Judg 15 | TSK | STEP | Samson is denied his wife. He burns the Philistines' corn with foxes and firebrands. His wife and her father are burnt by the Philistines. Samson smites them hip and thigh. He is bound by the men of Judah, and delivered to the Philistines. He kills them with a jawbone. God makes the fountain En-hakkore for him in Lehi. a kid. I will go.

Judges 15

1 Samson is denied his wife.

3 He burns the Philistines' corn with foxes and firebrands.

6 His wife and her father are burnt by the Philistines.

7 Samson smites them hip and thigh.

9 He is bound by the men of Judah, and delivered to the Philistines.

14 He kills them with a jawbone.

18 God makes the fountain En-hakkore for him in Lehi.

a kid.

I will go.

I verily.

I gave.

take her. Heb. let her be thine.

Now shall, etc. or, Now shall I be blameless from thePhilistines, though, etc.

14:15

caught three.Dr. Kennicott and others contend, that for {shüâlim,} "foxes," we should read {shöâlim,} "handfuls," or sheaves of corn. But, 1. The word {lachad,} rendered caught, never signifies simply to get or take but always to catch, seize, or take by assault or stratagem. 2. Though the proposed alteration is sanctioned by seven MSS., yet all the versions are on the other side. 3. Admitting this alteration, it will be difficult to prove that the word {shöâl} means either a sheaf or a handful of corn in the ear, and straw. It occurs but thrice in Scriptures (1 Ki 20:10. Isa 40:12. Eze 13:9): where it evidently means as much as can be contained in the hollow of the hand; but when handfuls of grain in the shock, or sheaves are intended, very different words are used. See Ru 2.15, 16, etc. 4. It is not hinted that Samson collected them alone, or in one day; he might have employed many hands and several days in the work. 5. The word {shüâl} properly denotes the jackal, which travellers describe as an animal in size between the wolf and fox, gregarious, as many as 200 having been seen together, and the most numerous of any in eastern countries; so that Samson might have caught many of them together in nets.

Ps 63:10; So 2:15; La 5:18

firebrands. or, torches.

he let them go.

Ex 22:6; 2Sa 14:30

and burnt.

12:1; 14:15; Pr 22:8; 1Th 4:6

Though.

14:4,19; Ro 12:19

Isa 25:10; 63:3,6

Lehi.

17,19

went. Heb. went down. the rock Etam.Probably near the town Etam, mentioned in 1 Ch 4:32.

Philistines.

13:1; 14:4; De 28:13,47,48; Ps 106:41

to bind thee.

Mt 27:2; Ac 7:25

fall.

8:21; 1Ki 2:25,34

the Philistines.

5:30; 16:24; Ex 14:3,5; 1Sa 4:5; Job 20:5; Mic 7:8

the Spirit.

3:10; 14:6,19; Zec 4:6

the cords.

16:9,12; 1Sa 17:35; Ps 18:34; 118:11; Php 4:3

loosed. Heb. were melted.

new jaw-bone. Heb. moist. slew.

3:31; 4:21; 7:16; Le 26:8; Jos 23:10; 1Sa 14:6,14; 17:49,50

1Co 1:27,28

a thousand.Some would render the words {aileph ish,} "a chief;" but it is {alluph,} and not {aileph,} which signifies a chief; besides which, the Hebrew idiom would, even in that case, require it to be {ish alluph,} "a man, a chief," and not {alluph ish,} "a chief, a man." Add to which, that every version renders it "a thousand men."

with the jaw-bone.There is here a fine paronomasia upon the word {chamor,} "an ass," which also signifies "a heap;" {bilchee hachamor, chamor chamorathayim,} "With the jaw-bone of an ass, a heap upon two heaps."

heaps upon heaps. Heb. an heap, two heaps.

Ramath-lehi. that is, the lifting up of the jaw-bone, or,the casting away of the jaw-bone.

he was sore.

8:4; Ps 22:14,15; Joh 19:28; 2Co 4:8,9

Thou hast given.

Ps 3:7,8; 18:31-40

shall.

Ge 32:31; 2Co 12:7,8

and fall.

Ge 12:12,13; 20:11; 1Sa 27:1; 2Co 1:8,9; Heb 11:32

the uncircumcised.

1Sa 17:26,36; 2Sa 1:20

the jaw. or, Lehi.This reading is certainly preferable: it was in the place called Lehi where a spring was supernaturally opened.

there came.

Isa 44:3

his spirit.

Ge 45:27; 1Sa 30:12; Isa 40:26

En-hakkore.Samson gave this expressive name to the miraculously springing water, to be as a memorial of the goodness of God to him. En-hakkore, the well of him that cried, which kept him in remembrance both of his own distress which caused him to cry, and the favour of Jehovah to him in answer to his cry. Many a spring of comfort God opens to his people, which may fitly be called by the name En-hakkore: and this instance of Samson's relief should encourage us to trust in God, for when he pleases he can open rivers in high places.

Isa 41:17,18Samson at first gave the name of Ramath-lehi (the lifting up of the jaw-bone) which denoted him great and triumphant: but now he gives it another name, En-hakkore, which denotes him wanting and dependent.

Ge 16:13, 22:14; 28:19; 30:30; Ex 17:15; Ps 34:6; 120:1

13:1,5; 16:31"He seems to have judged South-west Israel during twenty years of their servitude of the Philistines."