Introduction

Judges 15 describes escalating conflict between Samson and the Philistines. What began with a riddle becomes warfare. Samson's personal grievances—his wife given away, then killed—drive him to spectacular acts of destruction. The chapter climaxes at Lehi, where Samson, bound and delivered to the Philistines, breaks free and kills a thousand men with a donkey's jawbone. Yet even this mighty warrior nearly dies of thirst, revealing his dependence on God.

The Foxes and the Fire (Verses 1-5)

[1-2] Later, during wheat harvest, Samson visits his wife with a young goat as a gift. But her father refuses him entry: "I was so sure you hated her that I gave her to your companion. Isn't her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead."

[3] Samson declares: "This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them." He feels justified in retaliation.

[4-5] Samson catches three hundred foxes (or jackals), ties them tail to tail with torches between them, lights the torches, and releases them into the standing grain of the Philistines. "He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves." The agricultural devastation is comprehensive—grain, orchards, and vineyards destroyed.

The Philistines' Revenge (Verses 6-8)

[6] When the Philistines ask who did this, they're told: "Samson, the Timnite's son-in-law, because his wife was given to his companion." Their response: they burn the woman and her father to death—the very threat that caused her to betray Samson's riddle.

[7-8] Samson responds: "Since you've acted like this, I swear I won't stop until I get my revenge on you." He attacks them viciously and then withdraws to live in "a cave in the rock of Etam."

Judah Surrenders Samson (Verses 9-13)

[9-10] The Philistines camp in Judah and spread out near Lehi. When Judah asks why, they answer: "We have come to take Samson prisoner and to do to him as he did to us." Israel's own tribe comes to capture God's deliverer for Israel's oppressors.

[11-12] Three thousand men from Judah go to Etam: "Don't you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?" They've accepted Philistine dominance. They come to bind Samson and hand him over. Samson makes them swear not to kill him themselves, and they agree: "We will only tie you up and hand you over to them."

[13] They bind him with two new ropes and lead him up from the rock. Judah—Samson's own people—deliver him to the enemy. The depth of Israel's compromise is stark.

The Jawbone Victory (Verses 14-17)

[14-15] As Samson approaches Lehi, the Philistines come shouting toward him. "The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him." The ropes on his arms become like charred flax; the bindings drop from his hands. He finds "a fresh jawbone of a donkey," grabs it, and strikes down a thousand men.

[16-17] Samson celebrates with a poetic victory song: "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men." The Hebrew involves wordplay—"donkey" and "heap" sound similar. He names the place Ramath Lehi ("Jawbone Hill").

Samson's Thirst and God's Provision (Verses 18-20)

[18] After his victory, Samson is very thirsty. He cries out to the LORD: "You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?" Even the mighty warrior depends on God for basic survival.

[19] God opens up a hollow place in Lehi, and water comes out. Samson drinks and is revived. He names the spring En Hakkore ("caller's spring")—it still exists in Lehi "to this day."

[20] "Samson led Israel for twenty years in the days of the Philistines." This summary note appears mid-story, before his capture and death.

Key Takeaways

• Retaliation escalates: Each act of revenge provokes a larger response.
• Israel has accommodated oppression: Judah accepts Philistine rule and surrenders their deliverer.
• The Spirit enables supernatural feats: Bound ropes snap; one man defeats a thousand.
• Even heroes are dependent: Samson nearly dies of thirst and must cry to God.
• God answers the desperate: Water flows from rock when Samson calls.

Reflection Questions

1. What does Judah's willingness to hand over Samson reveal about Israel's spiritual state?
2. How does Samson's thirst and prayer balance his displays of strength?
3. What does the cycle of personal vengeance accomplish versus God's purposes?
4. Why might the summary "Samson led Israel twenty years" appear here rather than at the story's end?