Judges 15:16-20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 15:9-17

Here is, I. Samson violently pursued by the Philistine. They went up in a body, a more formidable force than they had together when Samson smote them hip and thigh; and they pitched in Judah, and spread themselves up and down the country, to find out Samson, who they heard had come this way, Jdg. 15:9. When the men of Judah, who had tamely submitted to their yoke, pleaded that they had paid their tribute, and that none of their tribe had given them any offence, they freely own they designed... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 15:18-20

Here is, I. The distress which Samson was in after this great performance (Jdg. 15:18): He was sore athirst. It was a natural effect of the great heat he had been in, and the great pains he had taken; his zeal consumed him, ate him up, and made him forget himself, till, when he had time to pause a little, he found himself reduced to the last extremity for want of water and ready to faint. Perhaps there was a special hand of God in it, as there was in the whole transaction; and God would hereby... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 15:16

And Samson said ,.... In a kind of triumphant song: with the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps ; that is, with such an instrument he had slain heaps of men, who lay dead in heaps upon one another; in the words for an "ass", and for an "heap", is an elegant "paronomosia", not easy to be expressed in our language: with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men : this he said not in a proud and haughty manner, ascribing it to himself, as Josephus suggests F13 Antiqu. l. 5. c.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 15:17

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking ,.... Of delivering out the above song, which very probably consisted of much more than what is here expressed: that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand ; which he held in his hand had wrought by him through the means of it, and so served to animate him to praise and thankfulness; but having no further use for it, he threw it away: and called the place Ramathlehi ; that is, the casting away the jawbone, so Kimchi; but Ben... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 15:18

And he was sore athirst ,.... Which Josephus F14 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 9. thinks came upon him as a rebuke unto him, for ascribing the victory he had obtained to his own strength, and not to the Lord, whereby he was shown his own weakness, and how easily his strength could be reduced; but for this there seems to be no foundation; it is not to wondered at, in a natural way, that he should be athirst after he had been bound with cords, after he had so exerted himself, and slain 1000... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 15:19

And God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout ,.... A socket in which was fastened one of the teeth, and was in the form of a mortar; so Jarchi and Ben Melech, as the word for an hollow place signifies; one of the grinders was knocked out, and so the place where it had been was left hollow, and out of that sprung a stream or flow of water; which was very wonderful, since out of such a place rather blood, or purulent matter, would naturally have issued; the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 15:20

And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. While they had the power over the Israelites, who were not entirely delivered out of their hands by Samson, he only began to deliver them, but did not completely do it; though he got many advantages over them, and wrought many salvations and deliverances, yet was not the author of perfect salvation, see Judges 13:5 however, he was a check upon the Philistines, and protected the Israelites from heavier oppressions, which... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 15:17

Ramath-lehi - The lifting up or casting away of the jaw-bone. Lehi was the name of the place before, Ramath was now added to it here; he lifted up the jaw-bone against his enemies, and slew them. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 15:18

I die for thirst - The natural consequence of the excessive fatigue he had gone through in this encounter. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 15:19

God clave a hollow place that was in the jaw - בלחי אשר asher ballechi , that was in Lehi; that is, there was a hollow place in this Lehi, and God caused a fountain to spring up in it. Because the place was hollow it was capable of containing the water that rose up in it, and thus of becoming a well. En-hakkore - The well of the implorer; this name he gave to the spot where the water rose, in order to perpetuate the bounty of God in affording him this miraculous... read more

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