Judges 15:14-20

Judges 15:14-20

[14] 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.  [15] And he found  a new  jawbone  of an ass,  and put forth  his hand,  and took  it, and slew  a thousand  men  therewith. [16] And Samson  said,  With the jawbone  of an ass,  with the jaw  of an ass  have I slain  a thousand  men.  [17] And 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  Ramathlehi.  [18] And he was sore  athirst,  and called  on the LORD,  and said,  Thou hast given  this great  deliverance  into the hand  of thy servant:  and now shall I die  for thirst,  and fall  into the hand  of the uncircumcised?  [19] 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 Enhakkore,  which is in Lehi  unto this day.  [20] And he judged  Israel  in the days  of the Philistines  twenty  years. 

What does Judges 15:14-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Note again that the Spirit of God gave Samson his supernatural strength ( Judges 15:14). He slew1 ,000 of the enemy (or one unit) on this occasion ( Judges 15:15). The unlikely instrument Samson used, a dead donkey"s dentures, proved more than adequate for this slaughter (cf. Judges 3:31).
The Hebrew words translated "donkey" and "heaps" constitute wordplay. Samson loved riddles and rhymes. Moffatt"s translation rendered the first part of Samson"s poem, "With the jawbone of an ass, I have piled them in a mass." Samson named the place where he defeated these Philistines "Jawbone Hill." This hill may have been the mound Samson had built with the corpses of the Philistines.
Samson"s prayer, his first in the story, reveals that he knew he was participating in holy war as God"s deliverer ( Judges 15:18). He gave God the credit for his victory. The word translated "thou" or "you" is in the emphatic position in the Hebrew text. He cried out to the Lord for water after his strenuous fight. God amazingly and graciously provided water for His rebellious servant in a very unusual way, and Samson"s strength revived ( Judges 15:19; cf. Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11). Samson named that place "Supplicant"s Spring."
The summary statement that concludes the record of Samson"s victories thus far ( Judges 15:20) separates his story into two parts. The writer recorded Samson"s acts that gradually increased in severity and significance against the Philistines first. Samson continued to serve as Israel"s judge for20 years. Then the writer gave us the chain of events that followed in which Samson brought his own destruction on himself (ch16).
Chapter15 contrasts Samson"s radical commitment with Judah"s wretched compromise. Samson"s actions and motives were not always the best, but he carried out God"s will. He treated the compromisers among whom he lived graciously since they were God"s people. However, he alone did what God had called him to do when he defeated the Philistines. Today many Christians compromise with the world as the Judahites did. Samson"s example encourages us to radical obedience even if we have to stand for God alone.