TRV
Translation
King James Version
And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
KJV (with Strong's)
And Samson H8123 said H559 unto them, I will now put forth H2330 a riddle H2420 unto you: if ye can certainly H5046 declare H5046 it me within the seven H7651 days H3117 of the feast H4960, and find it out H4672, then I will give H5414 you thirty H7970 sheets H5466 and thirty H7970 change H2487 of garments H899:
Complete Jewish Bible
Shimshon said to them, "Let me present you with a riddle. If you can solve it within the seven days of the banquet and tell me the solution, I will give you thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of good clothes.
Berean Standard Bible
“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
American Standard Version
And Samson said unto them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment;
World English Bible Messianic
Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then Samson sayd vnto them, I will nowe put forth a riddle vnto you: and if you can declare it me within seuen dayes of the feast, and finde it out, I will giue you thirty sheetes, and thirtie change of garments.
Young's Literal Translation
And Samson saith to them, `Let me, I pray you, put forth to you a riddle; if ye certainly declare it to me in the seven days of the banquet, and have found it out, then I have given to you thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments;
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 6,922 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Judges 14 verses 10–20
10 ¶ So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
17 And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
We have here an account of Samson's wedding feast and the occasion it gave him to fall foul upon the Philistines.
I. Samson conformed to the custom of the country in making a festival of his nuptial solemnities, which continued seven days, Jdg 14:10. Though he was a Nazarite, he did not affect, in a thing of this nature, to be singular, but did as the young men used to do upon such occasions. It is no part of religion to go contrary to the innocent usages of the places where we live: nay, it is a reproach to religion when those who profess it give just occasion to others to call them covetous, sneaking, and morose. A good man should strive to make himself, in the best sense, a good companion.
II. His wife's relations paid him the accustomed respect of the place upon that occasion, and brought him thirty young men to keep him company during the solemnity, and to attend him as his grooms-men (Jdg 14:11): When they saw him, what a comely man he was, and what an ingenuous graceful look he had, they brought him these to do him honour, and to improve by his conversation while he staid among them. Or, rather, when they saw him, what a strong stout man he was, they brought these, seemingly to be his companions, but really to be a guard upon him, or spies to observe him. Jealous enough they were of him, but would have been more so had they known of his victory over the lion, which therefore he had industriously concealed. The favours of Philistines have often some mischief or other designed in them.
III. Samson, to entertain the company, propounds a riddle to them, and lays a wager with them that they cannot find it out in seven days, Jdg 14:12-14. The usage, it seems, was very ancient upon such occasions, when friends were together, to be innocently merry, not to spend all the time in dull eating and drinking, as bishop Patrick expresses it, or in other gratifications of sense, as music, dancing, or shows, but to propose questions, by which their learning and ingenuity might be tried and improved. This becomes men, wise men, that value themselves by their reason; but very unlike to it are the infamous and worse than brutish entertainments of this degenerate age, which send nothing round but the glass and the health, till reason is drowned, and wisdom sunk. Now, 1. Samson's riddle was his own invention, for it was his own achievement that gave occasion for it: Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. Read my riddle, what is this? Beasts of prey do not yield meat for man, yet food came from the devourer; and those creatures that are strong when they are alive commonly smell strong and are every way offensive when they are dead, as horses, and yet out of the strong, or out of the bitter, so the Syriac and Arabic read it, came sweetness. If they had but so much sense as to consider what eater is most strong, and what meat is most sweet, they would have found out the riddle, and neither lions nor honey were such strangers to their country that the thoughts of them needed to be out of the way; and the solving of the riddle would have given him occasion to tell them the entertaining story on which it was founded. This riddle is applicable to many of the methods of divine providence and grace. When God, by an over-ruling providence, brings good out of evil to his church and people, - when that which threatened their ruin turns to their advantage, - when their enemies are made serviceable to them, and the wrath of men turns to God's praise, - then comes meat out of the eater and sweetness out of the strong. See Phi 1:12. 2. His water was more considerable to him than to them, because he was one against thirty partners. It was not a wager laid upon God's providence, or upon the chance of a die or a card, but upon their ingenuity, and amounted to no more than an honorary recompence of wit and a disgrace upon stupidity.
IV. His companions, when they could not expound the riddle themselves, obliged his wife to get from him the exposition of it, Jdg 14:15. Whether they were really of a dull capacity, or whether under a particular infatuation at this time, it was strange that none of the thirty could in all this time stumble upon so plain a thing as that, What is sweeter than honey and what stronger than a lion? It should seem that in wit, as well as manners, they were barbarous - barbarous indeed to threaten the bride that, if she would not use means with the bridegroom to let them into the meaning of it, they would burn her and her father's house with fire. Could any thing be more brutish? It was base enough to turn a jest into earnest, and those were unworthy of conversation that would grow so outrageous rather than confess their ignorance and lose so small a wager; nor would it save their credit at all to tell the riddle when they were told it. It was yet more villainous to engage Samson's wife to be a traitor to her own husband, and to pretend a greater interest in her than he had. Now that she was married she must forget her own people. Yet most inhuman of all was it to threaten, if she could not prevail, to burn her and all her relations with fire, and all for fear of losing each of them the value of a shirt and a coat: Have you called us to take what we have? Those must never lay wagers that cannot lose more tamely and easily than thus.
V. His wife, by unreasonable importunity, obtains from him a key to his riddle. It was on the seventh day, that is, the seventh day of the week (as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures), but the fourth day of the feast, that they solicited her to entice her husband (Jdg 14:15), and she did it, 1. With great art and management (Jdg 14:16), resolving not to believe he loved her, unless he would gratify her in this thing. She knew he could not bear to have his love questioned, and therefore, if any thing would work upon him, that would: "Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not, if thou deniest me;" whereas he had much more reason to say, "Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not, if thou insistest on it." And, that she might not make this the test of his affection, he assures her he had not told his own parents, notwithstanding the confidence he reposed in them. If this prevail not, she will try the powerful eloquence of tears: she wept before him the rest of the days of the feast, choosing rather to mar the mirth, as the bride's tears must needs do, than not gain her point, and oblige her countrymen, Jdg 14:17. 2. With great success. At last, being quite wearied with her importunity, he told her what was the meaning of his riddle, and though we may suppose she promised secresy, and that if he would but let her know she would tell nobody, she immediately told it to the children of her people; nor could he expect better from a Philistine, especially when the interests of her country were ever so little concerned. See Mic 7:5, Mic 7:6. The riddle is at length unriddled (Jdg 14:18): What is sweeter than honey, or a better meat? Pro 24:13. What is stronger than a lion, or a greater devourer? Samson generously owns they had won the wager, though he had good reason to dispute it, because they had not declared the riddle, as the bargain was (Jdg 14:12), but it had been declared to them. But he only thought fit to tell them of it: If you had not ploughed with my heifer, made use of your interest with my wife, you would not have found out my riddle. Satan, in his temptations, could not do us the mischief he does if he did not plough with the heifer of our own corrupt nature.
VI. Samson pays his wager to these Philistines with the spoils of others of their countrymen, Jdg 14:19. He took this occasion to quarrel with the Philistines, went down to Ashkelon, one of their cities, where probably he knew there was some great festival observed at this time, to which many flocked, out of whom he picked out thirty, slew them, and took their clothes, and gave them to those that had expounded the riddle; so that, in balancing the account, it appeared that the Philistines were the losers, for one of the lives they lost was worth all the suits of clothes they won: the body is more than raiment. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, both to authorize and to enable him to do this.
VII. This proves a good occasion of weaning Samson from his new relations. He found how his companions had abused him and how his wife had betrayed him, and therefore his anger was kindled, Jdg 14:19. Better be angry with Philistines than in love with them, because, when we join ourselves to them, we are most in danger of being ensnared by them. And, meeting with this ill usage among them, he went up to his father's house. It were well for us if the unkindnesses we meet with from the world, and our disappointments in it, had but this good effect upon us, to oblige us by faith and prayer to return to our heavenly Father's house and rest there. The inconveniences that occur in our way should make us love home and long to be there. No sooner had he gone than his wife was disposed of to another, Jdg 14:20. Instead of begging his pardon for the wrong she had done him, when he justly signified his resentment of it only by withdrawing in displeasure for a time, she immediately marries him that was the chief of the guests, the friend of the bridegroom, whom perhaps she loved too well, and was too willing to oblige, when she got her husband to tell her the riddle. See how little confidence is to be put in man, when those may prove our enemies whom we have used as our friends.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 10–20. Public domain.
Copy as
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Judges 14:12 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Judges 14:12 introduces Samson's audacious challenge to his Philistine wedding guests: a riddle he proposes during the seven-day feast. He sets a substantial wager, offering thirty fine linen garments and thirty changes of festive attire as a prize if they can solve his enigma within the designated timeframe. This seemingly jovial intellectual contest immediately establishes a high-stakes tension, subtly foreshadowing the inevitable conflict, deception, and escalating hostilities that will unfold between Samson and the Philistines, thereby advancing his divinely ordained, albeit often reckless, mission against Israel's oppressors.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage effectively employs several literary devices, enriching its narrative and thematic depth. Foreshadowing is prominent, as the high-stakes wager, the specific timeframe, and the inherent impossibility of the riddle immediately suggest that the contest will not end peacefully, hinting at the deception, coercion, and escalating conflict that will inevitably follow. There is a strong element of Irony, as Samson, a Nazirite dedicated to God from birth, engages in a worldly, self-serving wager at his own wedding to a Philistine woman, an act already fraught with tension and compromise. This highlights the complex and often contradictory nature of his character, operating within divine purpose yet often driven by personal desires and impulsive actions. The entire interaction functions as a Wager/Contest Motif, a common narrative device in ancient literature where intellectual or physical challenges are used to drive the plot, reveal character, and escalate underlying tensions. This motif here serves to transform a social event into a battle of wits that will inevitably lead to violence and further the divine agenda against the Philistines.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 14:12, while seemingly a simple account of a riddle, delves into profound theological and thematic territory. It vividly illustrates the dangers of unequal yokes and the compromises that can arise when God's people integrate too closely with those who do not share their values or allegiance. Samson's choice of a Philistine wife, though divinely purposed for judgment, stems from his own carnal desire, and this riddle becomes a microcosm of the larger, ongoing conflict between Israel and the Philistines. The narrative subtly explores themes of wisdom versus folly, as Samson's "wisdom" in posing an unanswerable riddle is met with the Philistines' "folly" in resorting to coercion and deception. This episode also highlights the concept of divine sovereignty working through human imperfection, as even Samson's reckless actions and flawed choices are ultimately bent to God's larger purposes of delivering Israel from oppression.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Samson's riddle and the subsequent events serve as a powerful cautionary tale for believers today. While we are called to engage with the world and be a light within it, this narrative underscores the critical importance of discernment and integrity in our relationships and interactions, especially when dealing with those who may not share our foundational values, moral compass, or ultimate intentions. Samson's attempt to outwit his adversaries through a cunning, yet ultimately self-serving, maneuver led to escalating conflict, deception, and violence. This reminds us that even seemingly innocent games or challenges can carry significant spiritual and relational risks if not rooted in divine wisdom and guided by God's Spirit. We are challenged to prayerfully consider the motivations behind our actions, the company we keep, and the potential long-term consequences of our choices. Rather than relying on our own cleverness or engaging in contests that compromise our witness or invite destructive outcomes, we are called to strive always for peace, truth, and righteousness, reflecting the character of Christ in all our dealings.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Samson propose a riddle, and what was its significance?
Answer: Samson proposed the riddle primarily as a challenge and a display of his wit, leveraging a secret, personal experience (finding honey in a lion's carcass) that made the riddle virtually unanswerable by his Philistine companions. Its significance lies in its role as a catalyst for conflict. What began as a social game quickly escalated into a high-stakes wager, revealing the underlying animosity between Samson and the Philistines. It was a strategic move by Samson to assert dominance and perhaps even humiliate his adversaries, setting the stage for future confrontations that would further God's purposes against the Philistines, as seen later in the chapter.
What was the value and cultural significance of the "thirty sheets and thirty change of garments"?
Answer: The "thirty sheets" (fine linen tunics) and "thirty change of garments" (sets of festive outer wear) represented an extremely valuable prize in ancient Israel and the surrounding cultures. Clothing, especially fine or multiple sets, was a significant form of wealth, often used for trade, as a display of status, or as a means of payment. This substantial wager underscored the seriousness of Samson's challenge and provided a powerful financial incentive for the Philistines to solve the riddle. The immense value of the prize directly contributed to the Philistines' desperation and their subsequent use of coercion and deception to extract the answer from Samson's wife, leading to further conflict as described in Judges 14:15-18.
What does this event reveal about Samson's character and his relationship with God?
Answer: This event reveals Samson's complex and often contradictory character. He is portrayed as clever, confident, and even reckless, using his wit similarly to how he uses his strength—often for personal gratification or to engage with his enemies on his own terms. While Samson was a Nazirite dedicated to God from birth (Judges 13:5), his actions here, including marrying a Philistine woman and engaging in a worldly wager, demonstrate a significant degree of self-will and a lack of adherence to the spirit of his Nazirite vows. Despite his personal flaws and impulsive choices, the narrative consistently shows that God was working through Samson's actions, even his seemingly misguided ones, to begin the deliverance of Israel from Philistine oppression (Judges 14:4).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Samson's riddle, born of a secret experience and leading to deceit and strife, stands in stark contrast to the ultimate "riddle" of salvation revealed in Jesus Christ. While Samson's challenge was designed to trap and expose his adversaries, Christ's life, death, and resurrection are the divine revelation that brings light and truth to all who believe. Jesus himself is the embodiment of God's wisdom, the one "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). He doesn't pose riddles to trick or ensnare, but speaks in parables to reveal spiritual truths to those with ears to hear, while simultaneously concealing them from those hardened in unbelief (Mark 4:11-12). Furthermore, Samson's wager involved costly garments, a temporary and material prize that ultimately led to violence. In Christ, we are offered not merely "thirty sheets and thirty change of garments" but the priceless "garment of salvation" and the "robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10), freely given through His atoning sacrifice. He is the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), providing the ultimate answer to humanity's deepest dilemma and clothing us with His perfect righteousness, a fulfillment far surpassing any earthly wager.