Judges 14:15

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]?

And it came to pass on the seventh {H7637} day {H3117}, that they said {H559} unto Samson's {H8123} wife {H802}, Entice {H6601} thy husband {H376}, that he may declare {H5046} unto us the riddle {H2420}, lest we burn {H8313} thee and thy father's {H1} house {H1004} with fire {H784}: have ye called {H7121} us to take that we have {H3423}? is it not so?

On the seventh day, they said to Shimshon's wife, "Coax your husband into telling us the solution to the riddle. Otherwise we'll burn down your father's house and you with it. You two called us here to turn us into paupers, didn't you?"

So on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”

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 impoverish us? is it not so?

Commentary

Judges 14:15 captures a moment of intense pressure and manipulation during Samson's wedding feast. This verse reveals the Philistines' ruthless tactics and highlights the early signs of Samson's vulnerability to emotional leverage, setting a dangerous precedent for his future.

Context of Judges 14:15

This pivotal verse occurs on the seventh day of Samson's wedding feast in Timnah, a customary duration for such celebrations in ancient times. Samson had challenged thirty Philistine companions with a riddle, wagering a significant prize of thirty changes of garments and thirty sheets. The riddle stemmed from his extraordinary encounter with a lion and later finding honey within its carcass (see Judges 14:8-9). Unable to solve it on their own, the Philistines resort to extreme and coercive measures, targeting Samson's Philistine wife to extract the answer.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Intimidation and Coercion: The Philistines' explicit threat to "burn thee and thy father's house with fire" is a chilling act of coercion. This demonstrates their desperation, their disregard for life, and their willingness to use terror to achieve their aims and avoid losing the wager.
  • Betrayal and Manipulation: The command to "Entice thy husband" directly pressures Samson's wife into betraying her new spouse. This incident foreshadows a recurring and tragic pattern in Samson's life, where women become instruments of his downfall through manipulation.
  • Philistine Cruelty: The casual nature of their threat of collective punishment—destroying an entire household by fire—underscores the ruthless and oppressive nature of the Philistines, who were often in conflict with Israel during the period of the Judges.
  • Samson's Vulnerability: The Philistines astutely identify and exploit Samson's emotional attachment to his wife. This incident highlights his susceptibility to manipulation through those he cares about, a significant character flaw that will be repeatedly exploited throughout his story, most notably with Delilah (compare with Judges 16:5).

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "burn thee and thy father's house with fire" reflects a common and terrifying form of collective punishment in the ancient Near East. It was a potent threat designed to compel immediate obedience through fear of utter destruction. The Hebrew word translated "entice" is patah (פָּתָה), which often carries connotations of persuading, seducing, or deceiving. It emphasizes the manipulative and deceptive nature of the Philistine demand, forcing Samson's wife into a morally compromised position.

Practical Application

This verse offers a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of unholy alliances and succumbing to external pressure. Samson's choice of a Philistine wife, despite his parents' initial disapproval (Judges 14:3), placed him in a compromised and vulnerable position. It illustrates how compromise with the world can lead to situations where one's closest relationships are used as leverage against them. For believers today, it serves as a reminder to be discerning in associations and to stand firm against intimidation, relying on divine strength rather than yielding to ungodly demands or allowing external pressures to compromise one's integrity.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Judges 15:6

    Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

  • Judges 16:5

    And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength [lieth], and by what [means] we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred [pieces] of silver.

  • Proverbs 1:11

    If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

  • Proverbs 5:3

    For the lips of a strange woman drop [as] an honeycomb, and her mouth [is] smoother than oil:

  • Genesis 3:1

    ¶ Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

  • Genesis 3:6

    ¶ And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

  • Micah 7:5

    Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.