And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.

JUDGES 15:14KJV
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Judges 15:14 (KJV)

What does Judges 15:14 mean?

Judges 15:14 describes how, when Samson arrived at Lehi and the Philistines came out to confront him, the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, causing the ropes binding his arms to become as weak as burnt flax and fall off his hands. This verse shows a sudden, supernatural strength enabling Samson to break free from his restraints.

In this scene, Samson is being brought to the Philistines by his own people, tied up with ropes. As soon as he reaches Lehi, the Philistines shout in anticipation of capturing him. At that moment, God’s Spirit empowers Samson, and the ropes binding his arms and hands become useless, as if they had been burned away, allowing him to break free. This sets up the dramatic events that follow in the story.

The Hebrew behind Judges 15:14

  • "Spirit" (רוּחַ, ruach): This word means "wind," "breath," or "spirit," and here refers to the empowering presence of God. The verse emphasizes that Samson’s strength is not from himself but from the LORD’s Spirit coming upon him.
  • "Mightily" (צָלַח, tsalach): This word is often used for something rushing or coming upon powerfully. It highlights the sudden and overwhelming nature of the Spirit’s arrival, not just a gentle influence but a forceful empowerment.
  • "Flax" (פִּשְׁתָּה, pishtah): Flax is a plant fiber that, when burned, becomes brittle and weak. The verse uses this image to show how easily Samson’s bindings fell away, making clear that the ropes offered no real resistance.

Why Judges 15:14 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Samson’s strength is not ordinary or self-generated; it is directly tied to the Spirit of the LORD, which is a recurring theme in his story.
  • The vivid image of the ropes becoming like burnt flax helps readers grasp just how complete and effortless Samson’s deliverance was, underscoring the miraculous nature of the event.
  • The verse connects to the larger narrative by setting the stage for Samson’s defeat of the Philistines at Lehi, showing how God intervenes at critical moments in Israel’s history.

Where else these words appear

“Lehi” Hebrew H3896 · used in 3 verses

  • Judges 15:9 Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.
  • Judges 15:19 But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.

“bands” Hebrew H612 · used in 3 verses

  • Ecclesiastes 7:26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
  • Jeremiah 37:15 Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

“flax” Hebrew H6593 · used in 15 verses

  • Leviticus 13:47 The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment;
  • Deuteronomy 22:11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.
  • Ezekiel 40:3 And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

“loosed” Hebrew H4549 · used in 20 verses

  • Exodus 16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
  • 1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
  • Isaiah 10:18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.