Judges 15:15
in Judges 15He found the fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and struck down a thousand men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote a thousand men therewith.
KJV
And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
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This verse in Judges 15
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Slew a thousand men therewith - Compare the marginal references. The Philistines, seized with a panic at seeing Samson suddenly burst his cords and rush at them, offered no resistance, but fell an easy prey to the blows of their mighty foe. Some perhaps were dashed down the cliffs in their flight.
This site's exposition
the Philistines came out shouting against him
on Judges 15:14-15
This is the fourth coming of the Spirit of the LORD on Samson, four of the seven in the book, so the man most often gifted governs himself least. His weapon is “the fresh jawbone of a donkey”, a carcass again as at 14:8-9, though Numbers 6:6 keeps a Nazirite from the dead. Writers differ over whether the vow was held in abeyance or is being broken item by item.
This site's exposition
He found the fresh jawbone of a donkey
Barnes explains the thousand dead by panic, the Philistines seeing the bound man snap the ropes and strike. Clarke reads the Hebrew for fresh as moist, a jawbone taken from a donkey lying dead. Henry sees Christ, who trod the winepress alone.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
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.
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 …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But he was to be a type of him that trod the wine-press alone. 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.
And he found a new jawbone of an ass,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A 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.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He found a new jaw-bone of an ass - I rather think that the word טריה teriyah, which we translate new, and the margin moist, should be understood as signifying the tabia or putrid state of the ass from which this jawbone was taken. He found there a dead ass in a state of putrefaction; on which account he could the more easily separate the jaw from its integuments; this was a circumstance proper to be recorded by the historian, and a mark of the providence of God. But were we to understand it of a fresh jaw-bone, very lately separated from the head of an ass, the circumstance does not seem worthy of being recorded. With the jaw-bore of an ass, heaps upon heaps - I cannot see the propriety of this rendering of the Hebrew words בלחי החמור חמור חמרתים bilchi hachamor, chemor chamorathayim; I believe they should be translated thus: - “With the jaw-bone of this ass, an ass (the foal) of two asses; “With the jaw-bone of this ass I have slain a thousand men.” This appears to have been a triumphal song on the occasion; and the words are variously rendered both by the versions, and by expositors.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Moist. Wet. I saw a medical lexicon which refers to pus oozing from a wound as טְרִיָה.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The spirit of Adonoy. A spirit of power, emanating from Adonoy. 10 This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.
I amassed mounds with the jawbone of a donkey, amassing numerous mounds. "With the jawbone of a donkey I hurled them into mounds." 11 This is Targum Yonasan’s translation.
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
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּמְצָ֥א | vaiyimtza' | and he found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| לְחִֽי־ | lechi- | a jawbone of | H3895 → | 21 times |
| חֲמ֖וֹר | chamor | a donkey | H2543 → | 96 times |
| טְרִיָּ֑ה | teriyah | fresh | H2961 → | |
| וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח | vaiyishlach | and he stretched out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יָדוֹ֙ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ | vaiyikacheha | and he took it | H3947 → | 966 times |
| וַיַּךְ־ | vaiyakh- | and he struck down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| בָּ֖הּ | bah | with <the> it | ||
| אֶ֥לֶף | ʾelef | a thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| אִֽישׁ׃ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
וַיִּמְצָ֥אand he found
vaiyimtza'H4672 →455 times
לְחִֽי־a jawbone of
lechi-H3895 →21 times
חֲמ֖וֹרa donkey
chamorH2543 →96 times
טְרִיָּ֑הfresh
teriyahH2961 →
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤חand he stretched out
vaiyishlachH7971 →845 times
יָדוֹ֙hand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָand he took it
vaiyikachehaH3947 →966 times
וַיַּךְ־and he struck down
vaiyakh-H5221 →499 times
בָּ֖הּwith <the> it
bah
אֶ֥לֶףa thousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
אִֽישׁ׃man
ʾishH376 →1663 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
Joshua 23:10One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:30
How could one man pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 26:8
Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
- Deuteronomy 3:22
Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight for you.”
- Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
- Psalms 35:1
Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
- Deuteronomy 32:30
Through
Leviticus 26:8Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
it leads to
- Joshua 23:10
One of you can put a thousand to flight, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.
- Deuteronomy 28:7
The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you in one direction but flee from you in seven.
- 1 Chronicles 11:20
Now Abishai, the brother of Joab, was chief of the Three, and he lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name along with the Three.
- Joshua 23:10
About Judges
This page draws on 10 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); Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Ambrose of Milan, Letter 19: To Vigilius; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 119.4; 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); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.