Judges Chapter 15

Samson Against the Philistines
A. Retaliation back and forth.

1. (Judges 15:1-3) Samson’s rage at discovering that his wife is given to another.

After a while, in the time of wheat harvest, it happened that Samson visited his wife with a young goat. And he said, “Let me go in to my wife, into her room.” But her father would not permit him to go in. Her father said, “I really thought that you thoroughly hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Please, take her instead.” And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be blameless regarding the Philistines if I harm them!”

a. I really thought that you thoroughly hated her: Samson’s father-in-law justified his betrayal by claiming that he believed Samson no longer wanted his wife. Whether this was a genuine misunderstanding or simply a convenient excuse is not entirely clear. It is possible that Samson’s wife had already influenced her father’s view of Samson, as indicated earlier when she manipulated Samson in Judges 14:16. This reflects the fragility of alliances and trust when marriages are built outside of God’s covenant people.

b. Even though Samson’s father-in-law’s actions were offensive, the deeper cause was Samson’s own earlier compromise in marrying a Philistine woman. His disregard for God’s command not to unite with pagan nations (Deuteronomy 7:3-4) set the stage for repeated heartbreak and conflict. Samson’s choice demonstrates the truth of Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Failing to guard his heart from ungodly attachment left him vulnerable to betrayal and trouble.

c. This time I shall be blameless regarding the Philistines if I harm them: Samson declared that his retaliation against the Philistines would be justified. In reality, his reasoning was a mixture of personal vengeance and God’s larger purpose. God had already determined to use Samson as an instrument to confront the Philistines (Judges 14:4). Psalm 76:10 says, “Surely the wrath of man shall praise You.” This means that even sinful human anger can be overruled by God for His glory and purposes. However, Samson’s anger was still carnal in origin, and while God would use it, it was not the same as acting in the Spirit’s wisdom and self-control.

(Judges 15:4-5) Samson strikes out against the Philistines by burning their crops.

Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes; and he took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails. When he had set the torches on fire, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves.

a. Samson went and caught three hundred foxes: This act of setting animals loose to destroy an enemy’s agriculture may seem to be more of a prank than a military maneuver. Yet for an agrarian society like the Philistines, whose wealth and survival depended on their crops, this was devastating economic sabotage. Samson’s behavior here reflects a personal vendetta against the Philistines, but God still used it to strike a blow at Israel’s oppressors. God can even take what looks like petty retaliation and incorporate it into His sovereign plan to weaken an enemy of His people.

b. Put a torch between each pair of tails: Some critics doubt the historicity of this account, arguing that capturing 300 foxes is unrealistic. However, the Hebrew word shû‘āl can refer to either foxes or jackals. Jackals are common in the region and travel in large packs, sometimes numbering over 200 animals. This would make the capture of such numbers entirely plausible. Additionally, nothing in the text indicates Samson accomplished this in a single day or entirely by himself—he could have done it over time and possibly with help.

c. Burned up both the shocks and the standing grain, as well as the vineyards and olive groves: This targeted attack wiped out the Philistines’ food supply and economic resources. Destroying the shocks (the harvested grain), the standing grain (the crop still in the field), and their vineyards and olive groves was a crippling blow. The Philistines would not only suffer immediate famine but also long-term hardship, since vines and olive trees take years to regrow. This was a strategic strike against both their present and future prosperity, showing that Samson—whether acting out of revenge or obedience—was being used as God’s instrument to destabilize the Philistines.

(Judges 15:6-7) The Philistines retaliate by killing Samson’s wife and family.

Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they answered, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion.” So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire. Samson said to them, “Since you would do a thing like this, I will surely take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.”

a. So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire: In cruel irony, Samson’s wife and her father were destroyed by the very threat that had led her to betray Samson in the first place (Judges 14:15). What she feared came upon her anyway. This illustrates a biblical truth—trusting in ungodly means to save oneself often leads to the very disaster one tries to avoid. God’s providence overruled this tragic scene, using it to push forward His plan to confront the Philistine oppression. However, it came at a great personal cost to Samson, a cost largely born out of his own disobedience in marrying outside the covenant people of God. Had Samson walked in obedience, God could have accomplished His purposes in ways that blessed rather than broke him.

b. I will surely take revenge on you, and after that I will cease: Samson’s response shows the destructive spiral of retaliation. His personal vendetta escalated an already tense conflict. Retaliation feeds on itself; it demands escalation, not resolution. History, both ancient and modern, bears witness to cycles of vengeance that bring generations of bloodshed. For the believer, the answer is to leave vengeance to God, for as Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

i. Much of the war, disaster, deep-seated hatred, and suffering in the world springs from this human instinct to strike back. Yet Jesus explicitly countered the “eye for an eye” mentality in Matthew 5:38-42, teaching His followers to overcome evil not by matching its force, but by demonstrating grace. This is not weakness—it is strength under control, imitating the God who did not retaliate against mankind for sin, but instead “demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

(Judges 15:8) Samson repays the Philistines for the murder of his wife.

So he attacked them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; then he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

a. He attacked them hip and thigh: The phrase “hip and thigh” is a Hebrew idiom describing a ruthless and total defeat. It paints the image of an overwhelming, decisive blow—Samson struck without hesitation and without mercy. This was not a calculated military campaign; it was a ferocious personal assault, driven by vengeance for the death of his wife and her family. Even so, God sovereignly used Samson’s personal rage to inflict serious damage on the Philistines, furthering His larger redemptive plan for Israel (Judges 14:4). Samson here acted as a one-man army, empowered by the Spirit of the LORD, displaying the raw physical might God had given him.

b. Dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam: After this violent confrontation, Samson withdrew to a natural fortress in the cleft of the rock. This place was likely a rugged, elevated area in Judah, providing both concealment and protection. Yet its significance is deeper than mere geography. At this point in his life, Samson had no wife, no family, and no real allies among his own people. His marriage had ended in betrayal, his relationship with the Philistines was one of open hostility, and his fellow Israelites would soon prove hesitant to support him. He lived as a fugitive, isolated and misunderstood, much like David would later hide in the caves of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1). This period underscores the loneliness that often follows disobedience and misplaced affections. Even God’s chosen deliverer could find himself alone when he failed to walk fully in the covenant path.

B. Samson slays one thousand Philistines

1. (Judges 15:9-13) Judah surrenders Samson to the Philistines.

Now the Philistines went up, encamped in Judah, and deployed themselves against Lehi. And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” So they answered, “We have come up to arrest Samson, to do to him as he has done to us.” Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this you have done to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.” But they said to him, “We have come down to arrest you, that we may deliver you into the hand of the Philistines.” Then Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not kill me yourselves.” So they spoke to him, saying, “No, but we will tie you securely and deliver you into their hand; but we will surely not kill you.” And they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

a. We have come up to arrest Samson, to do to him as he has done to us: The fact that the men of Judah were willing to hand Samson over reveals the depth of Israel’s spiritual and national decline. Instead of rallying behind the man God had raised up to deliver them (Judges 13:5), they aligned themselves with their oppressors. They feared displeasing the Philistines more than displeasing God, a clear sign of compromise and cowardice. This reflects a sad but common reality—when someone confronts evil boldly, it often provokes more anger from the complacent than from the oppressors themselves. Many would rather silence the reformer than confront the evil that enslaves them (compare John 11:48-50, where religious leaders sought to hand Jesus over to His enemies to preserve their own security).

b. Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us: These words are revealing. The men of Judah had accepted the Philistines’ dominion as a fixed reality, forgetting that God’s covenant people were never meant to be under the yoke of pagans. Samson’s mindset was completely different—he refused to accept Philistine rule as normal or permanent. This is a critical spiritual principle: those in bondage often adapt to their chains, while the one whom God has stirred refuses to accept them.

c. They bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock: Samson’s willingness to be bound suggests that he trusted God to use this situation for His purposes. There is no record of him resisting arrest by his own people. He did not fear being delivered into Philistine hands, because he knew God had not yet finished with him. These “two new ropes” were meant to ensure his capture, but they were no match for the Spirit of the LORD (as the next verses will reveal). It is also worth noting that this submission parallels the greater Deliverer, Jesus Christ, who allowed Himself to be bound and delivered into the hands of sinners (Matthew 26:50-56) in order to accomplish God’s will.

2. (Judges 15:14-17) Samson uses the jawbone of a donkey to kill a thousand Philistines.

When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it. Then Samson said:

“With the jawbone of a donkey,
Heaps upon heaps,
With the jawbone of a donkey
I have slain a thousand men!”

And so it was, when he had finished speaking, that he threw the jawbone from his hand, and called that place Ramath Lehi.

a. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him: As in previous episodes of Samson’s life, this extraordinary strength did not come from physical training or sheer human willpower, but from the empowering presence of the Spirit of God. The phrase “came mightily upon” pictures a sudden rushing in of divine strength, enabling Samson to accomplish what was humanly impossible. This reminds us that God’s power is not dependent on the weapon, the circumstances, or the odds, but upon His will to act for His purposes (Zechariah 4:6).

b. The ropes… became like flax that is burned with fire: The new ropes that bound him—strong enough to hold a man—were instantly rendered useless, falling from him as if they had been scorched by flames. This detail underscores that when the Spirit of God moves, what appears unbreakable in human terms is nothing before Him. It also foreshadows the spiritual truth that Christ sets the captives free (Luke 4:18).

c. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey… and killed a thousand men with it: The weapon was unconventional, even absurd by military standards. It was not forged steel, but the bone of a recently dead animal, which would still have moisture and durability. This detail also highlights Samson’s Nazirite vow—under normal circumstances, touching the carcass of a dead animal would have made him ceremonially unclean (Numbers 6:6-7). This was yet another example of Samson disregarding parts of his consecration. Nevertheless, God used this moment to bring about a decisive blow against the Philistines. Samson’s battle was solitary; unlike Gideon or Deborah, who commanded armies, Samson was God’s single-handed instrument of judgment.

i. This victory shows what could have been if Samson had been fully devoted to God. As G. Campbell Morgan observed, “We are conscious of what he might have done had he been wholly yielded to that ‘Spirit of Jehovah’ who came mightily upon him, instead of being so largely governed by the fires of his own passion.”

d. With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps: The Hebrew phrasing contains a poetic wordplay, making Samson’s victory song both triumphant and biting in tone. Some render it, “With the jawbone of an ass, I have piled them in a mass.” His declaration is both a celebration of victory and a personal boast. While Samson gave credit to the weapon in his hand rather than directly to the LORD, the truth is that the victory belonged entirely to God.

e. And called that place Ramath Lehi: This name means “Jawbone Hill,” a memorial title marking the location of Samson’s unlikely yet decisive victory.

i. One preacher once drew a parallel between the jawbone of a donkey and the gospel message, describing it as:

• A novel weapon – unlike the tools the world uses.

• A convenient weapon – always ready for the one who trusts God.

• A simple weapon – needing no elaborate skill or human wisdom.

• A ridiculous weapon – despised by the world’s standards.

• A successful weapon – accomplishing God’s purposes with power.

This entire episode again reinforces the recurring theme in Judges: God delivers His people through weak, flawed vessels so that the glory belongs to Him alone (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

3. (Judges 15:18-20) God provides for Samson miraculously.

Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?” So God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore he called its name En Hakkore, which is in Lehi to this day. And he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines.

a. Then he became very thirsty: The thirst came immediately after one of the greatest personal victories in Samson’s life. This physical weakness was a sovereign reminder from God that no matter how powerful the Spirit’s enabling might be in a moment of battle, Samson was still human, still dependent, and still mortal. It is often after our greatest moments of triumph that God allows a humbling weakness, lest we grow proud and self-reliant.

i. Charles Spurgeon noted, “It is very usual for God’s people, when they have had some great deliverance, to have some little trouble that is too much for them. Samson slays a thousand Philistines, and piles them up in heaps, and then he must needs die for want of a little water!”

ii. Matthew Poole observes that this thirst was “partly sent by God, that by the experience of his own impotency he might be forced to ascribe the victory to God only, and not to himself.” Even in his moment of strength, God ensured Samson remembered the true Source of his deliverance.

b. You have given this great deliverance… and now shall I die of thirst: Samson’s prayer acknowledges that the victory was from God. His wording is both a confession of God’s power and a bold petition for immediate help. While Samson’s life had many flaws, here he demonstrated simple, childlike faith—turning instinctively to the LORD in his hour of need.

i. Spurgeon, in his sermon The Fainting Hero, applied this scene spiritually: believers may look upon “heaps upon heaps” of past victories—heaps of sins conquered, heaps of fears laid to rest, heaps of temptations overcome—yet still find themselves overwhelmed by a new, smaller trial. The lesson is that the God who gave the great victory will also meet the seemingly small but urgent needs of His people.

ii. As F. B. Meyer wrote, “Be of good courage, fainting warrior! The God who made thee, and has used thee, knows thy frame, and what thou needest before thou askest.”

c. God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out… and he revived: This miraculous provision was an unmistakable act of God’s care for His servant. The same God who gave supernatural strength for the battle also gave natural refreshment for the body. This illustrates a vital principle: God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply (Philippians 4:19).

i. This provision parallels other miraculous water episodes in Scripture—Moses striking the rock at Rephidim (Exodus 17:6), or God providing for Israel in the wilderness (Numbers 20:11). Each of these moments points to Christ, the ultimate “living water” (John 4:14; 7:37-38), who satisfies the deepest thirst of the soul.

d. Therefore he called its name En Hakkore: This name means “Spring of the Caller” or “Fountain of Him Who Cried.” It served as a memorial to the place where God answered the desperate cry of His servant. Samson wanted future generations to remember that victory alone was not enough—dependence on God for daily needs was essential.

e. And he judged Israel twenty years in the days of the Philistines: This closing statement of the chapter summarizes Samson’s role as judge. Despite his flaws, God used him to restrain Philistine oppression for two decades. However, the text notes “in the days of the Philistines,” reminding us that Israel was still under partial subjugation—Samson’s victories were significant, but not the full deliverance God ultimately intended to bring through the Messiah.