Judges 15:16

16 Then Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve piled them in heaps! With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve killed a thousand men!”

Judges 15:16 Meaning and 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, since he takes notice of the mean instrument he used; which showed that he was sensible it was not done by his own power, but by the power of God, which enabled him by such weak means to do such wonderful things.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F13 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 9.

Judges 15:16 In-Context

14 As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.

15 Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines with it.

16 Then Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve piled them in heaps! With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve killed a thousand men!”

17 When he finished his boasting, he threw away the jawbone; and the place was named Jawbone Hill.

18 Samson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?”