Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 15:15
And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
15. a thousand men ] The numbers of course belong to the extraordinary character of the story. Moore notes that, according to Moslem tradition, the first blood in the cause of Islam was drawn with a similar weapon, the jawbone of a camel.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Slew a thousand men therewith – Compare the marginal references. The Philistines, seized with a panic at seeing Samson suddenly burst his cords and rush at them, offered no resistance, but fell an easy prey to the blows of their mighty foe. Some perhaps were dashed down the cliffs in their flight.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. He found a new jaw-bone of an ass] I rather think that the word teriyah, which we translate new, and the margin moist, should be understood as signifying the tabia or putrid state of the ass from which this jawbone was taken. He found there a dead ass in a state of putrefaction; on which account he could the more easily separate the jaw from its integuments; this was a circumstance proper to be recorded by the historian, and a mark of the providence of God. But were we to understand it of a fresh jaw-bone, very lately separated from the head of an ass, the circumstance does not seem worthy of being recorded.
With the jaw-bore of an ass, heaps upon heaps] I cannot see the propriety of this rendering of the Hebrew words bilchi hachamor, chemor chamorathayim; I believe they should be translated thus: –
“With the jaw-bone of this ass,
an ass (the foal) of two asses;
“With the jaw-bone of this ass
I have slain a thousand men.”
This appears to have been a triumphal song on the occasion; and the words are variously rendered both by the versions, and by expositors.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A new jawbone, and therefore more tough and strong.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he found a new jawbone of an ass,…. That is, the jawbone of an ass lately killed, which perhaps had some of the flesh upon it, the blood or purulent matter on it; for Jarchi says, he had read in the books of physicians, that the word here used signifies the sanies or purulent matter of a wound; however, it was moist, and fresh, and so tough and strong, and would bear to strike with, and give hard blows with, when an old jawbone would have been dry and brittle; and perhaps the asses of those countries were larger than ours, and so their jawbones bigger and stronger:
and put forth his hand and took it; it lay near him, being so disposed by the providence of God at the time and place where his cords were loosed from him, and he reached and took it up:
and slew one thousand men therewith, such was his great strength, that every blow he gave in all probability killed a man; there have been wonderful things done by mighty warriors, but none like this; they have by the use of warlike weapons destroyed many, as with the sword or spear, but not with such an instrument. One of David’s worthies slew three hundred men at one time with his spear, 1Ch 11:11 and Scanderbeg with his sword slew great numbers of the Turks with his own hand at different times; what comes nearest to this is Shamgar’s killing six hundred Philistines with an ox goad, Jud 3:31, this may be an emblem of the weak and contemptible means of the Gospel, the foolishness of preaching, by which Christ has conquered and subdued multitudes to himself.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(15) A new jawbone.Literally, a moist jawbonei.e., the jawbone of an animal recently dead, and before the bone had become brittle. In this instance, at any rate, Samson might feel himself absolved from the rule of ceremonial cleanness, which forbad him as a Nazarite to touch carcases. A jawbone is a mighty magic weapon in one of the Polynesian legends (Grey, Polyn. Mythology, p. 35), but that throws no light on this narrative.
Slew a thousand men.The verb is rather smote than slew, and the expression (whether due to poetry or not) is to be taken generally, like Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. If Goliath was able single-handed to strike terror into the whole army of Israel, Samson with his long locks and colossal strength would be still more likely to strike a terror into the Philistines, and all the more because a supernatural awe was doubtless attached by this time to his name and person. The very fact that, though armed only with this wretched weapon of offence, he yet dared to rush upon the Philistines would make them fly in wilder panic (Jos. 23:10). One man of you shall chase a thousand; for the Lord your God He it is that fighteth for you, as He hath promised you. (Comp. Leviticus 26; Deu. 32:30.) So we read that one of Davids heroes slew three hundred men (1Ch. 11:11; comp. 2Sa. 23:8). The Philistines, dull and superstitious, seem to have been peculiarly liable to these panics (1Sa. 14:4-18). Bishop Patrick quotes a striking parallel from a song on the Emperor Aurelian.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. New jawbone Moist or fresh, as would be the case if the animal had recently died. Such a bone would be less liable to break than one old and thoroughly dried.
A thousand men The host was, doubtless, more numerous, but many escaped. They probably became panicstricken when they saw this fearful foe suddenly break his bands, as with miraculous power, and rush upon them, smiting to the earth every Philistine that he encountered.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 15:15. A new jaw-bone of an ass Of an ass that had not been long dead, properly rendered moist in the margin of our Bibles; not so brittle as one that was dry, and had long lain in the air and the sun. No doubt, this event must be ascribed to the providence of God, who thus fulfilled the promise he had made to the Israelites, that no one should be able to stand before them, and that one man of them should chase a thousand; Lev 26:8. Bochart. Hieroz. pars 1: lib. 2: cap. 15 and a dissertation upon the jaw-bone of the ass, by J. Jac. Seiferheld, in the Nov. Thesaur. Philolog. tom. 1:
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Certainly there is somewhat wonderfully striking in this man ‘ s history, and the most instructive view we can take of it is, when it serves to lead our hearts to Jesus. And how hath the Son of God, by the simplest weapons in his gospel, brought down the force of the mighty to the earth! 1Co 1:27-28 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jdg 15:15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
Ver. 15. And he found a new jaw-bone of an ass. ] This holy Hercules had no better a club to bestir him with; and it was sufficient. So was “the foolishness of preaching,” to subdue the world under Christ, the true Samson, who, by his death, brake the bands of death, and destroyed his and our enemies.
And slew a thousand men therewith.
a Bucholc.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
jawbone of an ass. One of the seven “weak things” in Judges. See note on Jdg 3:21.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
new jawbone: Heb. moist
slew: Jdg 3:31, Jdg 4:21, Jdg 7:16, Lev 26:8, Jos 23:10, 1Sa 14:6, 1Sa 14:14, 1Sa 17:49, 1Sa 17:50, 1Co 1:27, 1Co 1:28
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.”
Reciprocal: Deu 33:22 – General Jdg 14:6 – rent him Jdg 16:30 – So the dead 1Sa 17:40 – staff 1Co 1:25 – the foolishness
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 15:15. He found a new jaw-bone of an ass New, and therefore more tough and strong; and slew a thousand men therewith Some, to account partly for this wonderful achievement, have observed that these Philistines were, probably, unarmed, and that they were struck with a great panic, thinking that the three thousand men of Judah would aid Samson. But doubtless it is chiefly to be ascribed to the power and providence of God, who thus fulfilled his promise to his people, that one of them should chase a thousand, and that no one should be able to stand before them, Lev 26:8; Jos 23:10.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
15:15 And he found a {i} new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
(i) That is, of an ass recently slain.