TRV
Translation
King James Version
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
Complete Jewish Bible
After he finished speaking he threw the jawbone away, and the place came to be called Ramat-Lechi [jawbone heights].
Berean Standard Bible
And when Samson had finished speaking, he cast the jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi.
American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand; and that place was called Ramath-lehi.
World English Bible Messianic
When he had finished speaking, he threw the jawbone out of his hand; and that place was called Ramath Lehi.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And when he had left speaking, hee cast away the iawebone out of his hande, and called that place, Ramath-Lehi.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass when he finisheth speaking, that he casteth away the jaw-bone out of his hand, and calleth that place Ramath-Lehi;
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In the KJVVerse 6,947 of 31,102
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Commentary on Judges 15 verses 9–17
9 ¶ Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
10 And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.
11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
12 And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
13 And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.
14 And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
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.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 9–17. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Judges 15:17 captures the immediate aftermath of Samson's monumental victory over the Philistines, where he, empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, used a donkey's jawbone to slay a thousand men. Following his triumphant poetic declaration, this verse records Samson's symbolic act of discarding the extraordinary instrument of war and, in a significant cultural gesture, naming the very place of his victory "Ramathlehi," which means "Jawbone Height," thereby establishing an enduring memorial to God's astounding intervention and the decisive, divinely-enabled triumph achieved through the most unlikely of means.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The narrative of Judges 15:17 is rich with Symbolism and Irony. The jawbone itself is a potent symbol: a common, seemingly insignificant, and even unclean object (from a dead animal) becomes the instrument of a monumental victory. This powerfully symbolizes God's ability to use the weak and foolish things of the world to shame the strong and wise, a recurring biblical theme. The Irony is palpable in the stark disparity between the humble, discarded weapon and the overwhelming outcome—a single bone wielded by one man defeats a thousand armed Philistine warriors. Furthermore, the act of naming the place "Ramathlehi" serves as an act of Commemoration and Memorialization, a common literary and cultural device in the Old Testament to ensure that significant divine acts are remembered, celebrated, and passed down through generations, reinforcing the historical and theological continuity of God's work among His people.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 15:17 powerfully illustrates God's sovereign power and His freedom to work through any means He chooses, often selecting the most unlikely instruments to accomplish His grand purposes. Samson's discarding of the jawbone after the victory underscores that the power was never inherent in the object itself, but flowed directly from the Spirit of God. This challenges human tendencies to rely on visible strength, impressive resources, or conventional methods, instead pointing to an invisible, divine source as the ultimate wellspring of true power and effectiveness. The naming of "Ramathlehi" further emphasizes the profound importance of remembering and testifying to God's mighty acts, ensuring that His faithfulness, miraculous provision, and omnipotence are not forgotten but serve as a foundational anchor for future faith and a testament to His enduring character.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Judges 15:17 offers profound and enduring lessons for contemporary believers. Just as Samson cast away the jawbone, recognizing it as merely an instrument, we are called to release our grip on our own perceived strengths, talents, achievements, or material resources, acknowledging with humility that true power, ultimate victory, and lasting fruitfulness come solely from God. This verse challenges us to critically examine what "jawbones" we might be clinging to, mistakenly believing them to be the source of our effectiveness, rather than humbly depending on the Lord's supernatural enablement. It also serves as a poignant reminder of the vital importance of remembering God's past faithfulness and miraculous victories in our lives, both individually and corporately. By intentionally recalling, commemorating, and sharing His interventions, we build a robust foundation of faith for future challenges, trusting that the God who delivered us before will continue to do so. Our personal and communal "Ramathlehis" are the testimonies of His power, meant to be cherished, remembered, and proclaimed for His glory.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Samson cast away the jawbone?
Answer: Samson cast away the jawbone primarily to signify the completion of the immediate task and to communicate a profound theological truth: the jawbone itself was merely an instrument, not the source of his power. This action emphasizes that the extraordinary strength and victory came solely from the Spirit of God, not from the physical properties or inherent might of the bone. It highlights the temporary nature of the tool once its divine purpose was served, moving Samson from the intensity of battle to a state of exhaustion and subsequent dependence on God for water, as seen in Judges 15:18. This act prevents the glorification of the instrument and directs all glory to God.
What is the significance of naming the place "Ramathlehi"?
Answer: The naming of the place "Ramathlehi" (meaning "Height of the Jawbone" or "Jawbone Hill") holds profound significance within ancient Near Eastern culture and biblical theology. In these cultures, naming a place after a pivotal event served as a permanent memorial and a historical marker. This act ensured that the miraculous victory achieved through God's power would be remembered by future generations, transforming an ordinary geographical feature into a living testimony. It served as a tangible reminder of divine power displayed in a specific location, a testament to God's ability to use unlikely instruments, and His faithfulness in delivering His people from their oppressors, thereby reinforcing the narrative of God's active involvement in Israel's history.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Samson's victory with the jawbone and the subsequent naming of Ramathlehi powerfully foreshadow the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ. Samson, empowered by the Spirit, used a common, seemingly weak instrument to achieve a miraculous, albeit temporary, deliverance for Israel. This points profoundly to Christ, who, though fully God, humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant and becoming obedient even to death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). The cross, like the jawbone, appeared to be an instrument of weakness, shame, and defeat, yet through it, God accomplished the definitive, eternal victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). Just as Samson discarded the jawbone because the power was not in the object but in God, Christ's victory was not dependent on human strength or earthly means, but on the divine power of God, powerfully demonstrated in His resurrection (Romans 1:4). The memorial of Ramathlehi, commemorating a past deliverance, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the enduring reality of Christ's finished work on the cross and His glorious resurrection, a victory we continually remember and proclaim through the Lord's Supper until He comes again (1 Corinthians 11:26). He is the true "stronger man" who has bound the strong man (Satan) and plundered his house, bringing eternal liberation and establishing His everlasting kingdom (Mark 3:27).