שופטים, פרק ט״ו, פסוק ט״ז

Following a massive victory, a moment of triumph is captured through a poetic and clever declaration. Samson celebrates his success in battle by using a sophisticated play on words. His statement revolves around the image of creating massive piles of fallen enemies. He deliberately uses a term for heaps that sounds identical to the word for donkey, directly referencing the animal whose jawbone he used as his weapon [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond the literal image of piled bodies, there is an added metaphorical layer to his taunt. The enemies who were struck down and left in heaps are compared to the very animal whose bone defeated them, suggesting they belong to a nation that shares the traits of a donkey [מלבי״ם].

After delivering this riddling and poetic boast, Samson shifts his tone to plain, direct speech. He clearly states the actual death toll, explaining that his poetic imagery of making heaps simply means he struck down a thousand men [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם].