Samson used a donkey’s jawbone as a weapon to demons/”>demonstrate God’s power to deliver through unconventional means. When the Philistines came to bind him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily, and he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey:
“He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.” (Judges 15:15)
This act was not a display of brute strength alone but a sign of God’s empowerment. Samson, though flawed, was raised up as a judge to begin delivering Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:5). The use of the jawbone emphasized that victory did not come by conventional weapons or human strategy.
After the battle, Samson gave glory to God, recognizing divine help:
“You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant.” (Judges 15:18)
The jawbone became a symbol of how God can use the weak and unexpected to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). It was not about the object itself, but about the God who empowered the man holding it.
Samson’s victory also highlighted Israel’s spiritual condition. They had become so compromised that they were willing to hand Samson over to their enemies rather than seek deliverance (Judges 15:12). Yet God, through Samson, showed that He could still act powerfully for His people.
The event teaches that deliverance comes not from human might but from the Spirit of the Lord. It also underscores that God can work through anyone (even flawed individuals) when they are surrendered to His purpose.
