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 .