TRV
Translation
King James Version
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?
KJV (with Strong's)
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?
Complete Jewish Bible
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?"
Berean Standard Bible
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?”
American Standard Version
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?
World English Bible Messianic
On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you called us to impoverish us? Is it not so?”
Geneva Bible (1599)
And when the seuenth day was come, they said vnto Samsons wife, Entise thine husband, that he may declare vs the riddle, lest wee burne thee and thy fathers house with fire. Haue ye called vs, to possesse vs? is it not so?
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson's wife, `Entice thy husband, that he declare to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and the house of thy father with fire; to possess us have ye called for us? is it not?'
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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.
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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.
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SUMMARY
Judges 14:15 powerfully illustrates the intense pressure and manipulative tactics employed by the Philistines against Samson's new wife on the final day of their wedding feast. Unable to solve Samson's riddle, the Philistines resort to a chilling threat of burning her and her father's house with fire, coercing her to extract the answer from her husband. This pivotal moment not only exposes the ruthless nature of Samson's adversaries but also tragically foreshadows his recurring vulnerability to emotional leverage and betrayal, setting a dangerous and destructive precedent for his future.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Judges 14:15 is rich with literary devices that amplify its dramatic impact and thematic significance. The most prominent is Foreshadowing, as the Philistines' successful manipulation of Samson's wife tragically anticipates the greater and more devastating betrayal by Delilah in Judges 16, establishing a recurring and destructive pattern of Samson's vulnerability to women. There is also a strong element of Intimidation and Coercion through the explicit and terrifying threat of burning, a common ancient Near Eastern tactic designed to elicit immediate compliance through fear of complete annihilation. The Philistines' rhetorical question, "have ye called us to take that we have?", functions as Irony, as they, the oppressive party, portray themselves as victims of potential deceit, thereby attempting to justify their own ruthless and dishonest actions. Furthermore, the narrative employs Dramatic Irony, as the reader is acutely aware of Samson's supernatural strength and divine calling, yet witnesses his profound susceptibility to psychological and emotional pressure—a weakness that ultimately proves far more dangerous than any physical foe he might encounter.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly illustrates the inherent dangers of compromising one's convictions and entering into unholy alliances. Samson's choice to marry a Philistine woman, despite his parents' initial misgivings and the clear prohibitions of the Mosaic Law, places him in a precarious position where his closest relationship becomes a direct conduit for manipulation and betrayal. Theologically, it highlights how God, in His ultimate sovereignty, can use even the flawed choices and sinful actions of individuals (such as Samson's intermarriage or the Philistines' cruelty) to advance His overarching redemptive purposes—in this specific instance, to find an occasion against the Philistines (Judges 14:4). However, this divine utilization does not in any way condone the sin itself. Instead, the narrative serves as a stark reminder of the inevitable consequences of yielding to worldly pressures and the critical importance of discernment in all relationships, emphasizing that true strength and spiritual vitality come not from physical prowess alone, but from unwavering spiritual integrity and an uncompromising commitment to God's covenant.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Judges 14:15 serves as a potent and timeless cautionary tale for believers today, urging us to critically examine the nature of our relationships and the influences we willingly allow into our lives. Samson's tragic experience vividly demonstrates how compromising our spiritual standards, even in seemingly personal choices like marriage, can inadvertently open wide doors to manipulation, vulnerability, and ultimately, spiritual defeat. The Philistines' tactics of intimidation and coercion are not confined to ancient history; they manifest in various insidious forms in our contemporary world, whether through overt social pressure, demanding professional environments, or the subtle, pervasive enticements of cultural norms that directly conflict with biblical principles. This verse challenges us to cultivate profound discernment, to stand firm in our integrity, and to recognize that true security and enduring strength are found not in appeasing external pressures or compromising our faith, but in unwavering faithfulness and obedience to God. It prompts us to honestly consider where we might be susceptible to emotional leverage or fear-based compliance and to actively seek God's wisdom, courage, and empowering grace to resist such pressures, diligently protecting our spiritual and relational boundaries.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Samson's wife betray him so quickly?
Answer: Samson's wife, a Philistine, was caught in an utterly impossible and terrifying situation between her new husband and her own people. The Philistines threatened her and her entire family with a horrific death by fire. In ancient Near Eastern culture, such threats were not idle but carried the full weight of potential execution and complete annihilation of one's lineage. The overwhelming fear for her own life and the lives of her father's household would have been an unbearable burden. Her quick betrayal was almost certainly a desperate act of self-preservation and protection for her family, rather than a reflection of a deep-seated desire to harm Samson. She was under extreme duress, highlighting the tragic and far-reaching consequences of Samson's decision to marry outside the covenant community.
What does "have ye called us to take that we have?" mean?
Answer: This rhetorical question from the Philistines carries a strong, indignant, and accusatory tone. It essentially means, "Did you invite us here only for us to lose what we have?" or "Did you call us here with the intention of cheating us out of our possessions?" The Philistines had wagered thirty changes of garments and thirty sheets, which represented a significant sum and a substantial loss for them. They felt that Samson's riddle was designed to be unsolvable, thereby guaranteeing their loss. Their question expresses their profound indignation and serves as their twisted justification for resorting to violent coercion, framing themselves as victims who are merely trying to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs or prevent being cheated by Samson.
Was Samson wrong to marry a Philistine woman?
Answer: From the clear perspective of the Mosaic Law, Samson's marriage to a Philistine woman was indeed problematic and disobedient. The Law explicitly forbade Israelites from intermarrying with people from surrounding nations, primarily to prevent the adoption of their idolatrous practices and to preserve the distinct, holy identity of God's chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). While the text in Judges 14:4 states that "it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines," this does not negate Samson's personal sin or poor judgment in choosing a wife. Instead, it powerfully illustrates God's absolute sovereignty in using even human disobedience and flawed choices to advance His divine purposes and judgment. Samson's choice led to significant personal grief, repeated betrayals, and ultimately contributed directly to his downfall, serving as a profound cautionary example of the destructive consequences of compromising God's clear commands.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of Judges 14:15, with its poignant themes of manipulation, coercion, and profound vulnerability, finds its ultimate and perfect Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Samson, despite his divine calling and supernatural physical strength, repeatedly succumbed to the enticements and pressures of those who sought to exploit his weaknesses, particularly his susceptibility to emotional leverage through women, which tragically led to his capture and humiliation. In stark contrast, Jesus Christ, the true and perfect Deliverer, faced the most intense and insidious forms of temptation and manipulation imaginable, yet never once yielded to sin or compromise. He was fiercely tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), constantly challenged and entrapped by the cunning religious authorities (Matthew 22:15-46), and ultimately betrayed by one of His own chosen disciples (John 13:21-30). Unlike Samson, whose strength was physical and whose weakness was relational, Christ's strength was rooted in His perfect obedience to the Father and His unwavering spiritual integrity. His "vulnerability" on the cross was not a result of manipulation or weakness, but a willing, conscious act of self-sacrifice, where He, the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, allowed Himself to be "enticed" to the point of death for the salvation of humanity. Through this ultimate act of perfect faithfulness and obedience (Philippians 2:8), Jesus conquered sin, death, and all oppressive powers, offering true and lasting freedom. He is the true Judge and Deliverer who perfectly fulfilled God's will, never compromising His sacred mission or divine integrity.