Ramath-Lehi

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Ramath-Lehi . See Ramah, No. 6 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Judges 15:15-17

Holman Bible Dictionary

Ramath

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. tRamath' Lechi', רָמִת לֶחַי, Craggy Height [see below]; Sept. Ἀναίρεσις σιαγόνος; Vulg. Ramathlechi , Quod Intienp Etatur Elevatio Maxilloe ). The origin of this name, which occurs only in  Judges 15:17, forms one of the most romantic episodes in Scripture history. Samson, having been bound with two new cords, was given up to the Philistines at a place called Lehi , a name which signifies "jawbone." When the enemy attacked him, he burst his bonds, seized the jawbone (Lehi ) of an ass that lay upon the ground, and with this odd weapon slew a thousand of them. Then he threw away the jawbone, and, as a memorial of the event, and by a characteristic play upon the old name, he called the place Ramath-lehithat is, the lifting (or wielding?) of the jawbone; and so it is interpreted in the Vulgate and in the Sept. (See Samson).

But Gesenius has pointed out (Thesaur. p. 752 A ) that to be consistent with this the vowel-points should be altered, and the words become רְמִת לְחַי; and that as they at present stand they are exactly parallel to Ramath-mizpeh and Ramath-negeb, and mean the "height of Lechi." If we met with a similar account in ordinary history, we should say that the name had already been Ramath-lehi, and that the writer of the narrative, with that fondness for paronomasia which distinguishes these ancient records, had indulged himself in connecting the name with a possible exclamation of his hero. But the fact of the positive statement in this case may make us hesitate in coming to such a conclusion in less authoritative records. For the topography of the place, (See Lehi).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

rā´math - lē´hı̄ ( לחי רמת , rāmath leḥı̄ , "the hill" or "height of Lehi"; Ἀναίρεσις σιαγόνος , Anairésis siagónos ): So the place is said to have been called where Samson threw away the jaw-bone of an ass, with which he had slain 1,000 Philistines (  Judges 15:17 ). The Septuagint seems to have supposed that the name referred to the "heaving" or throwing up of the jaw-bone. The Hebrew, however, corresponds to the form used in other placenames, such as Ramath-mizpeh, and must be read as "Ramah of Lehi." The name Lehi may have been given because of some real or imagined likeness in the place to the shape of a jaw-bone ( Judges 15:9 ,  Judges 15:14 ,  Judges 15:19 ). It may have been in Wâdy es - Sarār , not far from Zôr ah and Timnath; but the available data do not permit of certain identification. See Jaw-Bone; Lehi .

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Ra´math-Le´hi. This name, which means height of the jawbone, belonged to a place on the borders of Philistia, and is referred by the sacred writer to the jaw-bone with which Samson slaughtered the Philistines .