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Judges 14

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Samson Seeks a Philistine Wife 1–4

1
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. ​
2
And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3
Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. ​
4
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel. ​

The Lion and the Secret Honey 5–9

5
Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. ​
6
And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. ​
7
And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8
And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. ​
9
And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

The Wedding Feast and the Riddle 10–14

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. ​

Samson's Wife Reveals the Secret 15–18

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. ​

Samson's Vengeance and Abandonment 19–20

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. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Judges 14

Verse 1

went down to Timnath — Thimnathah is in Dan's allotment (Josh 19:43), in the same list as Zorah and Eshtaol (19:41), the towns of Samson's home. The woman is not named. Samson 'saw' her, as he later 'saw there an harlot' at Gaza (16:1), and at this time the Philistines held the land (v.4).

Verse 3

uncircumcised Philistines — The parents' word, arel, is the one David uses of Goliath, 'this uncircumcised Philistine' (1 Sam 17:26). 'Get her for me' is the plain laqach, 'take', as Shechem asks of Dinah, 'Get me this damsel to wife' (Gen 34:4). 'She pleaseth me well' is literally 'she is right in my eyes', the root of the refrain 'right in his own eyes' (17:6; 21:25).

Verse 4

it was of the LORD — The same words introduce the LORD's hand in the hardening of Canaan's kings (Josh 11:20) and in 'the cause was of God' (2 Chr 10:15). 'Occasion' (ta'anah) is found only here and in Jer 2:24. The Philistines 'had dominion' (mashal) over Israel, the forty years of 13:1. The parents did not know.

Verse 5

a young lion roared against him — Kephir is a young lion in its strength, the word of Ps 34:10 and of the young lions that 'roar after their prey' (Ps 104:21). David also killed a lion, and a bear, that took a lamb from his flock (1 Sam 17:34–36), and Benaiah 'slew a lion in the midst of a pit' (2 Sam 23:20).

Verse 6

the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him — Tsalach, to rush upon, is used of the Spirit with Samson three times (here, v.19 and 15:14) and with Saul (1 Sam 10:6; 11:6) and David (1 Sam 16:13). He tears the lion 'as he would have rent a kid' and has 'nothing in his hand'. He tells his parents nothing of it.

Verse 8

a swarm of bees and honey — Num 6:6 forbids a Nazarite any dead body; the text does not comment on the vow here, and says only that he took honey from the carcase and 'told not' his parents where he found it (v.9). 'Swarm' is edah, the ordinary word for an assembly or congregation, and it is used of bees only here. The honey becomes the answer to the riddle of v.14.

Verse 10

Samson made there a feast — Mishteh is a drinking feast, from the verb 'to drink', the word for Laban's feast at Jacob's wedding (Gen 29:22). The wedding week of Gen 29:27, 'Fulfil her week', is the seven days of this feast (vv.12, 17). 'For so used the young men to do' names the custom of the place; the thirty companions are brought to him in v.11.

Verse 12

thirty sheets and thirty change of garments — 'Sheets' (sadin) are linen garments, like the 'fine linen' of Prov 31:24. 'Change of garments' (chaliphah) is the word for the changes of raiment Joseph gave his brothers (Gen 45:22). 'Put forth a riddle' uses chud, which in the Bible occurs only in Judges 14 and Ezek 17:2.

Verse 14

Out of the eater came forth meat — 'The eater' and 'the strong' are the lion, and 'meat' and 'sweetness' the honey of v.8; the people's answer in v.18, 'What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion?', repeats the pairs. 'Riddle' (chidah) is also 'dark saying' in Ps 49:4. Three days pass without their finding it.

Verse 15

Entice thy husband — Patah is the verb of the Philistine lords' charge to Delilah, 'Entice him' (16:5). The threat to 'burn thee and thy father's house with fire' is the threat Ephraim made to Jephthah (12:1), and in 15:6 the Philistines carry it out, burning her and her father with fire.

Verse 17

she lay sore upon him — Tsuq, to press hard, is the verb of Delilah's pressing in 16:16: 'she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death'. It occurs in Judges only in these two verses. Here the weeping lasts the seven days of the feast, and he tells her on the seventh.

Verse 18

If ye had not plowed with my heifer — The 'heifer' (eglah) is his wife, and 'plowed' is the work they did with her. 'Found out' is matsa, the word of v.12, where they were to 'find it out'. Samson grants that the answer was found, but not by their own wit. The men of the city give it on the seventh day, before the sun went down.

Verse 19

he went down to Ashkelon — Ashkelon is one of the five cities of the Philistine lords (1 Sam 6:17; Josh 13:3). The thirty garments he owes (v.12) come from the spoil of the thirty men he slew there. The Spirit 'came' on him again with the same verb as in v.6. His anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

Verse 20

given to his companion — Mere'a is the word for the thirty companions brought to the feast (v.11), so one of them now has the bride. Her father explains in 15:2 that he thought Samson 'hated her'. Samson's reply in 15:3 is that he will now be 'more blameless than the Philistines', and the burning of 15:4–6 follows.