Samson experiences divine deliverance, but the pressing reality of thirst swiftly brings him to anchor his hope once again in the LORD.
Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” (v.18) In this verse, we see Samson, a pivotal figure during the period of the Judges. Samson lived in the late 12th to early 11th century BC, during a volatile time when Israel had no king and different judges rose up to deliver God’s people. Here, he addresses the LORD immediately after a miraculous victory involving the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:14-17). This victory highlights Samson’s divinely bestowed strength; yet the moment he stops fighting, his intense physical need—“he became very thirsty” (v.18)—overwhelms him. His thirst underscores the fragility of human life, emphasizing that even the mightiest champion depends on God’s sustaining grace.
By crying out, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst…?” (v.18), Samson shows both his trust and desperation. In the ancient Near East, dying of thirst was a real danger, especially in the arid territories of Philistia and the broader region around the land of Israel. Though the text does not specify Samson’s exact location here, his conflicts often took place near the plains and valleys of southern Canaan. Calling on the LORD reveals Samson’s humility in this particular moment. He acknowledges that his previous victory was a gift from God, rather than his own prowess. This reflects a theme repeated throughout the Bible: people reaching their moment of dire need turn to God, echoing the pattern seen when Israel experienced thirst in the wilderness centuries earlier (Exodus 17:6).
Samson’s words, “shall I…fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” (v.18), point to the Philistines, a constant threat to Israel during Samson’s lifetime. His fear shifts from a battlefield confrontation to the danger of being physically vulnerable due to thirst. Like many moments in Scripture, this desperation for literal water can also remind us of the deeper spiritual thirst addressed by Jesus, who says that anyone thirsty should come to Him (John 7:37). This verse thus underscores a transition from triumph to reliance, showing that human power fades quickly without God’s ongoing provision.
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Judges 15:18 meaning
Then he became very thirsty, and he called to the LORD and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” (v.18) In this verse, we see Samson, a pivotal figure during the period of the Judges. Samson lived in the late 12th to early 11th century BC, during a volatile time when Israel had no king and different judges rose up to deliver God’s people. Here, he addresses the LORD immediately after a miraculous victory involving the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:14-17). This victory highlights Samson’s divinely bestowed strength; yet the moment he stops fighting, his intense physical need—“he became very thirsty” (v.18)—overwhelms him. His thirst underscores the fragility of human life, emphasizing that even the mightiest champion depends on God’s sustaining grace.
By crying out, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst…?” (v.18), Samson shows both his trust and desperation. In the ancient Near East, dying of thirst was a real danger, especially in the arid territories of Philistia and the broader region around the land of Israel. Though the text does not specify Samson’s exact location here, his conflicts often took place near the plains and valleys of southern Canaan. Calling on the LORD reveals Samson’s humility in this particular moment. He acknowledges that his previous victory was a gift from God, rather than his own prowess. This reflects a theme repeated throughout the Bible: people reaching their moment of dire need turn to God, echoing the pattern seen when Israel experienced thirst in the wilderness centuries earlier (Exodus 17:6).
Samson’s words, “shall I…fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” (v.18), point to the Philistines, a constant threat to Israel during Samson’s lifetime. His fear shifts from a battlefield confrontation to the danger of being physically vulnerable due to thirst. Like many moments in Scripture, this desperation for literal water can also remind us of the deeper spiritual thirst addressed by Jesus, who says that anyone thirsty should come to Him (John 7:37). This verse thus underscores a transition from triumph to reliance, showing that human power fades quickly without God’s ongoing provision.