Samson Against the Philistines
Samson’s Amazing Exploits
Destroying 1000 men with the jaw bone of an ass. Samson's thirst for personal vengeance never led to peace between himself and the Philistines or Israel. It is always good to turn to God instead of seeking revenge on our enemies.

Judges 15: 9-20

Jdg 15:9 Then the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah and made a raid on Lehi.
Jdg 15:10 And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did to us.”
Jdg 15:11 Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so have I done to them.”
Jdg 15:12 And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.”
Jdg 15:13 They said to him, “No; we will only bind you and give you into their hands. We will surely not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.
Jdg 15:14 When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.
Jdg 15:15 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.
Jdg 15:16 And Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men.”
Jdg 15:17 As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place was called Ramath-lehi.
Jdg 15:18 And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the LORD and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”
Jdg 15:19 And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day.
Jdg 15:20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.


1. Why did the Philistines invade Judah at this time?
2. What did the men of Judah want to do with Samson?
3. What did Samson make his fellow Israelites promise?
4. What happended when God’s Spirit came upon Samson?
5. What weapon did Samson use to battle the Philistines?
6. What did Samson pray for after the battle?
7. How long did Samson judge Israel?


Union Gospel Press
Believers Bible Commentary
esword.com
Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/
http://www.bible-studys.org/index