Judges 15:9-17 · Bible study
Judges 15:9-17 Commentary: Samson's Jawbone Victory
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the significance of Lehi and the jawbone in Samson's Spirit-empowered victory over a thousand Philistines, and the men of Judah's betrayal.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God uses an unlikely weapon and a flawed judge to deliver Israel, while his own people side with the enemy out of fear.
- Key words: Ruach Yahweh (Spirit of the LORD), the source of Samson's power; lechi (jawbone), both weapon and place-name; chamor (donkey/heap), the pun at the heart of the victory song.
- Main debate: Whether the jawbone was fresh/moist or partly decomposed (Clarke argues for putrid; JFB, Lange for fresh); and whether the name Lehi existed before the event (Keil says prolepsis; Cambridge notes the tradition attached the story to an existing name).
- Theological theme: Sovereignty of God in using weakness to demonstrate strength (compare 1 Corinthians 1:27, 28).
- Best use: A narrative for teaching on the Holy Spirit's power, the danger of accommodation to oppression, and God's unconventional methods.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9Then the Philistines went up, camped in Judah, and deployed themselves near the town of Lehi.
10“Why have you attacked us?” said the men of Judah. The Philistines replied, “We have come to arrest Samson and pay him back for what he has done to us.”
11In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?” “I have done to them what they did to me,” he replied.
12But they said to him, “We have come down to arrest you and hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson replied, “Swear to me that you will not kill me yourselves.”
13“No,” they answered, “we will not kill you, but we will tie you up securely and hand you over to them.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock.
14When Samson arrived in Lehi, the Philistines came out shouting against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him. The ropes on his arms became like burnt flax, and the bonds broke loose from his hands.
15He found the fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and struck down a thousand men.
16Then Samson said: “With the jawbone of a donkey I have piled them into heaps. With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men.”
17And when Samson had finished speaking, he cast the jawbone from his hand; and he named that place Ramath-lehi.
WEB World English Bible 2000
9Then the Philistines went up, encamped in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
10The men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.”
11Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in Etam’s rock, and said to Samson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” He said to them, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.”
12They said to him, “We have come down to bind you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines.” Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.”
13They spoke to him, saying, “No, but we will bind you securely and deliver you into their hands; but surely we will not kill you.” They bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
14When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. Then Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that was burned with fire; and his bands dropped from off his hands.
15He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, put out his hand, took it, and struck a thousand men with it.
16Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps on heaps; with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck a thousand men.”
17When he had finished speaking, he threw the jawbone out of his hand; and that place was called Ramath Lehi.
KJV King James Version 1769
9Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
10And 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.
11Then 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.
12And 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.
13And 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.
14And 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.
15And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
17And 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 Ramath–lehi.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
9Then the Philistines went up, and encamped in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
10And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they said, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.
11Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
12And 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.
13And 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 ropes, and brought him up from the rock.
14When he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands.
15And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote a thousand men therewith.
16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men.
17And 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
9And the Philistines go up, and encamp in Judah, and are spread out in Lehi,
10and the men of Judah say, `Why have ye come up against us?' and they say, `To bind Samson we have come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.'
11And three thousand men of Judah go down unto the cleft of the rock Etam, and say to Samson, `Hast thou now known that the Philistines are rulers over us? and what is this thou hast done to us?' And he saith to them, `As they did to me, so I did to them.'
12And they say to him, `To bind thee we have come down--to give thee into the hand of the Philistines.' And Samson saith to them, `Swear to me, lest ye fall upon me yourselves.'
13And they speak to him, saying, No, but we certainly bind thee, and have given thee into their hand, and we certainly do not put thee to death;' and they bind him with two thick bands, new ones, and bring him up from the rock.
14He hath come unto Lehi--and the Philistines have shouted at meeting him--and the Spirit of Jehovah prospereth over him, and the thick bands which are on his arms are as flax which they burn with fire, and his bands are wasted from off his hands,
15and he findeth a fresh jaw-bone of an ass, and putteth forth his hand and taketh it, and smiteth with it--a thousand men.
16And Samson saith, `With a jaw-bone of the ass--an ass upon asses--with a jaw-bone of the ass I have smitten a thousand men.'
17And 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;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
9And the Philistines went up, and encamped in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
10And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they said, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he has done to us.
11Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the cliff Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? And what is this that thou hast done to us? And he said to them, As they did to me, so have I done to them.
12And they said to him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may give thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said to them, Swear to me that ye will not fall on me yourselves.
13And they spoke to him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand; but we certainly shall not put thee to death. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the cliff.
14When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and the cords that were on his arms became as threads of flax that are burned with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
15And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it, and slew with it a thousand men.
16And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, a heap, two heaps, With the jawbone of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
17And it came to pass when he had ended speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramath-Lehi.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
9Then the Philistines going up into the land of Juda, camped in the place which afterwards was called Lechi, that is, the Jawbone, where their army was spread abroad.
10And the men of the tribe of Juda said to them: Why are you come up against us? They answered: We are come to bind Samson, and to pay him for what he hath done against us.
11Wherefore three thousand men of Juda went down to the cave of the rock Etam, and said to Samson: Knowest thou not that the Philistines rule over us? Why wouldst thou do thus? And he said to them: As they did to me, so have I done to them.
12And they said to him: We are come to bind thee, and to deliver thee into the hands of the Philistines. And Samson said to them: Swear to me, and promise me that you will not kill me.
13They said: We will not kill thee: but we will deliver thee up bound. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him from the rock Etam.
14Now when he was come to the place of the Jawbone, and the Philistines shouting went to meet him, the Spirit of the Lord came strongly upon him: and as flax is wont to be consumed at the approach of fire, so the bands with which he was bound were broken and loosed.
15And finding a jawbone, even the jawbone of an ass, which lay there, catching it up, he slew therewith a thousand men.
16And he said: With the jawbone of an ass, with the jaw of the colt of asses, I have destroyed them, and have slain a thousand men.
17And when he had ended these words, singing, he threw the jawbone out of his hand, and called the name of that place Ramathlechi, which is interpreted the lifting up of the jawbone.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Judges 15:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage shows God delivering Israel through Samson despite his personal flaws and the cowardice of his countrymen. The Spirit of Yahweh coming 'mightily' upon Samson is the driving force: the new ropes 'became as flax that was burned with fire' (Keil and Delitzsch note the poetic parallelism describing a miraculous release). The number 3000 men of Judah sent to arrest one man underscores both Samson's fearsome reputation and Judah's abject submission to the Philistines (Clarke, Matthew Henry). All major traditions see the jawbone as a deliberately ridiculous weapon that magnifies the divine power at work; the feat is 'a case of supernatural strength' (Chalmers, quoted in JFB). The song in verse 16 is a wordplay on lechi (jawbone) and chamor (donkey/heap), as Cambridge and Barnes explain. The place name Ramath-lehi (Height of the Jawbone) commemorates the victory and ties the location to the instrument God used.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Samson, empowered by the Spirit of God, used a jawbone of a donkey to kill a thousand Philistines near a place that subsequently was called Ramath-lehi.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The nature of the jawbone (fresh or putrid) | Commentators agree the jawbone was somehow suitable for use as a weapon, whether still moist or already decaying. | Clarke suggests it was putrid (from a dead donkey), making the weapon and the victory even more grotesque and miraculous. JFB and Lange take 'fresh' as meaning moist, still flexible enough to strike effectively. The Hebrew <em>teriyah</em> allows either reading. |
| The existence of the name Lehi before the event | All agree that the narrative deliberately connects the place name to the jawbone. | Keil and Delitzsch argue the name was given proleptically by the storyteller, while Cambridge notes that local tradition likely attached the story to an existing place named Lehi (jaw). The wordplay may have been adapted from an existing name. |
| The role of Samson's own strength vs. the Spirit's power | Both Protestant and Catholic traditions hold that the enabling power came from the Spirit of Yahweh. The ropes breaking and the slaughter are miraculous. | Within Protestantism, some (e.g., Matthew Henry) emphasize the Spirit's sudden empowerment as distinct from Samson's natural strength; others (Chalmers, in JFB) treat it as consistently supernatural throughout his life. Catholics typically see the Spirit's operation as raising Samson's natural capacities to a heroic level, consistent with grace building on nature. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Philistines controlled the lowlands and foothills of Judah during Samson's time (Judges 13:1). Their move from the coastal plain 'up' to the hill country of Judah was a military raid to catch Samson after he had burned their crops and struck them 'hip and thigh.' Barnes notes that 'spread themselves' is a technical term for how Philistine forces fanned out from a tight column in the wadis, a tactic also seen in 2 Samuel 5:18 and 5:22.
Lehi (meaning 'jawbone') was probably a location near the border of Judah and Philistine territory, possibly modern el-Lekieh. The narrative uses the name proleptically: it was known by that name later, but the storyteller uses it already in verse 9 (Keil and Delitzsch). The rock of Etam is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:32 as a village in Simeon's territory. The 'cleft' or 'cave' there provided Samson a hideout after earlier attacks.
The men of Judah's question, 'Don't you know the Philistines are rulers over us?', reveals how deeply the spirit of Deuteronomy 28:47, 48 had taken root: they had stopped seeing their overlords as enemies to be resisted and accepted them as a fact of life. Three thousand men, a large force, went to apprehend a single man, showing both their fear of Philistine retaliation and their unwillingness to see Samson as a deliverer. The binding with 'two new ropes' (which had never been used, per Numbers 19:2's idea of something unused) may have been seen as more secure, but the Spirit made them like burnt flax. The 'fresh jawbone' (Hebrew teriyah) likely means 'moist' or 'not dried out,' still strong enough to use as a club (Lange, JFB).
Textual Notes
The supplied Hebrew text is stable. The phrase rendered 'spread themselves' (WEB: wayyinnāṭəšū) is a Niphal of nāṭaš, meaning 'they were spread out', used also in 2 Samuel 5:18 and 5:22. The KJV 'pitched' is less precise. The word teriyah (translated 'new' or 'fresh') occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible; its meaning is inferred from context and cognate languages. No significant textual variants affect the interpretation of the passage.
Reception History
Ancient Jewish tradition (preserved in Josephus) treated this story as evidence of Samson's quasi-divine strength. The early church, beginning with Clement of Rome, saw Samson as a figure of Christ in his betrayal and victory over enemies. Medieval typological readings (e.g., in the Glossa Ordinaria) compared the jawbone to the cross, a despised instrument of salvation. Reformation commentators such as Matthew Henry and Keil and Delitzsch stressed the contrast between Judah's faithless pragmatism and the Spirit's sovereign power. The wordplay in verse 16 has been noted by every major tradition as an example of Hebrew poetic flair. In hymnody, the line 'with the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps' occasionally appears in martial hymns celebrating God's deliverance through humble means.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Betrayed by the Brethren. The men of Judah place political safety above covenant solidarity. They confront not the enemy but God's appointed deliverer. Their words, 'What is this you have done to us?', echo Israel's complaints against Moses. Samson's restraint ('swear you will not attack me yourselves') shows he will not fight his own people.
- Unbound by the Spirit. The moment the Philistines shout in triumph, the Spirit of Yahweh rushes upon Samson. The ropes that seemed invincible become like burnt flax. The victory does not begin with Samson's strength but with God's sudden, unprovoked intervention.
- A Foolish Weapon, a Lasting Name. A donkey's jawbone, the most undignified of weapons, becomes the instrument for slaughter. Samson's poem plays on the words for 'donkey' and 'heap.' He throws the bone away afterward; the place is renamed 'Hill of the Jawbone.' God uses what seems contemptible to bring about deliverance.
Five-Point Outline
- The Philistine raid (vv. 9, 10): Fear drives the oppressors to seek revenge.
- The men of Judah's cowardice (v. 11): They rebuke the wrong man.
- Samson's submission to binding (vv. 12, 13): He chooses captivity rather than civil war.
- The Spirit's explosion (v. 14): Freedom comes from God, not from human arrangements.
- The slaughter and naming (vv. 15, 17): A thousand enemies fall, and a place is forever marked by God's act.
Illustration Hooks
- A person who has been bullied for years suddenly finds the courage to stand up, not from their own resources, but from a conviction that God is with them. The cowardice of Judah looks like the voice that says 'just keep the peace.'
- An athlete who has trained with the best equipment wins a race using a borrowed pair of shoes. The jawbone felt like the least adequate tool in the world, but it was the one God used.
- A church that feels outnumbered by local pressures. The men of Judah saw the Philistines as too strong to resist. Samson saw them as enemies of God's people.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why would Samson let his own people bind him and hand him over? Didn't he know they would betray him?
- What does it mean that the Spirit 'came mightily' upon him? Is that kind of empowerment available today?
- If God wanted to defeat the Philistines, why use such a crude weapon? Why not let Samson keep his dignity?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is unsettling. The people God called to be his own are helping the enemy capture their God-appointed deliverer. Samson stands alone, not because he is perfect (he is not), but because the Spirit of God is with him. In your group, let the tension of this story challenge easy assumptions about what loyalty to God looks like when the majority has given up hope.
Discussion Questions
- Read verses 9, 10. What do the words of the Philistines reveal about why they came? How does their motive compare to Samson's actions in chapter 14?
- In verse 11, the men of Judah confront Samson, not the Philistines. What does their question presume about who is responsible for their trouble?
- Samson demands an oath that Judah will not kill him themselves. Why does this matter? What does it show about his priorities?
- Verse 14 is the turning point. What changes the moment the Philistines shout? How does the description of the ropes burning like flax help you imagine the scene?
- The jawbone is called 'fresh' (or 'moist'). Why do you think the storyteller notes this detail?
- Samson's victory song (verse 16) is a wordplay on 'donkey' and 'heap.' What is the tone of this song, pride, joy, mockery? Does it sound like praise to God or self-congratulation?
- Notice that Samson throws the jawbone away and Renames the place. What does this naming say about who gets the glory? Compare this to the well he names in verse 19.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Judges 15:19 | But God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out of it. When he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived. Therefore its name was called En Hakkore, which is in Lehi, to this day. |
| Deuteronomy 28:13 | Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you today, to observe and to do, |
| Deuteronomy 28:47 | Because you didn’t serve Yahweh your God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things; |
| Deuteronomy 28:48 | therefore you will serve your enemies whom Yahweh sends against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in lack of all things. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you. |
| Judges 13:1 | The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. |
| Judges 14:4 | But his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of Yahweh; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel. |
| I Chronicles 4:32 | Their villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan, five cities; |
| Psalms 106:40 | Therefore Yahweh burned with anger against his people. He abhorred his inheritance. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues the jawbone Samson used was likely from a putrid donkey carcass, making it easy to separate from the head. He sees this detail as providential and worth recording, unlike a fresh bone. Clarke also offers a different translation of Samson's victory cry, reading it as a poetic song rather than meaning "heaps."
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the wordplay in Samson's triumph song, noting that the Hebrew word for "ass" also means "heap," a riddle-like flourish typical of Samson. He also observes that the Judahites were so dispirited under Philistine rule that they were prepared to hand over their champion, revealing the heavy burden of the judge's role.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that Samson's battle at Lehi was a purely local, private affair, not a national uprising. The place names were explained by popular etymology from the jawbone and where Samson threw it, and a nearby spring became the one God provided after his cry for help.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads Samson's surrender as a deliberate type of Christ: just as Samson allowed himself to be bound and handed to the Philistines rather than harm his own people, Christ willingly submitted to arrest and delivery to the Romans. He further notes that the Spirit's power turned a fresh jawbone into an instrument of spectacular victory, prefiguring how the Gospel conquers through what seems weak.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the jawbone's utter inadequacy as a weapon proves this was a miraculous display of supernatural strength, comparable to how the gift of prophecy reveals supernatural knowledge. Samson's victory at the hill he named Ramath-lehi was plainly an act of divine power, not human ability.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch highlight the deep moral failure of the men of Judah. Instead of rallying to Samson as a deliverer sent by God, they rebuke him and hand him over to the Philistines, a sign of their degraded condition. The commentators also note that Samson's victory was not a single blow but a series of encounters, as the song's "heap, two heaps" suggests.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that the text shifts from "Jehovah" in Samson's prayer to "Elohim" in God's answer, which he believes signals that even non-Israelites recognized the miracle as divine. The well was a second deliverance, showing Samson that his own strength was useless without God's direct provision.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes the moral failure of the men of Judah, who accepted Philistine rule as inevitable and preferred to betray Samson rather than fight. Their question "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us?" reveals a cowering spirit, trusting in bondage rather than in God's power working through Samson.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley rejects Matthew Henry's claim that the goodness of God's promised land will intensify the punishment of those who perish. He argues that this reasoning fails under predestination: if some are not elected, they never had a genuine offer, and if all the elect are saved, the grant was never free to the others.