The Meaning of Judges 15:15 Explained

Judges 15:15

KJV: And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

YLT: and he findeth a fresh jaw-bone of an ass, and putteth forth his hand and taketh it, and smiteth with it -- a thousand men.

Darby: And he found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and put out his hand and seized it, and with it he slew a thousand men.

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 Reverse Interlinear

And he found  a new  jawbone  of an ass,  and put forth  his hand,  and took  it, and slew  a thousand  men  therewith. 

What does Judges 15:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Judges 15:9-20 - Mighty Against The Foe
To how low a depth had the men of Judah descended, that they should hand over their champion to their hereditary foes? The northern tribes that arose at the call of Gideon rebuked such cowardly treachery. There are things worse than defeat or death. To forfeit honor, to shirk duty, to fail in the supreme call of friendship and loyalty-these are the crimes that belittle the soul and court disgrace. What shall it profit, though we gain the whole world, if we lose our souls?
How inspiring is the thought that on us also the Spirit of the Lord may come mightily! There is no limit to his gracious and irresistible operations, save that imposed by the narrowness of our faith. Notice how the Apostle piles up his words in Ephesians 1:19. Whatever the cords of evil habits, woven through long years, and however entangling your circumstances, God's indwelling power can set you free. Yes, and that is not all: At the place where you have won your victories, there shall arise that fountain of water which is fed from the throne of God; and the soul, exhausted by its effort, shall drink and be revived. Lord, cause us so to drink! [source]

Chapter Summary: Judges 15

1  Samson is denied his wife
3  He burns the Philistines' corn with foxes and firebrands
6  His wife and her father are burnt by the Philistines
8  Samson smites them hip and thigh
9  He is bound by the men of Judah, and delivered to the Philistines
14  He kills them with a jawbone
18  God makes the fountain En-hakkore for him in Lehi

What do the individual words in Judges 15:15 mean?

And He found a jawbone of a donkey fresh and reached out his hand and took it and killed with it a thousand men
וַיִּמְצָ֥א לְחִֽי־ חֲמ֖וֹר טְרִיָּ֑ה וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ וַיַּךְ־ בָּ֖הּ אֶ֥לֶף אִֽישׁ

וַיִּמְצָ֥א  And  He  found 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
לְחִֽי־  a  jawbone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: לְחִי  
Sense: jaw, cheek.
חֲמ֖וֹר  of  a  donkey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲמֹור 
Sense: (he)ass.
טְרִיָּ֑ה  fresh 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָרִי  
Sense: fresh, new.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח  and  reached  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יָדוֹ֙  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ  and  took  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וַיַּךְ־  and  killed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
בָּ֖הּ  with  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
אֶ֥לֶף  a  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
אִֽישׁ  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.