It frames his words as a spontaneous, triumphant utterance, akin to a self-composed victory song or a boastful proverb (a mashal in Hebrew). It underscores his direct involvement and the personal pride he takes in the accomplishment, even though it was divinely empowered.
"With the jawbone of an ass"
This clause immediately identifies the humble, unconventional, and seemingly inadequate instrument of his victory. It highlights the miraculous nature of the feat, emphasizing that the power was not inherent in the weapon itself but in the one wielding it, supernaturally empowered by God. This choice of weapon underscores God's ability to work through the most unlikely means.
"heaps upon heaps"
This is the poetic and linguistic heart of the verse, a vivid and hyperbolic description of the sheer number of slain Philistines. It conveys the overwhelming scale of the slaughter and, as detailed in the Key Word Analysis, contains a clever Hebrew pun connecting the donkey (the instrument) to the mounds of dead bodies (the result). The repetition emphasizes the vastness of the carnage.
"with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men"
This final clause reiterates the specific weapon for emphatic effect, reinforcing its unlikely nature, and then states the astounding number of casualties. The repetition and the numerical claim underscore the seemingly impossible nature of the victory achieved with such a simple tool against such a vast number of armed adversaries, ultimately pointing to the supernatural power at work.
Literary Devices
Judges 15:16 is rich in literary artistry, primarily employing Wordplay (or pun) as its central device. The clever use of the Hebrew word ḥămôr (חֲמוֹר), meaning both "donkey" and "heap" or "mound," is a brilliant example of Samson's wit and the narrator's skill. This pun creates a direct, ironic, and even macabre link between the humble instrument of victory and the overwhelming result, making the verse memorable and impactful. Additionally, the verse utilizes Repetition ("With the jawbone of an ass... with the jaw of an ass") for emphasis, underscoring the specific, unlikely weapon and reinforcing the miraculous nature of the event. The entire declaration functions as a short Triumphal Song or Poetic Declaration, a common literary form in ancient Near Eastern narratives to celebrate significant victories and boast of accomplishments. Finally, the phrase "a thousand men" can be seen as Hyperbole, a deliberate exaggeration to emphasize the immense scale of the victory and the overwhelming odds Samson faced, further highlighting the miraculous nature of God's intervention.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Judges 15:16 profoundly illustrates the principle of God's power made perfect in weakness, a recurring theme throughout scripture. It demonstrates that God is not limited by human resources, conventional strength, or the apparent insignificance of His chosen instruments. Just as He used a shepherd's sling to fell a giant, or a small band of men with trumpets and jars to rout an army, here He uses a mere animal bone to achieve a monumental victory. This underscores divine sovereignty and His ability to accomplish His purposes through the most unlikely means, often to highlight that the glory belongs to Him alone, not to human might or cleverness. This event serves as a powerful reminder that true strength comes from divine enablement, not from worldly power or prestige, and that God delights in confounding human expectations to display His own glory.
Reflection and Application
Samson's victory in Judges 15:16, achieved with the most humble of tools, offers profound lessons for contemporary believers. It challenges us to re-evaluate our understanding of strength and capability, reminding us that God's power is not contingent on our resources, our intellect, or our perceived strengths. When faced with overwhelming challenges, whether personal struggles, spiritual battles, or societal injustices, this passage calls us to abandon reliance on our own limited abilities and instead trust in the supernatural, limitless power of God. It encourages us to be available instruments in His hands, no matter how insignificant we may feel, knowing that He delights in using the "foolish things of the world to shame the wise" 1 Corinthians 1:27. Our flaws, like Samson's, do not disqualify us from being used by God, though they may complicate our journey and hinder our full potential. The ultimate message is one of radical dependence on God's enabling grace, recognizing that His power is most clearly demonstrated when our own weakness is most evident, ensuring that all glory redounds to Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Samson's strength from the jawbone itself, or was it supernatural?
Samson's strength was unequivocally supernatural, a direct gift from God, not inherent in the jawbone itself. Judges 15:14 explicitly states that "the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him" just before he broke his bonds and found the jawbone. The jawbone was merely the instrument through which God's power was manifested. This highlights God's ability to use any means, no matter how humble or unlikely, to accomplish His purposes, ensuring that the glory belongs to Him alone, not to the weapon or the human agent.
What is the significance of the wordplay "heaps upon heaps" in this verse?
The wordplay is a clever and triumphant pun by Samson. The Hebrew word for "donkey" is chamor (חֲמוֹר), and a very similar-sounding word for "heap" or "mound" is also chamor (חֲמוֹר). The phrase "heaps upon heaps" (or "heap, two heaps" in the Hebrew dual form) is chamor chamoratayim, which creates a double entendre, sounding like "donkey, two donkeys" or "donkeys, donkeys." Samson is essentially making a macabre joke, connecting the instrument of his victory (the donkey's jawbone) to the overwhelming number of slain Philistines, piled high like "heaps" or "mounds," or even like "donkeys." It emphasizes the sheer scale of the slaughter and Samson's audacious wit, while also subtly pointing to the humble nature of the instrument God chose.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Samson, though a deeply flawed and complex figure, serves as a type of Christ, a deliverer raised up by God to rescue His people from their oppressors. Just as Samson, empowered by the Spirit, achieved an impossible victory against overwhelming odds with a seemingly insignificant instrument, so too did Jesus Christ, through His apparent weakness on the cross, achieve the ultimate and decisive victory over sin, death, and the power of the enemy. The "jawbone of an ass" foreshadows the "foolishness" of the cross, which to the world appears weak and scandalous, yet is the very power of God for salvation 1 Corinthians 1:18. Christ, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, became the ultimate, seemingly vulnerable, instrument through whom God accomplished His greatest act of deliverance. Unlike Samson, whose strength was physical and whose victories were partial and marred by personal sin, Christ's victory was spiritual, complete, and eternally perfect, securing true freedom for all who believe John 8:36. Thus, Judges 15:16, in its display of divine power through unexpected means, points forward to the supreme, counter-intuitive triumph of God in Christ, where weakness became the conduit for ultimate strength and salvation.