What is the meaning of Judges 15:20?

And Samson judged Israel

“Samson judged Israel” (Judges 15:20).

• The verb “judged” marks Samson as one of the God-appointed deliverers who led and protected the nation (Judges 2:16; 13:5).

• His leadership, though marred by personal weakness, was divinely ordained; Hebrews 11:32 includes him among the heroes of faith, confirming God’s approval of his role.

• Like Samuel later (1 Samuel 7:15–17), Samson combined civic authority with spiritual calling, enforcing God’s justice and rallying Israel against oppression.

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for twenty years

“for twenty years” (Judges 15:20).

• Scripture presents this number straightforwardly as the actual length of Samson’s judgeship (Judges 16:31 repeats it).

• Other judges are dated the same way—Tola twenty-three years, Jair twenty-two, Ibzan seven, Elon ten, Abdon eight (Judges 10:2–5; 12:8–14)—so the timeline fits the broader chronology.

• Twenty years signals a season of relative stability: Samson’s exploits, though personal in style, restrained Philistine tyranny long enough for Israel to experience two decades of relief (compare Judges 3:11; 5:31; 8:28, each noting “rest” after a judge’s service).

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in the days of the Philistines

“in the days of the Philistines” (Judges 15:20).

• Israel had been “delivered into the hand of the Philistines for forty years” (Judges 13:1), and Samson’s tenure lands squarely in the middle of that oppression.

• His victories—burning Philistine crops, slaying a thousand with a donkey’s jawbone (Judges 15:4–15)—were flashes of God’s power that disrupted enemy dominance but did not end it.

• The phrase underscores God’s faithfulness: even while discipline ran its course, He raised leaders to curb the oppressor (compare 1 Samuel 7:13; 13:1 for the ongoing Philistine menace).

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summary

Judges 15:20 records a factual, three-part statement: Samson, God’s chosen judge, led Israel for a literal twenty years during a period of Philistine domination. The verse reminds us that, despite Israel’s failures and lingering foreign control, the Lord faithfully supplied leadership, sustained His people, and kept His redemptive plan on course.