Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 15:16
And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
16. heaps upon heaps ] See marg., and cf. Exo 8:14 [Hebrews 10, lit. heaps, heaps ]. But a verb is wanted to complete the parallelism with clause b; and, simply pronouncing the words differently, we may render heaping I have heaped them, i. e. I have heaped them high. The verb amar was chosen for its similarity to amr = ‘ass.’ The Verss. give a verb, LXX, Vulgate delevi, Peshitto ‘I have heaped heaps of them.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
There is a play upon the word, three times repeated, which means both an ass and also a heap. The spirit of riddle-making Jdg 14:12, Jdg 14:18 is apparent in this song of triumph (compare Jdg 5:1; Exo 15:1; 1Sa 18:6-7).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
This, though it might seem difficult, yet is not at all impossible or incredible; especially seeing the learned affirm of the asses of Syria, that they were larger and stronger than ours, and so consequently were their bones. And withal, it must be acknowledged that there was something extraordinary and miraculous in this, as there was unquestionably in Samsons strength, and so all the difficulty vanisheth.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. With the jawbone of an ass,heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousandmenThe inadequacy of the weapon plainly shows this to havebeen a miraculous feat, “a case of supernatural strength,”just as the gift of prophecy is a case of supernatural knowledge[CHALMERS].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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 m, 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.
m Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass.Here we once more find ourselves in very primitive regions of poetry and paronomasia. Samsons exultation over his extraordinary achievement finds vent in a sort of punning couplet, which turns entirely on the identity of sound between chamor, a heap, and chamor, an ass, and the play of meaning between aleph, a thousand, and aleph, an ox. In the Hebrew the couplet runs:
Bi-lechi ha-chamor chamor chamorathaim.
Bi-lechi ha-chamor hicceyth eleph eesh.
Literally, with some attempt, however clumsy, to keep up the play of words,
With jaw of the ass, a (m)ass two (m) asses,
With jaw of the ass I smote an ox-load of men.
The versions are, of course, unable to preserve these rough paronomasias, which are characteristic of the age. It would be quite a mistake to infer that they show any levity of spirit in Samson. On the contrary, such peculiarities of expression often arise out of deep emotion. When John of Gaunt begins his dying speech to Richard II. with
Old Gaunt, indeed! and gaunt in being old, &c.,
the king asks:
Can sick men play so nicely with their names?
and the dying prince makes the striking answer:
No; misery makes sport to mock herself.
I have fully examined the whole subject in Chapters on Language, pp. 227-238. These sallies of playful fancy tended no less than the flashes of military prowess to prepare the nation for better times by keeping up their buoyant mood. The nation felt unsubdued in mind and body, while its sons could flow out in such health and vivacity; and thus Samson began to deliver them, though his actual deeds were casuala sort of teasing, reiterated mark of mortifying humiliation (Ewald).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Samson said Samson’s words form a short poetical distich, and contain, in the Hebrew, a noticeable paronomasia, which may be thus presented in English:
With a jawbone of the ass, a mass, two masses, With a jawbone of the ass have I slain a thousand men.
It deserves notice, also, that the Hebrew word for mass or heaps is the same as that for ass and the word for thousand means also an ox; so that a further idea of Samson’s pun may be given by rendering:
With a jawbone of the ass, an ass, two asses, With a jawbone of the ass have I slain an ox of men.
This saying, like the method devised to burn the Philistines’ corn, shows us the extent of Samson’s humour. “His most valiant, his most cruel actions, are done with a smile on his face and a jest in his mouth. It relieves his character from the sternness of Phenician fanaticism. As a peal of hearty laughter often breaks in upon the despondency of individual sorrow, so the joviality of Samson becomes a pledge of the revival of the greatness of his nation. The whole point of the massacre of the thousand Philistines lies in the cleverness with which their clumsy triumph is suddenly turned into discomfiture; and their discomfiture is celebrated by the punning turn of the hero, not forgotten even in the exultation or the weariness of victory.” Stanley.
‘ And Samson said, “With the jawbone of an ass, heap upon heap. With the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a large number (an eleph).”’
Samson exulted in his victory with a war song. He was an educated man and enjoyed composing verses (Jdg 14:14; Jdg 14:18). ‘Heap upon heap’ is literally ‘one heap, two heaps’. It is not possible in English to bring out the play on words, for ‘ass’ (chamor) and ‘heap’ (chamor) have the same consonants. The first line tumbles out very expressively in four consecutive words (with ch pronounced as in loch) ‘bilchi hachamor chamor chamorathayim’. It was a song that would be sung often in Judah when spirits were low.
Jdg 15:16. Samson said, with the jaw-bone of an ass, &c. Samson, upon this victory, composed a triumphant song, or ode, of which this verse appears to have been the chorus or burden. Houbigant renders it,
With the jaw-bone of an ass have I dispersed them; With the jaw-bone of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
REFLECTIONS.Unable any longer to bear such treatment, the Philistines gathered their armies, not to fight with Israel, but to oblige them to give up their enemy Samson. Hereupon,
1. The men of Judah, understanding the reason of their invasion, instead of setting Samson at their head to fight for their liberty, basely resolve to make a sacrifice of him to his enemies, preferring ignominious servitude before a generous struggle for their country. Instead of honouring him for his courage, they blame him for his rashness, and desire him peaceably to submit to their bonds. Samson might well expostulate with them, that what he had done was for their good, and a just correction for the wrongs he had received; but knowing that this was from God, that he might have a new occasion to destroy them, he peaceably submits to be bound; and, having first engaged his brethren to do him no harm, consents to be delivered into the hands of the Philistines. Note; We have here, in Samson, a lively figure of the Lord Jesus. A band of armed men surround him in the garden; he is betrayed, and forsaken by his own disciples; though able to destroy at a stroke those who came to bind him, yet, quietly submissive, he is led as a lamb to the slaughter.
2. With joy the Philistines behold their captive approaching, and shout aloud, as now triumphant over their destroyer: but how momentary is the triumph of the wicked! Instantly a sudden impulse of Divine power comes upon him; like flax his captive bands are burst asunder: no better weapon is at hand than the jaw-bone of an ass’s carcase: this he seizes, flies on his amazed foes, and turns the shouts of joy into shrieks of horror: for soon, with resistless fury, he mows down their ranks, and heaps the slain on the slain. A thousand fell on the spot. Note; (1.) When God will work, the most despicable instruments in his hand shall be effectual. (2.) Though tied and bound with the chains of our sins, the spirit of the Lord can loose these captive bonds, and set us free. (3.) Unequal as the contest is, between one poor believer and all the hosts of hell and earth without, and corruption within, yet Divine Grace can make him more than conqueror. (4.) When his rejoicing enemies were most secure, and under the seal and stone had thus bound up the dead body of our crucified Lord, then, like Samson, he broke the bands of death, awaked as a giant refreshed with wine, confounded his foes, and led captivity captive.
3. Samson celebrates his victory, not out of vanity, but to the glory of God, who, with so unfit a weapon, had enabled him to make so great a slaughter. The same Hebrew word chamor, signifying an ass and a heap, in the original, affords an elegant paronomasia, not to be accurately expressed in a translation. Then, having finished his song of praises, he casts away the useless jaw, and, in memory of this single event, calls the place Ramoth-Lehi, The lifting up of the jaw-bone.
Note; (1.) God must have the glory of his own work. (2.) Songs of praise are as honourable to him, as reviving to our own souls.
Jdg 15:16 And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
Ver. 16. With the jaw bone of an ass, heaps upon heaps. ] Heb., A heap, two heaps. Here is an elegancy (antanaclasis) in the original; for the same word Chamor signifieth both an ass and a heap. And this was Samson’s epinicion, or song of thanksgiving to God; not a vain vaunt of his own strength and achievements, as Josephus and Ambrose will have it, for which cause also God punished him afterwards with so great thirst, say they.
With. Note the alternation of four lines. Another pointing of the second line given in Septuagint is, chamor chamartlm = “destroying I destroyed them”, which by Figure of speech Polyptoton (App-6) = I utterly destroyed them. There is also the Figure of speech Antanaclasis in the words chamor, “ass”, and “destroyed”.
with the jawbone: 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, Jdg 15:16
Reciprocal: Jdg 16:24 – which slew many of us 1Sa 17:40 – staff 1Co 1:25 – the foolishness
Jdg 15:16. Heaps upon heaps, &c. Hebrew, a heap, two heaps. As much as to say, I have not only slain enow to make one heap, but two or more. I have slain a thousand men What could be too hard for him to do, on whom the Spirit of the Lord came mightily? This seems like a short hymn or song of triumph, which Samson uttered after he had routed the Philistines. It is strange that the men of Judah did not now, at least, come to his assistance. But he was to be a type of him who trod the wine-press alone.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments