What Does Judges 15:15-16 Mean?
Judges 15:15-16 describes how Samson, empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, killed a thousand Philistines with nothing but a fresh jawbone of a donkey. After being betrayed and attacked, God gave Samson supernatural strength in a moment of desperation. This dramatic act shows how God can use the most unlikely tools to deliver His people.
Judges 15:15-16
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. Then Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey have I struck down a thousand men."
Key Facts
Book
Author
Samuel (traditional), with later editorial additions
Genre
Narrative
Date
Approximately 11th century BC
Key People
Key Themes
Key Takeaways
- God’s strength triumphs when human strength fails.
- The Spirit empowers ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.
- Victory comes through surrender, not self-sufficiency.
Context of Samson's Battle at Lehi
This dramatic moment comes after Samson has been betrayed by his wife and attacked by the Philistines, setting the stage for a surprising act of divine deliverance.
The name 'Lehi' means 'jawbone' in Hebrew, which makes the location itself a fitting backdrop for this unusual victory - Samson uses a donkey’s jawbone not as a proper weapon, but as a tool in God’s hands. As a judge of Israel, Samson’s role was spiritual and military. God raised him up to rescue His people from their enemies, especially the oppressive Philistines. Though the men of Judah feared the Philistines and even tied Samson up to hand him over, God’s Spirit came upon Samson with power, showing that one person with God’s strength can stand against many.
This story reminds us that God doesn’t need fancy tools or human strength to work - He often chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
The Power Behind the Jawbone: Wordplay and the Spirit's Role
This victory was unusual and deeply meaningful, conveying through Hebrew wordplay and a clear message that God’s power, not human strength or weapons, brings true deliverance.
Samson’s boast - 'With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps' - uses a clever pun in Hebrew: 'ḥămôr' (donkey) sounds like 'ḥămôrātim' (heaps), turning his crude weapon into a poetic symbol of overwhelming victory.
The real force behind the jawbone was the Spirit of the Lord rushing upon Samson, as it had previously when the ropes fell from his arms like burnt flax. This echoes a deeper truth found throughout Judges: God raises up unlikely leaders and empowers them by His Spirit, not because they’re perfect, but because they’re available. Samson wasn’t a model of moral strength - he was impulsive and driven by personal revenge - but in this moment, God used him to rescue His people.
It wasn’t the bone that won the battle - it was the Spirit of God moving through a willing man.
That same Spirit is what makes the weak strong in the New Testament too. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, 'But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.' God’s power worked through Samson’s unclean weapon and flawed character. He still chooses imperfect people and ordinary tools to do extraordinary things when we rely on His strength.
God's Strength in Our Weakness: A Call to Depend on His Spirit
Samson’s victory with a donkey’s jawbone wasn’t about brute force - it was a powerful reminder that God’s strength shines brightest when ours runs out.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, 'But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.' This truth runs through the whole story of Scripture: God needs us to be willing, not strong.
When we feel weak and unequipped, God is often closest, ready to act through us in surprising ways.
So instead of relying on our own skills, confidence, or resources, this story invites us to trust the same Spirit who empowered Samson - one who still works through ordinary, broken people to do extraordinary things.
Samson as a Foreshadowing of Christ’s Victory
This story of Samson’s unlikely victory is a dramatic rescue that also points ahead to Jesus and His ultimate defeat of evil.
Like Gideon’s small but Spirit-empowered army (Judges 7) or Jonathan’s bold strike with only a sword and faith (1 Samuel 14:6), Samson’s win with a donkey’s jawbone shows God’s pattern of using the weak to overcome the strong - preparing us to see how Jesus would one day win the greatest victory with what looked like defeat.
Just as Samson’s victory over a thousand enemies pointed forward, Jesus achieved a greater triumph - not with a jawbone, but by the cross.
Colossians 2:15 says, 'And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.' In a similar way, Samson humiliated the Philistines with a humble tool, and Jesus crushed sin and death through the cross, the most unexpected weapon of all.
Application
How This Changes Everything: Real Life Impact
I remember a season when I felt completely out of my depth - overwhelmed at work, stretched thin at home, and convinced I had nothing meaningful to offer. I kept waiting for God to show up with a grand solution, but instead, He reminded me of Samson: a broken man with a donkey’s jawbone, yet used in a mighty way. That moment shifted my perspective. I stopped focusing on my lack and started asking, 'God, what ordinary thing can I place in Your hands?' I began offering my small acts of patience, my five minutes of listening, my honest prayers - and slowly, I saw Him multiply those things in ways I couldn’t have orchestrated. It was about surrender, not strength. And that changed how I see every challenge: not as a test of my ability, but as an invitation for His power to move.
Personal Reflection
- Where in my life am I relying on my own strength or resources instead of trusting God’s power to work through my weakness?
- What 'ordinary' part of my day or skill could I surrender to God, even if it feels insignificant or unclean?
- When have I seen God use a difficult or painful situation - like Samson’s betrayal - to bring about something redemptive?
A Challenge For You
This week, identify one area where you feel weak, unequipped, or overwhelmed. Instead of trying to fix it on your own, pray: 'God, I give You this - my lack of time, patience, skill, or peace. Use it.' Then, take one small, faithful step in that situation, trusting that His strength is enough.
A Prayer of Response
God, I admit I often rely on my own strength and worry when I feel weak. Thank You for showing me that Your power works best when I let go. Like Samson with a jawbone, I give You what I have - even my flaws and limits. Fill me with Your Spirit and use me in ways I can’t see. Help me trust that with You, weakness isn’t a dead end - it’s a doorway for Your glory.
Related Scriptures & Concepts
Immediate Context
Judges 15:14
Describes the Spirit of the Lord rushing upon Samson, freeing him from ropes - setting the stage for his miraculous victory with the jawbone.
Judges 15:17
Records Samson naming the place Ramath-lehi after his victory, linking the location directly to the jawbone event and its significance.
Connections Across Scripture
Exodus 15:3
Declares 'The Lord is a man of war,' connecting God’s power in Samson’s battle to His identity as Israel’s divine warrior.
Zechariah 4:6
'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord - echoing how Samson’s victory was Spirit-empowered, not humanly achieved.
Luke 1:52
God brings down the mighty and exalts the humble, reflecting the reversal seen in Samson’s triumph with a lowly jawbone.