Juízes 15

Juízes 15

Morgan - With this remarkable victory, “We are conscious of what he might have done had he been wholly yielded to that ‘Spirit of Jehovah’ who came mightily upon him, instead of being so largely governed by the fires of his own passion. Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - As soon as he was relieved of his bands, he seized upon a fresh jaw-bone of an ass, which he found there, and smote therewith a thousand men. He himself commemorated this victory in a short poetical strain (v. 16): “With the ass’s jaw-bone a heap, two heaps; with the ass’s jaw-bone I smote a thousand men.” The form of the word חֲמֹור = חֹמֶר is chosen on account of the resemblance to חֲמֹור, and is found again at 1 Sam. 16:20. How Samson achieved this victory is not minutely described. But the words “a heap, two heaps,” point to the conclusion that it did not take place in one encounter, but in several. The supernatural strength with which Samson rent asunder the fetters bound upon him, when the Philistines thought they had him safely in their power, filled them with fear and awe as before a superior being, so that they fled, and he pursued them, smiting one heap after another, as he overtook them, with an ass’s jaw-bone which he found in the way. The number given, viz., a thousand, is of course a round number signifying a very great multitude, and has been adopted from the song into the historical account. (Judges 15 Commentary) Judges 15:16 Then Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men." Judges 15 Resources SAMSON THE INWARD FOCUSED POET COMMEMORATES CONQUEST OF THE BIG "I" Then Samson said, "With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men." To commemorate the triumph, Samson composed another short poem. Like the couplet in Jdg 14:18, this poem uses repetition but is difficult to interpret. Notice the sad omission! Do you see it in his little ditty? He says "I have killed a thousand men." Right! You did it Samson, all by yourself? Absolutely not and Samson missed a golden chance to have words of praise to God be immortalized forever in the written word! Pride causes us to take credit when the credit should go to God and God Alone. What can you thank Him for right this very second? Breath? Heart beat? Family? Roof over your head? And the list goes on!!! THOUGHT - The "big I" is the middle letter of sIn and this "I" (eye) obscures (blinds) our view to the true Source of all our strength - it is the "big" HIM, the Great "I", the Great I Am! Samson and his "magical jawbone" were ABSOLUTELY POWERLESS without the free flowing, undeserved, supernatural omnipotence of the Holy Spirit! Beloved, let this ring in your ears the next time you have the privilege of experiencing some spiritual success, or the next time you are able to fend off the enemy of temptation screaming from your own fallen flesh! Thank God. Praise God. Give God ALL the glory in Jesus Christ. Amen. One other point is that when the Israelites defeated Sisera and his iron chariots in Judges 4, Deborah broke out in a hymn of praise to God. Not so with Samson, another indicator of not only the declension of the nation but of the declension in the quality of the judges over time. Moffatt's rendering is With the jawbone of an ass I have piled them in a mass! Warren