15:1 Samson is denied his wife;
15:3 He burns the Philistines' corn with foxes and firebrands;
15:6 His wife and her father are burnt by the Philistines;
15:7 Samson smites them hip and thigh;
15:9 He is bound by the men of Judah, and delivered to the Philistines;
15:14 He kills them with a jawbone;
15:18 God makes the fountain En-hakkore for him in Lehi. Verse 1a kidGenesis 38:17; Luke 15:29 I will goGenesis 6:4, 29:21ReciprocalDeuteronomy 22:13 - General; Judges 19:3 - went Verse 2I verilyJudges 14:16, 14:20; Acts 26:9 I gaveJudges 14:20; Genesis 38:14 take herHeb. let her be thineReciprocalDeuteronomy 22:13 - General Verse 3Now shalletc. or, Now shall I be blameless from the Philistinesthoughetc. Judges 14:15ReciprocalGenesis 34:13 - deceitfully Verse 4caught threeDr. Kennicott and others contend, that for shualim, "foxes," we should read shoalim, "handfuls," or sheaves of corn. But:

1. The word lachad, rendered caught, never signifies simply to get or take but always to catch, seize, or take by assault or stratagem.

2. Though the proposed alteration is sanctioned by seven manuscripts, yet all the versions are on the other side.

3. Admitting this alteration, it will be difficult to prove that the word shoal means either a sheaf or a handful of corn in the ear, and straw. It occurs but thrice in Scriptures - 1 Kings 20:10. Isaiah 40:12. Ezekiel 13:9: where it evidently means as much as can be contained in the hollow of the hand; but when handfuls of grain in the shock, or sheaves are intended, very different words are used. See note on Ruth 2:15, 2:16, etc.

4. It is not hinted that Samson collected them alone, or in one day; he might have employed many hands and several days in the work.

5. The word shual properly denotes the jackal, which travellers describe as an animal in size between the wolf and fox, gregarious, as many as 200 having been seen together, and the most numerous of any in eastern countries; so that Samson might have caught many of them together in nets. Psalm 63:10; Song of Songs 2:15; Lamentations 5:18 firebrandsor, torchesReciprocalExodus 22:6 - so that the stacks of corn; 2 Samuel 14:30 - go and set Verse 5he let them goExodus 22:6; 2 Samuel 14:30

Verse 6and burntJudges 12:1, 14:15; Proverbs 22:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:6ReciprocalEsther 4:14 - but thou Verse 7ThoughJudges 14:4, 14:19; Romans 12:19ReciprocalEsther 7:10 - Then was the king's; Zechariah 6:8 - quieted Verse 8Isaiah 25:10, 63:3, 63:6ReciprocalDeuteronomy 33:22 - General; Judges 14:6 - rent him; 16:24 - which slew many of us; 16:30 - So the dead; 1 Samuel 23:25 - into a rock; 2 Chronicles 11:6 - Etam; Job 16:14 - runneth; Psalm 108:13 - tread Verse 9LehiJudges 15:17, 15:19

Verse 11wentHeb. went downthe rock EtamProbably near the town Etam, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 4:32.PhilistinesJudges 13:1, 14:4; Deuteronomy 28:13, 28:47, 28:48; Psalm 106:41ReciprocalDeuteronomy 28:43 - General; 1 Kings 20:4 - I am thine; Proverbs 24:29 - I will do; Revelation 8:10 - the fountains Verse 12to bind theeMatthew 27:2; Acts 7:25 fallJudges 8:21; 1 Kings 2:25, 2:34ReciprocalDeuteronomy 28:43 - General Verse 13ReciprocalActs 21:33 - be Verse 14the PhilistinesJudges 5:30, 16:24; Exodus 14:3, 14:5; 1 Samuel 4:5; Job 20:5; Micah 7:8 the SpiritJudges 3:10, 14:6, 14:19; Zechariah 4:6 the cordsJudges 16:9, 16:12; 1 Samuel 17:35; Psalm 18:34, 118:11; Philippians 4:3 loosedHeb. were meltedReciprocalExodus 32:17 - There is a noise; Judges 6:34 - the Spirit; 2 Samuel 23:10 - the Lord; Psalm 51:11 - take; Isaiah 1:31 - as tow; 2 Corinthians 10:4 - mighty; Habakkuk 3:1 - out of Verse 15new jawboneHeb. moistslewJudges 3:31, 4:21, 7:16; Leviticus 26:8; Joshua 23:10; 1 Samuel 14:6, 14:14, 17:49, 17:50; 1 Corinthians 1:27, 1:28 a thousandSome 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.ReciprocalDeuteronomy 33:22 - General; Judges 14:6 - rent him; 16:30 - So the dead; 1 Samuel 17:40 - staff; 1 Corinthians 1:25 - the foolishness Verse 16with the jawboneThere 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 heapsHeb. an heap, two heaps, Judges 15:16Reciprocal16:24 - which slew many of us; 1 Samuel 17:40 - staff; 1 Corinthians 1:25 - the foolishness Verse 17Ramathlehithat is, the lifting up of the jaw-bone, or, the casting away of the jaw-bone, Judges 15:17Reciprocal15:9 - Lehi Verse 18he was soreJudges 8:4; Psalm 22:14, 22:15; John 19:28; 2 Corinthians 4:8, 4:9 Thou hast givenPsalm 3:7, 3:8, 18:31-40 shallGenesis 32:31; 2 Corinthians 12:7, 12:8 and fallGenesis 12:12, 12:13, 20:11; 1 Samuel 27:1; 2 Corinthians 1:8, 1:9; Habakkuk 3:1 the uncircumcised1 Samuel 17:26, 17:36; 2 Samuel 1:20ReciprocalGenesis 45:7 - to preserve you a posterity; Judges 14:3 - uncircumcised; 16:2 - kill him; 1 Samuel 14:6 - uncircumcised; 2 Samuel 23:10 - the Lord; 1 Kings 17:6 - the ravens; 1 Chronicles 10:4 - uncircumcised; Psalm 107:5 - General; Proverbs 25:25 - cold; Isaiah 41:17 - I the Lord; Jeremiah 48:18 - and sit; Hosea 2:3 - and slay Verse 19the jawor, Lehi, This reading is certainly preferable: it was in the place called Lehi where a spring was supernaturally opened.there cameIsaiah 44:3 his spiritGenesis 45:27; 1 Samuel 30:12; Isaiah 40:26 EnhakkoreSamson gave this expressive name to the miraculously springing water, to be as a memorial of the goodness of God to him. En-hakkore, the well of him that cried, which kept him in remembrance both of his own distress which caused him to cry, and the favour of Jehovah to him in answer to his cry. Many a spring of comfort God opens to his people, which may fitly be called by the name En-hakkore, and this instance of Samson's relief should encourage us to trust in God, for when he pleases he can open rivers in high places. 41:17, 41:18
Samson at first gave the name of Ramath-lehi (the lifting up of the jaw-bone) which denoted him great and triumphant, but now he gives it another name, En-hakkore, which denotes him wanting and dependent. Genesis 16:13, 22:14, 28:19, 30:30; Exodus 17:15; Psalm 34:6, 120:1ReciprocalJudges 15:9 - Lehi; 1 Kings 17:6 - the ravens; Psalm 107:5 - General; Proverbs 25:25 - cold Verse 20Judges 13:1, 13:5, 16:31 "He seems to have judged South-west Israel during twenty years of their servitude of the Philistines.ReciprocalGenesis 49:16 - General; 49:17 - shall be