Judges 14 Study Notes: Samson’s Riddle and the Timnah Wedding
Samson insists on a Philistine bride from Timnah over his parents’ protest, yet the LORD is using it against the Philistines. Honey from a lion he killed becomes his wedding riddle; the guests force the answer from his bride, he pays them with clothes from thirty men he kills in Ashkelon, and she is given to another.
General
How did Samson pay the clothing he owed after losing the riddle wager (Judges 14:19)?
Answer: He struck down thirty men of Ashkelon and gave away their clothes
The LORD’s Spirit came on Samson mightily; he went to the Philistine city of Ashkelon, killed thirty men there, and gave their garments to the companions who had answered (14:19). Then he went home in anger. The text holds two things together. The narrator records Samson’s burning anger and does not praise it. Yet this was also the LORD moving against the Philistines, who ruled Israel at the time, as 14:4 had said, and the start of the rescue promised in 13:5. The LORD’s Spirit would come on him again (15:14). Hebrews names Samson among those who through faith found strength though they were weak (Hebrews 11:32-34), not because every act was right but because God worked through him by grace.
- Judges 14:19 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house,”The Spirit comes upon Samson; he kills thirty men at Ashkelon and pays the wager with their clothes.
- Judges 13:5 (BSB)“For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall touch his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.””The angel had said Samson would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
- Judges 15:14 (BSB)“When Samson arrived in Lehi, the Philistines came out shouting against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him. The ropes on his arms became like burnt flax, and the bonds broke loose from his hands.”The LORD’s Spirit came mightily upon Samson again in a later clash with the Philistines.
- Hebrews 11:32-34 (BSB)“And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.”Samson is named among those who through faith gained strength from weakness.
Theological
How did Samson settle the wager after the companions answered the riddle (Judges 14:19)?
Answer: He struck down thirty men of Ashkelon and gave away their clothes
Empowered by the LORD’s Spirit, Samson went to Ashkelon, struck down thirty Philistines, and handed their garments to the riddle-solvers (14:19), then returned home in anger. Two strands run together: Samson’s personal wrath, which the narrator records without commendation, and the LORD’s purpose announced in 14:4, advancing the beginning of deliverance promised in 13:5. The Spirit will again come upon him (15:14). Hebrews 11:32-34 counts Samson among those who acted through faith, a commendation resting on God’s grace rather than an endorsement of all his deeds.
- Judges 14:19 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house,”The Spirit comes upon Samson; he kills thirty men at Ashkelon and pays the wager with their clothes.
- Judges 13:5 (BSB)“For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall touch his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.””The angel had said Samson would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
- Judges 15:14 (BSB)“When Samson arrived in Lehi, the Philistines came out shouting against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him. The ropes on his arms became like burnt flax, and the bonds broke loose from his hands.”The LORD’s Spirit came mightily upon Samson again in a later clash with the Philistines.
- Hebrews 11:32-34 (BSB)“And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.”Samson is named among those who through faith gained strength from weakness.
General
How did the thirty companions finally learn the answer to Samson’s riddle (Judges 14:15-17)?
Answer: They threatened his wife, and she pressed him until he told
After three days the companions told Samson’s wife to coax the answer out of him, threatening to burn her and her father’s household if she failed (14:15). She wept before Samson, accusing him of hating her; her weeping lasted the whole week-long feast, and she pressed him until he gave in on its final day; she passed the answer to her people (14:16-17). When they answered, Samson knew how they had found out and said so with a bitter farming image (14:18). Giving in did not save her in the end: after Samson’s later revenge, the Philistines killed the woman along with her father by fire (15:6). Delilah would later wear Samson down the same way, pressing him day after day until he told her his secret (16:16).
- Judges 14:15-17 (BSB)“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?” Then Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me! You do not really love me! You have posed to my people a riddle, but have not explained it to me.” “Look,” he said, “I have not even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?” She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and finally on the seventh day, because she had pressed him so much, he told her the answer. And in turn she explained the riddle to her people.”The companions threaten Samson’s wife; she weeps and presses him until he tells her.
- Judges 14:18 (BSB)“Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the city said to Samson: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” So he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!””The men answer the riddle, and Samson knows how they learned it.
- Judges 15:6 (BSB)““Who did this?” the Philistines demanded. “It was Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite,” they were told. “For his wife was given to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.”After Samson’s later revenge, the Philistines burned her and her father to death.
- Judges 16:16 (BSB)“Finally, after she had pressed him daily with her words and pleaded until he was sick to death,”Delilah later presses Samson daily until he gives in, a similar pattern.
Theological
By what means did the companions obtain the solution to the riddle (Judges 14:15-17)?
Answer: They threatened his wife, and she pressed him until he told
Unable to solve the riddle, the companions coerced Samson’s wife with a threat to burn her and her father’s household (14:15). Under that pressure she pressed Samson, weeping for the whole week-long feast, until he yielded on its last day, and she disclosed the answer (14:16-17). Samson’s retort recognizes the betrayal (14:18). Her compliance did not finally spare her: after Samson’s later reprisal the Philistines killed the woman along with her father by fire (15:6). The pattern of relentless pressing recurs with Delilah (16:16).
- Judges 14:15-17 (BSB)“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?” Then Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me! You do not really love me! You have posed to my people a riddle, but have not explained it to me.” “Look,” he said, “I have not even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?” She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and finally on the seventh day, because she had pressed him so much, he told her the answer. And in turn she explained the riddle to her people.”The companions threaten Samson’s wife; she weeps and presses him until he tells her.
- Judges 14:18 (BSB)“Before sunset on the seventh day, the men of the city said to Samson: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” So he said to them: “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!””The men answer the riddle, and Samson knows how they learned it.
- Judges 15:6 (BSB)““Who did this?” the Philistines demanded. “It was Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite,” they were told. “For his wife was given to his companion.” So the Philistines went up and burned her and her father to death.”After Samson’s later revenge, the Philistines burned her and her father to death.
- Judges 16:16 (BSB)“Finally, after she had pressed him daily with her words and pleaded until he was sick to death,”Delilah later presses Samson daily until he gives in, a similar pattern.
General
Where did the honey that Samson shared with his parents come from (Judges 14:8-9)?
Answer: From the body of the lion he had killed
Some time later, on his way to take his bride, Samson turned aside to look at the dead lion and found bees and honey in it. He took some honey in his hands, ate as he walked, and gave some to his parents, but kept quiet about where it came from (14:8-9). The narrator records the event without a verdict and stresses Samson’s secrecy: he had already kept the killing of the lion from his parents (14:6), and now he hides the honey’s source as well (14:9). That hidden knowledge becomes the basis of the riddle he poses at the wedding feast (14:14).
- Judges 14:8-9 (BSB)“When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey. So he scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. And when he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.”Samson finds bees and honey in the lion’s carcass, eats, shares with his parents, and keeps the source hidden.
- Judges 14:6 (BSB)“and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.”Samson had already kept the lion’s killing from his father and mother.
- Judges 14:14 (BSB)“So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle.”The riddle at the feast is drawn from the lion and the honey.
Theological
What was the source of the honey Samson gave his parents (Judges 14:8-9)?
Answer: From the body of the lion he had killed
Returning to Timnah, Samson turned aside to the lion’s remains, found bees and honey there, ate some, and shared it with his parents without disclosing its source (14:8-9). The narrator passes no explicit verdict on the act; his emphasis falls on Samson’s concealment, first of the lion’s killing (14:6) and now of the honey’s origin (14:9). This private knowledge supplies the riddle of the wedding feast (14:14).
- Judges 14:8-9 (BSB)“When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey. So he scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. And when he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.”Samson finds bees and honey in the lion’s carcass, eats, shares with his parents, and keeps the source hidden.
- Judges 14:6 (BSB)“and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.”Samson had already kept the lion’s killing from his father and mother.
- Judges 14:14 (BSB)“So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle.”The riddle at the feast is drawn from the lion and the honey.
General
What does the narrator explain in Judges 14:4 that Samson’s parents did not know?
Answer: That the LORD was at work through it against the Philistines
The narrator steps in with an explanation: the LORD Himself was behind the matter, looking for an opportunity to act against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time (14:4). This does not make Samson’s choice right. His parents’ objection reflected God’s law, and Samson acted on what pleased him. Yet God ruled over even Samson’s self-willed choice to accomplish His own purpose. Scripture teaches this often. Joseph’s brothers meant evil, but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20), and a person plans his way while the LORD directs where he goes (Proverbs 16:9). God is never the author of sin, and people remain fully responsible for their choices, yet nothing escapes His rule (Proverbs 19:21).
- Judges 14:4 (BSB)“(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)”The narrator explains that the LORD was behind the matter, seeking an occasion against the Philistines.
- Genesis 50:20 (BSB)“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”What Joseph’s brothers intended for evil, God intended for good.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”A person plans his course, yet the LORD determines his steps.
- Proverbs 19:21 (BSB)“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”Many human plans exist, but the LORD’s purpose prevails.
Theological
What explanation does the narrator give in Judges 14:4 for Samson’s demand for a Philistine wife?
Answer: That the LORD was at work through it against the Philistines
The parenthetical comment in 14:4 attributes the affair to the LORD, seeking an opportunity against the Philistines then ruling Israel. The narrator does not thereby approve Samson’s conduct; the parents’ objection stands on God’s law, and Samson acts on his own desire. God’s sovereign purpose works through a genuinely responsible human choice without God being the author of its sinfulness, the same pattern seen in Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 50:20) and summarized in Proverbs 16:9 and 19:21. The LORD’s plan to begin delivering Israel advances through the very marriage his parents opposed.
- Judges 14:4 (BSB)“(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)”The narrator explains that the LORD was behind the matter, seeking an occasion against the Philistines.
- Genesis 50:20 (BSB)“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”What Joseph’s brothers intended for evil, God intended for good.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”A person plans his course, yet the LORD determines his steps.
- Proverbs 19:21 (BSB)“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”Many human plans exist, but the LORD’s purpose prevails.
General
How did Samson’s parents respond when he demanded the Philistine woman from Timnah as his wife (Judges 14:3)?
Answer: They asked why he would not marry among his own people
Samson saw a Philistine woman at Timnah and told his parents to get her for him (14:1-2). They objected, asking whether there was no woman among their relatives or their own people, and why he would seek a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines (14:3). Uncircumcised here marks the Philistines as outside God’s covenant, His binding relationship with Israel. God’s law forbade Israel to marry the nations of Canaan, because such marriages would turn hearts toward other gods (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Exodus 34:16). The Philistines are not in those lists, but the parents’ concern runs along the same lines, and Israel had already fallen into this pattern (Judges 3:6). Samson brushed the objection aside because the woman pleased him.
- Judges 14:1-3 (BSB)“One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman. So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.” But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.””Samson demands a Philistine wife from Timnah, and his parents object.
- Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (BSB)“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.”God’s law forbade marrying the nations of Canaan because they would turn Israel to other gods.
- Exodus 34:16 (BSB)“And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.”The LORD warned that foreign wives would draw Israel’s sons into their gods’ worship.
- Judges 3:6 (BSB)“And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.”Israel had already fallen into such intermarriage and idolatry.
Theological
What objection did Samson’s parents raise to his choice of a bride (Judges 14:3)?
Answer: They asked why he would not marry among his own people
Samson’s parents object on covenant grounds: why not a woman from their own kin or people, rather than one of the uncircumcised Philistines (14:3)? Their concern echoes the reason behind the Torah’s ban on intermarriage with the nations of Canaan, that such unions lead to idolatry (Deuteronomy 7:3-4; Exodus 34:16), a snare Israel had already fallen into (Judges 3:6); the Philistines are not named in those laws, but the same danger applies. Samson’s only answer is that she pleases him. The narrative presents his choice as self-directed, not as obedience to God’s law.
- Judges 14:1-3 (BSB)“One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman. So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.” But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.””Samson demands a Philistine wife from Timnah, and his parents object.
- Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (BSB)“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.”God’s law forbade marrying the nations of Canaan because they would turn Israel to other gods.
- Exodus 34:16 (BSB)“And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.”The LORD warned that foreign wives would draw Israel’s sons into their gods’ worship.
- Judges 3:6 (BSB)“And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.”Israel had already fallen into such intermarriage and idolatry.
General
What was Samson’s riddle about the eater and the strong one actually referring to (Judges 14:12-14)?
Answer: The honey he found inside the dead lion
At his wedding feast, Samson posed a riddle to his thirty Philistine companions. He set a stake of thirty linen garments plus thirty changes of clothing on whether they could solve it within seven days (14:12-13). The riddle described the lion, the eater and the strong one, that became a source of honey, food and something sweet (14:14). No one could have guessed it without knowing what Samson alone had seen, and after three days they still had no answer. Riddles and hard questions were a recognized test of wisdom in Israel and the nations around it (Proverbs 1:6; 1 Kings 10:1).
- Judges 14:12-14 (BSB)““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. But if you cannot solve it, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” “Tell us your riddle,” they replied. “Let us hear it.” So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle.”Samson poses his riddle and the wager to the thirty companions.
- Proverbs 1:6 (BSB)“by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.”Riddles of the wise were part of the wisdom Israel valued.
- 1 Kings 10:1 (BSB)“Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.”The queen of Sheba came to test Solomon’s wisdom with hard questions.
Theological
To what experience did Samson’s riddle at the wedding feast refer (Judges 14:12-14)?
Answer: The honey he found inside the dead lion
Samson’s riddle encoded his private discovery: the eater and the strong one is the lion, and the food and sweetness are the honey found in it (14:14). Since no one else knew of the event (14:6, 9), the riddle was effectively unsolvable, and the stake of linen garments and changes of clothing (14:12-13) set the companions up for loss. Riddles and hard questions were a recognized contest of wisdom in the ancient world (Proverbs 1:6; 1 Kings 10:1).
- Judges 14:12-14 (BSB)““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. But if you cannot solve it, you must give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” “Tell us your riddle,” they replied. “Let us hear it.” So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle.”Samson poses his riddle and the wager to the thirty companions.
- Proverbs 1:6 (BSB)“by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.”Riddles of the wise were part of the wisdom Israel valued.
- 1 Kings 10:1 (BSB)“Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.”The queen of Sheba came to test Solomon’s wisdom with hard questions.
General
On the way to Timnah a young lion attacked Samson. What does Judges 14:6 credit for his victory over it?
Answer: The LORD’s Spirit coming powerfully on him
As Samson came near Timnah’s vineyards, a young lion roared against him. The LORD’s Spirit came on him with power, and he killed the lion with nothing in his hands (14:5-6). The text credits the Spirit, not Samson’s natural strength, for the deed. In Judges the LORD’s Spirit comes upon deliverers to empower them, as with Othniel (3:10) and Jephthah (11:29). The LORD’s work is done not by human might but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). Samson told his parents nothing about what had happened (14:6).
- Judges 14:5-6 (BSB)“Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him, and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.”A young lion attacks Samson near Timnah; the Spirit comes upon him and he kills it.
- Judges 3:10 (BSB)“The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.”The LORD’s Spirit came upon Othniel to equip him as Israel’s deliverer.
- Judges 11:29 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.”The LORD’s Spirit came upon Jephthah before he advanced against the Ammonites.
- Zechariah 4:6 (BSB)“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.”The LORD’s work is accomplished by His Spirit, not by human might or power.
Theological
To what does Judges 14:6 attribute Samson’s killing of the young lion?
Answer: The LORD’s Spirit coming powerfully on him
The narrator attributes the feat directly to the LORD’s Spirit coming powerfully upon Samson (14:6). This is the Spirit’s empowering of a deliverer seen throughout Judges, as with Othniel (3:10) and Jephthah (11:29): divine enablement for a task, stated without comment on Samson’s inner condition. The principle is the one Zechariah 4:6 states, that the LORD accomplishes His work by His Spirit rather than by human strength. Samson keeps the event from his parents (14:6).
- Judges 14:5-6 (BSB)“Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him, and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.”A young lion attacks Samson near Timnah; the Spirit comes upon him and he kills it.
- Judges 3:10 (BSB)“The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.”The LORD’s Spirit came upon Othniel to equip him as Israel’s deliverer.
- Judges 11:29 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.”The LORD’s Spirit came upon Jephthah before he advanced against the Ammonites.
- Zechariah 4:6 (BSB)“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.”The LORD’s work is accomplished by His Spirit, not by human might or power.
General
True or False: After the feast, Samson took his Philistine bride home with him to his family.
Answer: False
This is false. Samson went back home in anger, and the bride was handed over to a companion who had attended him at the feast (14:19-20). When Samson later came to visit her, her father refused him entry and explained that he had assumed Samson hated her and had given her to the companion (15:1-2). This broken marriage became the spark for Samson’s next clashes with the Philistines in chapter 15.
- Judges 14:19-20 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house, and his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.”Samson returns home in anger, and his wife is given to one of his companions.
- Judges 15:1 (BSB)“Later on, at the time of the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. “I want to go to my wife in her room,” he said. But her father would not let him enter.”When Samson later came to visit his wife, her father would not let him in.
- Judges 15:2 (BSB)““I was sure that you thoroughly hated her,” said her father, “so I gave her to one of the men who accompanied you. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead.””Her father explains that he gave her to Samson’s companion, assuming Samson hated her.
Theological
True or False: Judges 14 ends with Samson bringing his Timnite wife back to his family home.
Answer: False
This is false. The chapter closes with Samson returning home in anger and his wife being given to a wedding companion (14:19-20). Her father later justifies the act by claiming he thought Samson hated her (15:1-2). The ruined marriage becomes the occasion for the escalating conflict with the Philistines in chapter 15, the very kind of occasion 14:4 said the LORD was seeking.
- Judges 14:19-20 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house, and his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.”Samson returns home in anger, and his wife is given to one of his companions.
- Judges 15:1 (BSB)“Later on, at the time of the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. “I want to go to my wife in her room,” he said. But her father would not let him enter.”When Samson later came to visit his wife, her father would not let him in.
- Judges 15:2 (BSB)““I was sure that you thoroughly hated her,” said her father, “so I gave her to one of the men who accompanied you. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead.””Her father explains that he gave her to Samson’s companion, assuming Samson hated her.