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.

JUDGES 15:19KJV
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Judges 15:19 (KJV)

What does Judges 15:19 mean?

Judges 15:19 describes how God provided water for Samson by splitting open a hollow place in the jawbone, causing water to flow out so Samson could drink, regain his strength, and revive. Samson then named the place Enhakkore, which means “the caller’s spring,” and the location was known as Lehi.

Samson had just finished a great feat of strength and was exhausted and near death from thirst. He cried out to God, and God responded by miraculously providing water from an unexpected source. The verse highlights God’s care for Samson even after his battle, and the naming of the place marks the event for future generations.

The Hebrew behind Judges 15:19

  • "God" (אֱלֹהִים, ’Elohim): This is the general Hebrew word for God, emphasizing divine power and intervention in Samson’s moment of need.
  • "Clave" (בָּקַע, baqa‘): This word means to split or break open. The verse uses it to show that God dramatically opened up a place in the jawbone, not just a small trickle but a significant act.
  • "Jaw" (לֶחִי, leḥi): The same word is used for both the place and the jawbone, tying the miracle directly to the earlier story where Samson used a jawbone as a weapon.
  • "Enhakkore" (עֵין הַקּוֹרֵא, ‘En ha-qore’): This name means “spring of the caller” or “spring of the one who called,” directly referencing Samson’s prayer and God’s answer.

Why Judges 15:19 matters

  • This verse clarifies that God’s help came after Samson’s victory, not during the fight, showing God’s care for human weakness and need.
  • The naming of the place connects Samson’s personal experience to the geography of Israel, making the story memorable and rooted in a real location.
  • The miracle of water from the jawbone links to other biblical stories where God provides water in desperate situations, showing a recurring theme of divine provision.

Where else these words appear

“place” Hebrew H4388 · used in 2 verses

  • Proverbs 27:22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

“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 15:14 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.

“jaw” Hebrew H3895 · used in 20 verses

  • Deuteronomy 18:3 And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
  • Job 16:10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
  • Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

“clave” Hebrew H1234 · used in 50 verses

  • Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
  • 2 Chronicles 21:17 And they came up into Judah, and brake into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.
  • Isaiah 48:21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.