Judges 15 meaning explained in AI Summary

Samson and Delilah: This chapter details Samson's reckless behavior and his entanglement with Delilah, who reveals the secret of his strength to the Philistines.

Chapter 15 details Samson's escalating conflict with the Philistines, fueled by their treachery and his desire for revenge.

1. The Burning of the Fields (1-8): After Samson's Philistine wife is given to another man, he takes revenge by setting fire to their fields and vineyards. The Philistines retaliate by burning his wife and her father alive.

2. Slaughter at Lehi (9-17): Enraged, Samson slaughters many Philistines at Lehi. He then takes refuge in the cave of Etam. The Philistines pursue him and camp in Judah, demanding Samson's handover.

3. Bound and Delivered (18-20): Fearful of the Philistines, 3,000 men from Judah convince Samson to surrender. They bind him with new ropes and deliver him to the Philistines.

4. The Jawbone of a Donkey (14-19): As the Philistines celebrate Samson's capture, the Spirit of the Lord empowers him. He breaks free from the ropes and, finding the jawbone of a donkey, slays 1,000 Philistines with it.

5. God Provides Water (18-20): Exhausted and thirsty, Samson cries out to God. Miraculously, a spring bursts forth from the jawbone, providing him with water and saving his life. This place is named En Hakkore, meaning "the spring of the one who cried out."

Key Themes:

• Consequences of Deception: The Philistines' betrayal of Samson sets off a chain of violence and revenge.
• God's Power in Weakness: Even when bound and outnumbered, Samson, empowered by God, achieves extraordinary feats.
• Divine Provision: God provides for Samson in his time of need, demonstrating His faithfulness even amidst conflict.

Chapter 15 portrays Samson as a flawed but powerful instrument of God's judgment against the Philistines. His actions, though brutal, highlight the consequences of injustice and the unwavering strength found in God.

Judges 15 bible study ai commentary

Samson's story in Judges 15 is a raw depiction of how God's sovereign plan of deliverance operates through a deeply flawed, vengeful, and self-motivated individual. The chapter follows a grim cycle of escalating personal vendettas between Samson and the Philistines, initiated by a domestic dispute. Yet, in the midst of Samson's carnal rage and Israel's spiritual apathy, the Spirit of the Lord empowers him, turning his selfish quarrels into devastating blows against God's enemies. The climax reveals Samson's ultimate dependence, as his physical strength brings him to the point of death, forcing him to cry out to God, who alone is the source of his victory and sustenance.

Judges 15 context

This chapter unfolds during a period of intense Philistine oppression (c. 12th-11th century BC). The Philistines, technologically superior with their iron weapons, politically dominated the Israelite tribes in the region. Culturally, the narrative operates within an honor-shame society, where personal insults demanded public and often violent retribution. Marriage arrangements were transactional, and a father held absolute authority over his daughter. Samson's actions, while extreme, are rooted in this context of avenging personal and familial dishonor. Economically, the timing of the wheat harvest was critical, making the burning of fields an act of profound aggression, akin to economic warfare.

Judges 15:1–3

But it came to pass after a while, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a young goat. And he said, “I will go in to my wife in the chamber.” But her father would not allow him to go in. Her father said, “I really thought that you utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Please, take her instead.” And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be blameless regarding the Philistines if I harm them!”

In-depth-analysis

• Time of wheat harvest: A significant detail setting the stage for Samson's revenge. It was a time of celebration and economic importance, making the subsequent destruction more impactful.
• Visited his wife with a young goat: The goat was a customary reconciliation or social gift, indicating Samson's intent was not hostile at this moment. He was attempting to resume his marital rights.
• I gave her to your companion: The father's actions were pragmatic but treacherous. He attempted to salvage the situation by giving Samson's wife to his "best man" (the companion of 14:20), a profound insult in that culture.
• Take her instead: This offer was a common cultural practice but highlights the view of women as property. For Samson, it trivialized his choice and deepened the insult.
• This time I shall be blameless: Samson declares a "moral" justification for his next action. He frames his impending personal revenge as a legitimate grievance against the Philistine people, escalating a family dispute into a national conflict. This fulfills God's stated purpose in 14:4 to "seek an occasion against the Philistines."

Bible references

• Judges 14:4: 'his father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines.' (The divine purpose behind Samson's personal conflicts).
• Genesis 29:25–27: 'And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! ... Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also...' (An earlier example of a marriage deception and offering another daughter).

Cross references

Deu 22:29 (marriage obligations); 1 Sam 18:21 (Saul's deceptive offer of a daughter); Gen 34:1-31 (a dispute over a woman leading to massive retaliation).

Judges 15:4–5

So Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch in the middle between the two tails. And when he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

In-depth-analysis

• Three hundred foxes (šû·ʿālîm): This Hebrew word likely refers to jackals, which travel in packs and would be easier to capture in such numbers than the more solitary fox. The number 300 might be a stylized figure representing a very large number (like Gideon's 300 men).
• Tail to tail: A cruelly clever method. Tying two animals together would cause them to panic, fight each other, and run erratically, spreading the fire more widely and unpredictably.
• Standing grain, vineyards, and olive groves: Samson targeted the three primary agricultural assets of the region. This was a form of total economic warfare, designed to cause maximum devastation and outrage.

Bible references

• Judges 6:3-4: 'Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites... would come up against them. They... would destroy the produce of the land...' (Economic oppression of Israel, which Samson now inflicts on the Philistines).
• Amos 1:1-2:2: Fire is repeatedly used as a metaphor and instrument of God's judgment against the nations, including the Philistines (Amos 1:6-8).

Cross references

Exo 22:6 (Law concerning fire spreading to a neighbor's field); Judg 1:8 (Judah setting fire to Jerusalem).

Judges 15:6

Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they answered, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.

In-depth-analysis

• The Philistines’ Retaliation: Their response is swift and brutal. They correctly identify Samson as the perpetrator.
• Burned her and her father with fire: This is a terrible irony. They punish the very people who tried to appease Samson. Their action effectively validates Samson’s rage, as they destroy the woman he was fighting over, and they use the same method of destruction (fire) that Samson used. This ensures the cycle of vengeance will continue.

Bible references

• Genesis 38:24: 'About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution...” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”' (Burning as a form of capital punishment).

Cross references

Judg 14:15 (The Philistines had previously threatened to burn the woman and her father's house).

Judges 15:7-8

And Samson said to them, “Since you have done a thing like this, I will surely take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.” So he attacked them hip and thigh with a great slaughter. Then he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

In-depth-analysis

• I will surely take revenge: Samson explicitly states his motive. He is not fighting for Israel's freedom but for personal vengeance. His statement "after that I will cease" proves naive, as violence only begets more violence.
• Hip and thigh: An obscure Hebrew idiom likely meaning he attacked them viciously and relentlessly, perhaps implying a total, disabling slaughter. He strikes without a formal army, as a one-man wrecking crew.
• Cleft of the rock of Etam: Samson is not leading a movement; he is a guerilla fighter who strikes and then hides. This location in Judah shows his isolation and the lack of organized Israelite resistance.

Cross references

1 Sam 23:25-28 (David hiding from Saul in the rocks and wilderness); Heb 11:38 (Heroes of faith wandering in caves and holes in the ground).

Judges 15:9–13

Now the Philistines had gone up and pitched camp in Judah, and deployed themselves against Lehi. And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” So they answered, “We have come up to arrest Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.” Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this that you have done to us?”... And they said to him, “We have come down to arrest you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines.” ...So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

In-depth-analysis

• The Philistines ... in Judah: They move their forces into Israelite territory, not to fight Judah, but to demand they hand over their champion.
• Three thousand men of Judah: The number is tragically large. It shows Israel’s military potential, but they use it to capture their own deliverer rather than fight their oppressor.
• Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us?: This is the saddest line in the chapter. The men of Judah have accepted their subjugation. They see Samson not as a deliverer but as a troublemaker who is upsetting their "peaceful" slavery. Their allegiance is to the status quo, not to God's chosen agent.
• Deliver you into the hand of the Philistines: This act of betrayal by Samson's own kinsmen is a powerful foreshadowing of Christ. Israel's leaders would later hand Jesus over to the Gentile Romans to be killed.

Bible references

• Matthew 27:1-2: '...all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.' (A direct parallel of God's chosen one being bound and delivered to Gentile rulers by his own people).
• Acts 7:35: 'This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself...' (Stephen recounting Israel's history of rejecting their God-sent deliverers).

Cross references

Judg 1:28, 30, 33 (Israel's failure to drive out the Canaanites, leading to forced labor and oppression); 1 Sam 13:19-22 (The severity of Philistine rule, where Israelites had no smiths to make weapons).

Judges 15:14–17

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, picked it up, and killed a thousand men with it. Then Samson said: “With the jawbone of a donkey, I have made donkeys of them. With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men.” And so it was, when he had finished speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, and called that place Ramath-lehi.

In-depth-analysis

• Lehi: The place name itself means "Jawbone." The text is filled with this powerful wordplay.
• Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him: This is the key to Samson’s power. It is not his own physical might but a divine empowerment for a specific task. This happens at the moment of greatest crisis, just as the Philistines are about to capture him.
• Fresh jawbone of a donkey:
  • Fresh (ṭə·rî·yāh): Meaning it still had moisture and tissue, making it heavier and less brittle than an old, dry bone.
  • Unclean Weapon: A donkey was an unclean animal (Lev 11:3-4), and touching its carcass would violate his Nazarite vow (Num 6:6). God uses an "unclean" and despised instrument to bring about a "holy" deliverance.
• The Poem: Samson's victory chant is a pun in Hebrew. The word for "donkey" (ḥămôr) is very similar to the word for "heap" (ḥămōr). He is saying, "With the jawbone of a donkey, I have piled them in a heap (or heaps)." It's a taunt celebrating his victory.
• Ramath-lehi: He names the place "Hill of the Jawbone," memorializing his unorthodox weapon and great victory.

Bible references

• Judges 14:6: 'And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat...' (Previous instance of the Spirit empowering him for combat).
• 1 Samuel 17:49-50: 'David... took out a stone and slung it... and he struck the Philistine on his forehead... So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone...' (Another example of an unlikely weapon used to defeat Israel's enemy).

Cross references

Josh 10:10 (The Lord throwing the enemy into confusion); 1 Cor 1:27 (God choosing the foolish and weak things to shame the wise and strong); Judg 3:31 (Shamgar killing 600 Philistines with an oxgoad).

Judges 15:18-19

And he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?” So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore he called its name En-hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day.

In-depth-analysis

• He became very thirsty: Samson's superhuman strength gives way to basic human weakness. His greatest victory brings him to the edge of death, demonstrating that his power is not self-sustaining.
• He cried out to the LORD: This is Samson's first recorded prayer. It is raw and self-focused ("shall I die"), but it is also a confession of faith. He acknowledges the victory was not his own but from God ("You have given this great deliverance").
• God split the hollow place (makhtesh): The Hebrew makhtesh means a mortar or a hollow rock formation. God did not split the jawbone (leḥî); he split a hollow place in the ground at Lehi. This is a miracle of provision, not a magic jawbone.
• En-hakkore: The place is named "Spring of the One Who Called." The name memorializes not the victory itself, but Samson's desperate prayer and God's faithful response. It is a monument to God's grace in a moment of weakness.

Bible references

• Exodus 17:6: 'Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it...' (God providing water from a rock for Israel in the wilderness).
• Isaiah 41:17: 'The poor and needy seek water, but there is none... I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.' (God's promise to provide for the thirsty).

Cross references

Gen 21:19 (God opening Hagar's eyes to a well of water); Num 20:11 (Moses striking the rock for water in disobedience); Psa 34:6 (This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him).

Polemics: Many commentators contrast this episode with Moses at Meribah (Num 20). Moses, the great lawgiver, struck the rock in anger and was barred from the Promised Land. Samson, the flawed strongman, simply cried out in desperation and received grace and life. This highlights the theme of grace triumphing over human merit and failure.

Judges 15:20

And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines for twenty years.

In-depth-analysis

• He judged Israel: This verse serves as a concluding formula, affirming the legitimacy of Samson’s chaotic actions. Despite his personal motives and lack of a national following, God used him to "judge" Israel by defending it against the Philistines.
• For twenty years: This long period shows the sustained impact of his one-man war. His actions created a state of low-level conflict that kept the Philistines occupied and provided a measure of relief for Israel, even if full deliverance was not achieved.

Bible references

• Judges 16:31: '...Then he had judged Israel for twenty years.' (The concluding statement of his life, repeating this summary and reinforcing his official role).

Cross references

Judg 10:2 (Tola judged Israel 23 years); Judg 12:7 (Jephthah judged Israel 6 years).

Judges chapter 15 analysis

• Christological Typology: Samson serves as a negative and positive type of Christ. Like Jesus, he is betrayed by his own people (men of Judah) and handed over to the Gentiles (Philistines). He achieves a great victory single-handedly after being bound. However, unlike the selfless Christ, Samson is motivated by personal revenge.
• The Sovereignty of God in Human Failure: This chapter is a masterclass in divine providence. God uses Samson’s rage, lust, and vengeance—all sinful motivations—to accomplish His holy purpose of punishing the Philistines and protecting Israel. The Spirit descends upon Samson not when he is praying or pious, but when he is ready for violent conflict.
• The Spiritual State of Israel: Israel's apathy is a central theme. The men of Judah are so assimilated and beaten down that they prefer a predictable, comfortable oppression to the chaotic and dangerous path of God's deliverance. They actively work against their own champion.
• The Weakness of Strength: Samson's physical power is immense, but it leads him to the brink of death from something as simple as thirst. His ultimate survival depends not on his strength, but on his crying out to God in weakness. God receives glory when Samson's strength is spent.
• Faith in Action: Hebrews 11:32 lists Samson as a hero of faith. His faith is not in his piety, but in his action. He believes God will empower him for combat, and he cries out to God as the source of his deliverance and sustenance. It is a messy, imperfect faith, but it is acknowledged by God.

Judges 15 summary

Driven by a personal vendetta over his wife, Samson launches a one-man war against the Philistines, first by burning their fields and then by slaughtering them. Betrayed by his own people, the men of Judah, he is delivered to the Philistines but, empowered by God's Spirit, breaks his bonds and kills a thousand men with the fresh jawbone of a donkey. Exhausted and near death from thirst, he cries out to God, who miraculously provides water from a rock. This act solidifies Samson’s chaotic but divinely-ordained role as a judge of Israel for twenty years.