Judges 15:19
in Judges 15So God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned, and he was revived. That is why he named it En-hakkore, and it remains in Lehi to this day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Judges 15
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
An hollow place that was in the jaw - The right translation is, “the hollow place which is in Lehi.” The word translated “hollow place,” means a “mortar” Pro 27:22, and is here evidently a hollow or basin among the cliffs of Lehi, which, from its shape, was called “the mortar.” A spring, on the way from Socho to Eleutheropolis, was commonly called Samson’s spring in the time of Jerome and writers in the 7th, 12th, and 14th centuries.
This site's exposition
And he was sore athirst
on Judges 15:18-19
This is the first prayer Samson is recorded praying in six chapters of his life, and it is for water. His only other recorded prayer is at 16:28, and both come out of an extremity rather than out of worship. What he says in it hands God the victory his own song had taken, thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant, and he calls the Philistines the uncircumcised, which is what his parents called them at 14:3 and what David calls Goliath at 1 Samuel 17:26. Barnes reads the hollow place as a basin among the cliffs at Lehi rather than a cavity in the bone, and the closing words unto this day tell a reader the spring was still running when the account was written down.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Although we had been dried up because of lack of the dew of God's grace, we merited to be changed into fountains and rivers. At that time Samson prayed and a fountain issued from the jawbone. This fact is clearly fulfilled in us, for the …
And now he began to burn with thirst, and there was no water, and yet he had great need of it.
The Medieval Church1 voice
In the relics of the saints the Lord Christ has provided us with saving fountains which in many ways pour out benefactions and gush with fragrant ointment. And let no one disbelieve. For, if by the will of God water poured out of the precipitous living rock in the desert, and for the thirsty Samson from the jawbone of an ass, is it unbelievable that fragrant ointment should flow from the relics of the martyrs? Certainly not, at least for such as know the power of God and the honor which the saints have from him.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But her father would not suffer him to go in. 2 And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
In the Jaw - Either causing the jaw-bone to send forth water, as the rock formerly did, causing a spring to break forth in that Lehi, mentioned ver. 14, for Lehi is both the name of a place, and a jaw-bone. En-hakkore - That is, the fountain of him that cried for thirst; or, that called upon God for deliverance; that is, the fountain which was given in answer to my prayer.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-14-anchored-19-19
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout,....
That bone which he had made an instrument of God's service God, to recompense him, made an instrument of his supply. But I rather incline to our marginal reading: God clave a hollow place that was in Lehi: the place of this action was, from the jaw-bone, called Lehi; even before the action we find it so called,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
God clave a hollow place that was in the jaw - אשר בלחי asher ballechi, that was in Lehi; that is, there was a hollow place in this Lehi, and God caused a fountain to spring up in it. Because the place was hollow it was capable of containing the water that rose up in it, and thus of becoming a well. En-hakkore - The well of the implorer; this name he gave to the spot where the water rose, in order to perpetuate the bounty of God in affording him this miraculous supply. Which is in Lehi unto this day - Consequently not In the jaw-bone of the ass, a most unfortunate rendering.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּבְקַ֨ע | vaiyivka' | and he split open | H1234 → | |
| אֱלֹהִ֜ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמַּכְתֵּ֣שׁ | hamakhtesh | the deep hollow | H4388 → | |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בַּלֶּ֗חִי | balechi | [is] at <the> Lehi | H3895 → | 21 times |
| וַיֵּצְא֨וּ | vaiyetzeu | and they came out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| מִמֶּ֤נּוּ | mimenu | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| מַ֙יִם֙ | mayim | waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּ | vaiyeshet | and he drank | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וַתָּ֥שָׁב | vatashov | and it returned | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| רוּח֖וֹ | rucho | spirit his | H7307 → | 378 times |
| וַיֶּ֑חִי | vaiyechi | and he lived | H2421 → | 282 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | there- | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כֵּ֣ן׀ | ken | -fore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| קָרָ֣א | kara' | he called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| שְׁמָ֗הּ | shemah | name its | H8034 → | 864 times |
| עֵ֤ין | ʾein | En | H5875 → | |
| הַקּוֹרֵא֙ | hakore' | Hakkore | H5875 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בַּלֶּ֔חִי | balechi | [is] at <the> Lehi | H3896 → | 3 times |
| עַ֖ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֥וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַיִּבְקַ֨עand he split open
vaiyivka'H1234 →
אֱלֹהִ֜יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמַּכְתֵּ֣שׁthe deep hollow
hamakhteshH4388 →
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בַּלֶּ֗חִי[is] at <the> Lehi
balechiH3895 →21 times
וַיֵּצְא֨וּand they came out
vaiyetzeuH3318 →1067 times
מִמֶּ֤נּוּfrom it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
מַ֙יִם֙waters
mayimH4325 →581 times
וַיֵּ֔שְׁתְּand he drank
vaiyeshetH8354 →217 times
וַתָּ֥שָׁבand it returned
vatashovH7725 →1056 times
רוּח֖וֹspirit his
ruchoH7307 →378 times
וַיֶּ֑חִיand he lived
vaiyechiH2421 →282 times
עַל־there-
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כֵּ֣ן׀-fore
kenH3651 →771 times
קָרָ֣אhe called
kara'H7121 →733 times
שְׁמָ֗הּname its
shemahH8034 →864 times
עֵ֤יןEn
ʾeinH5875 →
הַקּוֹרֵא֙Hakkore
hakore'H5875 →
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בַּלֶּ֔חִי[is] at <the> Lehi
balechiH3896 →3 times
עַ֖דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֥וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
Isaiah 44:3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
it leads to
- Joel 2:28
And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
- Acts 2:17
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
- Isaiah 59:21
“As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit will not depart from you, and My words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your…
- John 7:37–39
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
- Proverbs 1:23
If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
- Joel 2:28
Through
Isaiah 40:29He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
- Isaiah 41:10
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); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, Letter 19: To Vigilius; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 119.4; John Damascene, ORTHODOX FAITH 4.15; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.