What is the meaning of Judges 15:16? Then Samson said Samson has just been mightily empowered by “the Spirit of the LORD” (Judges 15:14). His words are an immediate, triumphant response to God’s deliverance. • The shout acknowledges the battle’s completion, similar to David’s declaration after defeating Goliath (1 Samuel 17:45–47). • Speaking aloud after victory is a pattern in Scripture—see Exodus 15:1 and Psalm 118:14—where praise follows God’s saving act. • Samson’s confidence rests on the Lord’s enabling power, not on personal boasting, as Judges 14:6 already demonstrated. With the jawbone of a donkey The weapon is ordinary, even crude, underscoring that victory comes from God, not impressive human resources. • Judges 15:15 notes Samson “found a fresh jawbone of a donkey,” showing no pre-planning—just divine provision at hand. • God often chooses unlikely instruments: Moses’ staff (Exodus 4:2), Shamgar’s oxgoad (Judges 3:31), the boy’s lunch that fed thousands (John 6:9). • 1 Corinthians 1:27 affirms that God uses “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise,” spotlighting His glory. I have piled them into heaps Samson pictures the fallen Philistines stacked in mounds, a vivid way of saying the enemy was decisively crushed. • This echoes earlier scenes where God’s foes lay defeated in large numbers—see Joshua 10:26–27 and Psalm 68:1–2. • The phrase signals total victory; no enemy remains standing, fulfilling Judges 13:5 that Samson would “begin to deliver Israel.” • For Israel’s listeners, such heaps recall Leviticus 26:7–8, God’s promise that obedience would bring overwhelming triumph. With the jawbone of a donkey The repetition stresses the startling nature of God’s tool. Hebrew poetry often uses parallel lines for emphasis (cf. Psalm 24:1–2). • It reminds the reader that the same simple instrument accomplished both piling and killing. • The chorus-like echo invites reflection on God’s power flowing through weak vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7). I have slain a thousand men The number is literal; Scripture affirms it straightforwardly. • Judges 15:15 already counts “about a thousand men,” and verse 17 names the site Ramath-lehi (“Jawbone Hill”) as a memorial. • Leviticus 26:8 and Joshua 23:10 predict that one Israelite could chase a thousand when God fights for them—Samson becomes the living fulfillment. • Psalm 144:1 praises God “who trains my hands for war”; Samson’s strength is Spirit-given, never mere human might. summary Judges 15:16 celebrates the Lord’s decisive, miraculous deliverance through Samson. By brandishing an ordinary donkey’s jawbone, Samson demonstrates that God can overthrow vast enemies with the simplest means. The vivid language—heaps of corpses, a thousand slain—highlights total victory, fulfilling God’s promises that He would empower His chosen deliverer to rescue Israel. For every reader, the verse reminds us that God’s strength, not human resources, secures triumph for His people. |
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