15 And he found H4672 a new H2961 jawbone H3895 of an ass, H2543 and put forth H7971 his hand, H3027 and took H3947 it, and slew H5221 a thousand H505 men H376 therewith.
And five H2568 of you shall chase H7291 an hundred, H3967 and an hundred H3967 of you shall put ten thousand H7233 to flight: H7291 and your enemies H341 shall fall H5307 before H6440 you by the sword. H2719
Then Jael H3278 Heber's H2268 wife H802 took H3947 a nail H3489 of the tent, H168 and took H7760 an hammer H4718 in her hand, H3027 and went H935 softly H3814 unto him, and smote H8628 the nail H3489 into his temples, H7541 and fastened H6795 it into the ground: H776 for he was fast asleep H7290 and weary. H5774 So he died. H4191
And he divided H2673 the three H7969 hundred H3967 men H376 into three H7969 companies, H7218 and he put H5414 a trumpet H7782 in every man's hand, H3027 with empty H7386 pitchers, H3537 and lamps H3940 within H8432 the pitchers. H3537
And Jonathan H3083 said H559 to the young man H5288 that bare H5375 his armour, H3627 Come, H3212 and let us go over H5674 unto the garrison H4673 of these uncircumcised: H6189 it may be that the LORD H3068 will work H6213 for us: for there is no restraint H4622 to the LORD H3068 to save H3467 by many H7227 or by few. H4592
And that first H7223 slaughter, H4347 which Jonathan H3129 and his armourbearer H5375 H3627 made, H5221 was about twenty H6242 men, H376 within as it were an half H2677 acre H4618 of land, H7704 which a yoke H6776 of oxen might plow.
And David H1732 put H7971 his hand H3027 in his bag, H3627 and took H3947 thence a stone, H68 and slang H7049 it, and smote H5221 the Philistine H6430 in his forehead, H4696 that the stone H68 sunk H2883 into his forehead; H4696 and he fell H5307 upon his face H6440 to the earth. H776 So David H1732 prevailed H2388 over H4480 the Philistine H6430 with a sling H7050 and with a stone, H68 and smote H5221 the Philistine, H6430 and slew H4191 him; but there was no sword H2719 in the hand H3027 of David. H1732
But G235 God G2316 hath chosen G1586 the foolish things G3474 of the world G2889 to G2443 confound G2617 the wise; G4680 and G2532 God G2316 hath chosen G1586 the weak things G772 of the world G2889 to G2443 confound G2617 the things which are mighty; G2478 And G2532 base things G36 of the world, G2889 and G2532 things which are despised, G1848 hath G1586 God G2316 chosen, G1586 yea, and G2532 things which G3588 are G5607 not, G3361 to G2443 bring to nought G2673 things that are: G5607
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Judges 15
Commentary on Judges 15 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 15
Jud 15:1, 2. Samson Is Denied His Wife.
1. in the time of wheat harvest—that is, about the end of our April, or the beginning of our May. The shocks of grain were then gathered into heaps, and lying on the field or on the threshing-floors. It was the dry season, dry far beyond our experience, and the grain in a most combustible state.
Samson visited his wife with a kid—It is usual for a visitor in the East to carry some present; in this case, it might be not only as a token of civility, but of reconciliation.
he said—that is, to himself. It was his secret purpose.
into the chamber—the female apartments or harem.
2. her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her—This allegation was a mere sham, a flimsy pretext to excuse his refusal of admittance. The proposal he made of a marriage with her younger sister was but an insult to Samson, and one which it was unlawful for an Israelite to accept (Le 18:18).
Jud 15:3-8. He Burns the Philistines' Corn.
3. Samson said …, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines—This nefarious conduct provoked the hero's just indignation, and he resolved to take signal vengeance.
4, 5. went and caught three hundred foxes—rather, "jackals"; an animal between a wolf and a fox, which, unlike our fox, a solitary creature, prowls in large packs or herds and abounds in the mountains of Palestine. The collection of so great a number would require both time and assistance.
took firebrands—torches or matches which would burn slowly, retaining the fire, and blaze fiercely when blown by the wind. He put two jackals together, tail by tail, and fastened tightly a fire match between them. At nightfall he lighted the firebrand and sent each pair successively down from the hills, into the "Shefala," or plain of Philistia, lying on the borders of Dan and Judah, a rich and extensive corn district. The pain caused by the fire would make the animals toss about to a wide extent, kindling one great conflagration. But no one could render assistance to his neighbor: the devastation was so general, the panic would be so great.
6. Who hath done this—The author of this outrage, and the cause that provoked such an extraordinary retaliation, soon became known; and the sufferers, enraged by the destruction of their crops, rushing with tumultuous fury to the house of Samson's wife, "burnt her and her father with fire." This was a remarkable retribution. To avoid this menace, she had betrayed her husband; and by that unprincipled conduct, eventually exposed herself to the horrid doom which, at the sacrifice of conjugal fidelity, she had sought to escape [Jud 14:15].
7. Samson said …, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you—By that act the husbandmen had been the instruments in avenging his private and personal wrongs. But as a judge, divinely appointed to deliver Israel, his work of retribution was not yet accomplished.
8. smote them hip and thigh—a proverbial expression for a merciless slaughter.
he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam—rather went down and dwelt in the cleft—that is, the cave or cavern of the cliff Etam.
Jud 15:9-13. He Is Bound by the Men of Judah, and Delivered to the Philistines.
9-17. Then the Philistines went up—to the high land of Judah.
and spread themselves in Lehi—now El-Lekieh, abounding with limestone cliffs; the sides of which are perforated with caves. The object of the Philistines in this expedition was to apprehend Samson, in revenge for the great slaughter he had committed on their people. With a view of freeing his own countrymen from all danger from the infuriated Philistines, he allowed himself to be bound and surrendered a fettered prisoner into their power. Exulting with joy at the near prospect of riddance from so formidable an enemy, they went to meet him. But he exerted his superhuman strength, and finding a new (or moist) jawbone of an ass, he laid hold of it, and with no other weapon, slew a thousand men at a place which he called Ramath-lehi—that is, "the hill of the jawbone."
16. With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men—The inadequacy of the weapon plainly shows this to have been a miraculous feat, "a case of supernatural strength," just as the gift of prophecy is a case of supernatural knowledge [Chalmers].
19. a hollow place … in the jaw—"in Lehi"—taking the word as a proper noun, marking the place.
there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again—His strength, exhausted by the violent and long-continued exertion, was recruited by the refreshing draft from the spring; and it was called
En-hakkore—the "supplication well," a name which records the piety of this heroic champion.