Judges 15:19 Meaning: When God Answers the Exhausted Cry
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.
But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof En–hakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.
But God clave the hollow place that is in Lehi, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore the name thereof was called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi, unto this day.
And God cleaveth the hollow place which is in Lehi, and waters come out of it, and he drinketh, and his spirit cometh back, and he reviveth; therefore hath one called its name `The fountain of him who is calling,' which is in Lehi unto this day.
And God clave the hallow rock which was in Lehi, and water came out of it. And he drank, and his spirit came again, and he revived. Therefore its name was called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.
Meaning in one sentence
Did water really come from a jawbone? Discover the true meaning of En-hakkore and what this miracle shows about God's response to desperate prayers.
Context
Samson has just fought alone against a thousand Philistines, using only the jawbone of a donkey. The battle leaves him in a place called Lehi, which means "jaw" in Hebrew. After the victory, he is desperately thirsty, exhausted, and afraid he will die of thirst and fall into enemy hands. He prays a raw, honest prayer, pointing out that God gave the victory, so why should he now die? God answers by splitting open a hollow place in the rock at Lehi, and water pours out. Samson drinks, his strength returns, and he names the spring En-hakkore, "the spring of the one who called out." The entire event, from battle to provision, becomes a memorial of God's faithfulness.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words anchor this moment. The first is baqa, the verb for "split." It means to cleave or break open with force, the same word used when God split the rock at Horeb for Moses. This is not a gentle crack. God tears open the earth to provide for His servant. The second word is ruach, Samson's "spirit" that returned. More than breath, it means his life-energy, his courage, his will to go on. When he drinks, his ruach comes back. The same word describes Jacob reviving when he heard Joseph was alive (Genesis 45:27). God restores not just the body but the whole person. The third word is En-hakkore, the name Samson gave the spring. It means "spring of the one calling out." The word for "call" is qara, a desperate cry for help. Samson turned his thirst into a prayer, and God turned the prayer into a lasting well.
How Christians Read This Verse
A key debate in this verse is about the source of the water. Many older Jewish and Christian interpreters, like Rashi and some Church Fathers, read the text literally: God brought water from a tooth socket in the actual jawbone Samson had used. This view emphasizes the sheer miraculous nature of the provision. Most modern commentators, however, point out that "Lehi" is a place name, not the object. The word means "jaw" but names the location of the battle. They understand that God split a hollow in the rock at Lehi, a mortar-shaped basin, causing a spring to flow. Both views honor God's power to provide in a moment of extreme need. The spring was still known in the writer's day, a lasting sign that God hears His people.
A common misunderstanding
A widespread misunderstanding is that water came out of the donkey's jawbone itself. Many readers picture water gushing from a tooth socket, as if the jawbone were a canteen. In fact, the Hebrew says "the hollow place that is in Lehi", Lehi is the place name. The word for "hollow" (makhtesh) means a mortar-shaped depression in rock. So God split open a rock formation at the battlefield, not the bone. The miracle is no less real, but it happened in the landscape Samson stood on, a spring that later generations could point to.
Living This Out
There may be a day this week when you give everything you have, only to find yourself completely empty. Samson had just won a staggering victory, but he was too weak to take another step. That is when he prayed, not a polished prayer but a raw one: You gave this victory, and now I am dying of thirst. God answered not by scolding him for complaining, but by splitting open the ground and providing water. You do not have to pretend you are fine. You can tell God exactly where you are, and trust that He can make a spring appear in the most unlikely place. The well He gives may become a landmark in your life, a place you return to and remember: here, God heard me.
Main takeaway: God hears the desperate cry of His exhausted servant and provides water in the place of battle, turning a need into a lasting memorial of His faithfulness.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Samson was very thirsty after a big fight. He asked God for help. God made water come out of a rock so Samson could drink. God always hears you when you need help.
For ages 9, 12
Samson had just won an impossible battle, but he was so exhausted he thought he might die of thirst. Instead of panicking, he prayed honestly to God. God answered by making a spring of water burst out of the rocky ground. Samson called that spring "the well of the one who cried out." It became a reminder that God answers when we call on Him in our hardest moments.
Questions People Ask
Did the water really come from a tooth socket in the jawbone?
Most Bible scholars today understand that 'Lehi' is a place name, meaning 'jaw.' The hollow place was a mortar-shaped basin in the rock at Lehi. The KJV's phrasing 'hollow place that was in the jaw' led some to think of the jawbone itself, but the Hebrew grammar points to a location. Both interpretations agree that God miraculously provided water when Samson desperately needed it.
What does En-hakkore mean?
En-hakkore means 'spring of the one calling out' or 'well of the crier.' Samson named it that to memorialize his prayer for help. The word 'kore' comes from the Hebrew verb for calling or crying out. It highlights that God responds to those who call on Him in distress.
Why was Samson so thirsty after killing a thousand men?
The battle happened during wheat harvest, which is hot summer weather in Israel. Samson had exerted himself violently, pursued the Philistines, and likely lost a lot of fluid. His extreme thirst was a natural consequence of intense labor in the heat. The text shows that even a Spirit-empowered champion can reach the end of his physical strength.
Is this story meant to be taken literally?
Yes, the narrative presents it as a real historical event. The writer notes that the spring was still known 'to this day' in Lehi. Christians who read the account as factual history see it as a miracle of provision, similar to water from the rock in Exodus. Others may emphasize the theological message of God's faithfulness, but the text itself does not signal any non-literal reading.
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