Judges 15:15 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

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.

Judges 15:15 nkjv

He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.

Judges 15:15 niv

Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

Judges 15:15 esv

And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, and with it he struck 1,000 men.

Judges 15:15 nlt

Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines with it.

Judges 15 15 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Judg 3:31	After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistine men with an oxgoad...	God uses common tools (oxgoad vs. jawbone).
Judg 7:7	And the LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand..."	Small, unlikely forces yield divine victory.
Josh 23:10	One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you...	Direct prophetic echo of divine enablement.
1 Sam 14:6	Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. Perhaps the LORD will work for us, for nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few."	God's power is not limited by human numbers.
1 Sam 17:45-47	David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts... the battle is the LORD's..."	Victory by divine power, not conventional weapons.
2 Chr 14:11	Asa cried to the LORD his God, "O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you..."	Trust in God's help against overwhelming odds.
Ps 44:3, 6-7	For not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm and the light of your face... For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes...	Deliverance comes from God, not human might.
Ps 115:3	Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.	God's sovereignty and limitless power.
Prov 21:31	The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.	God alone determines victory.
Isa 40:29	He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.	God strengthens the weak.
Zech 4:6	"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the LORD of hosts.	The source of true strength is divine Spirit.
Matt 19:26	But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."	God's omnipotence overcomes human limits.
Mark 10:27	Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."	Reinforces divine possibility.
Luke 1:37	For nothing will be impossible with God.	God's ability is boundless.
1 Cor 1:27-29	But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong... so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.	God uses the humble to demonstrate His power and receive glory.
2 Cor 4:7	But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.	God's power is evident through weak vessels.
2 Cor 12:9-10	But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.	God's power is perfected in human weakness.
Eph 6:10	Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.	The source of strength is in the Lord.
Phil 4:13	I can do all things through him who strengthens me.	Christ empowers believers for tasks.
Heb 11:34	...quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.	Faith enables God's people to overcome.
Rev 17:14	They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.	Ultimate divine victory over overwhelming odds.

Judges 15 verses

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Judges 15 15 Meaning

Judges 15:15 describes Samson, having been delivered by his own people into the hands of the Philistines, discovering a raw, freshly detached jawbone of a donkey. Empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, he seized this improbable tool and, by means of it, single-handedly defeated one thousand Philistine men. This act dramatically demonstrates divine power manifested through an unexpected and humble instrument.

Judges 15 15 Context

Judges chapter 15 records Samson's acts of retaliation against the Philistines. Angered by the Philistines' burning of his Philistine wife and father-in-law (who had originally betrayed him regarding the riddle and given his wife to another), Samson previously inflicted great damage upon their crops. In response, the Philistines sought to seize Samson. The men of Judah, fearful of Philistine retribution and desiring peace, willingly bound Samson and delivered him to the Philistines at Lehi. This verse details the dramatic turning point immediately after Samson is handed over, as the Spirit of the Lord empowers him precisely at the moment of apparent defeat, leading to a miraculous and overwhelming victory over his enemies, transforming his predicament into a testimony of God's power.

Judges 15 15 Word analysis

He found a fresh jawbone:
- fresh (טְרִיָּ֣ה, teri'yah): Signifies the jawbone was recently separated, not old and dry, suggesting spontaneity and its immediate availability. This emphasizes that no preparation or special artifact was needed for Samson's triumph; God uses what is readily at hand.
- jawbone (מִקְשַׁ֤לְתָּא, maq'sheleth): Specifically, the jawbone (also "jaw" or "cheek" bone) rather than a general club. This is a common, discarded, and seemingly worthless bone of an unclean animal (חֲמֹור, chamor, "donkey"). Its very nature contrasts sharply with military weapons. It underlines God's power in choosing the humble and unlikely to perform extraordinary feats.
- of a donkey (חֲמֹור֙, chamor): The donkey, a common beast of burden and often associated with humility or even scorn. The selection of its jawbone reinforces the message that the victory's power was wholly divine, not derived from the weapon itself or from human might. It is a symbol of God's ability to achieve victory through what is considered contemptible and weak.
and reached out his hand and took it: Denotes Samson's initiative and reliance on God's provision at the critical moment. He recognized the available, albeit unconventional, tool.
and struck down a thousand men with it:
- thousand (אֶ֖לֶף, elef): Represents a massive, overwhelming victory against seemingly insurmountable odds. While a precise numerical count, it often serves as a hyperbole in biblical contexts to convey immense scale and a decisive, divinely-empowered rout.
- men (אִֽישׁ, ish): Emphasizes that Samson, as a single individual, faced a vast multitude. This directly contrasts human limitations with divine enablement. The Spirit's power allowed him to overcome one elef ish, a "thousand men."

Words-group analysis

A fresh jawbone of a donkey: This phrase epitomizes the theme of God using humble and unconventional instruments to display His power. It immediately sets a tone of divine irony, contrasting human expectations of battle (swords, spears) with God's methods. The object itself is weak and despised, ensuring that glory would be ascribed only to the Lord who empowered its user. This selection serves as a subtle polemic against the Philistines' reliance on their formidable military might and their god Dagon, suggesting that the true power comes from the Lord, not from sophisticated weaponry or idolatrous worship.
reached out his hand and took it and struck down a thousand men with it: This group of words highlights the instantaneous nature of Samson's empowerment and the decisive outcome. The swift action of Samson taking the weapon and the immediate, overwhelming success of striking down a multitude signifies that the power did not come from the weapon or Samson's inherent strength, but from the Spirit of the Lord that "rushed upon him" just moments before (Judg 15:14). It directly showcases God's ability to bring about salvation through one chosen vessel using seemingly insufficient means, proving that "the battle belongs to the Lord."

Judges 15 15 Bonus section

The place name where this event occurred, Lehi (לֶחִי), remarkably means "jawbone" or "cheek" in Hebrew. This subtle but profound linguistic connection creates a rich interplay between the location and the instrument Samson found and used. It is a divine detail, adding an ironic twist and confirming the hand of Providence in Samson's discovery. The place literally foreshadowed or bore the name of the tool of salvation God provided. Furthermore, following this victory, Samson would thirst greatly and cry out to God, who then supernaturally provides water from a hollow place in Lehi, naming the spring En Hakkore, "the spring of him who called," further cementing God's provision and response at this significant "jawbone" location.

Judges 15 15 Commentary

Judges 15:15 encapsulates the core message of Samson's strength: it was a divine enablement, not a natural attribute. The "fresh jawbone of a donkey" serves as the ultimate anti-weapon; it possesses no inherent military value, being both crude and associated with an unclean animal. This ensures that the astonishing victory of striking down a thousand men is unmistakably attributed to the Lord's Spirit, which "rushed upon him" (v.14). The sheer improbability of the weapon and the scale of the victory powerfully illustrate God's capacity to use the weakest and most unlikely means to confound the strong and humble human pride, allowing no boasting save in Him. This act functions as a living parable, demonstrating that God's power is made perfect in weakness and is entirely sufficient to accomplish His purposes, even against overwhelming opposition.