Judges 15:14
in Judges 15When 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When 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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Judges 15
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Then the Philistines went up--to the high land of Judah. and spread themselves in Lehi--now El-Lekieh, abounding with limestone cliffs; the sides of which are perforated with caves. The object of the Philistines in this expedition was to apprehend Samson, in revenge for the great slaughter he had committed on their people.
This site's exposition
the Philistines shouted against him
on Judges 15:14-15
The Spirit of the Lord is on him here for the fourth time in three chapters, at 13:25, 14:6, 14:19 and this verse, and those four are four of the seven times the book says it; the other three are Othniel at 3:10, Gideon at 6:34 and Jephthah at 11:29. The most gifted man in Judges receives the gift most often and governs himself least, and the count is checkable from the text. The weapon is a fresh jawbone, so he takes hold of a carcase as he did the lion's at 14:8-9, and Numbers 6:6 forbids a Nazarite to come near a dead body. The narrator records the act without comment, and writers have differed over whether the silence means the terms were held in abeyance or whether the book is showing the vow going item by item.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
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.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Shouted - Because they had now their enemy, as they supposed, in their hands. Loosed - Hebrew. were melted; that is, were dissolved, as things which are melted in the fire. This typified the resurrection of Christ, by the power of the Spirit of holiness.
And when he came unto Lehi,....
And there, in that field, or hill, or plain, or whatever it was, that was so called, God caused a fountain suddenly and seasonably to open just by him, and water to spring up out of it in abundance, which continued a well ever after. Of this fair water he drank, and his spirits revived. We should be more thankful for the mercy of water did we consider how ill we can spare it.
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.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
When he came unto Lehi - This was the name of the place to which they brought him, either to put him to death, or keep him in perpetual confinement. Shouted against him - His capture was a matter of public rejoicing.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The cords ... became as flax ... - i. e. were as weak against his strength as half-burned flax which yields to the least pressure.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The spirit of Adonoy. A spirit of power, emanating from Adonoy. 10 This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
No! We shall merely tie you down. We shall not execute you, but merely tie you down.
Moist. Wet. I saw a medical lexicon which refers to pus oozing from a wound as טְרִיָה.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הוּא־ | hu'- | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| בָ֣א | va' | [was] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| לֶ֔חִי | lechi | Lehi | H3896 → | 3 times |
| וּפִלְשִׁתִּ֖ים | ufelishtim | and [the] Philistines | H6430 → | 287 times |
| הֵרִ֣יעוּ | heriu | they shouted | H7321 → | |
| לִקְרָאת֑וֹ | likrato | to meet him | H7122 → | 139 times |
| וַתִּצְלַ֨ח | vatitzlach | and it rushed | H6743 → | 65 times |
| עָלָ֜יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| ר֣וּחַ | ruach | [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַתִּהְיֶ֨ינָה | vatihyeinah | and they became | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הָעֲבֹתִ֜ים | haavotim | the ropes | H5688 → | 24 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [were] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| זְרוֹעוֹתָ֗יו | zerootav | arms his | H2220 → | |
| כַּפִּשְׁתִּים֙ | kapishtim | like <the> flax<es> | H6593 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּעֲר֣וּ | baaru | people have burned | H1197 → | 94 times |
| בָאֵ֔שׁ | vaesh | with <the> fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| וַיִּמַּ֥סּוּ | vaiyimmasu | and they dropped off | H4549 → | |
| אֱסוּרָ֖יו | ʾesurav | bonds his | H612 → | |
| מֵעַ֥ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יָדָֽיו׃ | yadav | hands his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
הוּא־he
hu'-H1931 →1879 times
בָ֣א[was] coming
va'H935 →2568 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
לֶ֔חִיLehi
lechiH3896 →3 times
וּפִלְשִׁתִּ֖יםand [the] Philistines
ufelishtimH6430 →287 times
הֵרִ֣יעוּthey shouted
heriuH7321 →
לִקְרָאת֑וֹto meet him
likratoH7122 →139 times
וַתִּצְלַ֨חand it rushed
vatitzlachH6743 →65 times
עָלָ֜יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
ר֣וּחַ[the] spirit of
ruachH7307 →378 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַתִּהְיֶ֨ינָהand they became
vatihyeinahH1961 →3559 times
הָעֲבֹתִ֜יםthe ropes
haavotimH5688 →24 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[were] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
זְרוֹעוֹתָ֗יוarms his
zerootavH2220 →
כַּפִּשְׁתִּים֙like <the> flax<es>
kapishtimH6593 →
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בָּעֲר֣וּpeople have burned
baaruH1197 →94 times
בָאֵ֔שׁwith <the> fire
vaeshH784 →378 times
וַיִּמַּ֥סּוּand they dropped off
vaiyimmasuH4549 →
אֱסוּרָ֖יוbonds his
ʾesuravH612 →
מֵעַ֥לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
יָדָֽיו׃hands his
yadavH3027 →1618 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Judges 3:10The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against…
it leads to
- Judges 13:25
And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 11:6
When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 14:6
and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 11:29
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
- Judges 13:25
Through
Judges 14:6and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father…
it leads to
- Judges 3:10
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
- Judges 3:10
Through
Psalms 118:11They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
it leads to
- Psalms 88:17
All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.
- Psalms 88:17
Through
1 Samuel 17:35I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.
it leads to
- Amos 3:12
This is what the LORD says: “As the shepherd snatches from the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so the Israelites dwelling in Samaria will be rescued having…
- Amos 3:12
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Letter 19: To Vigilius; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.