15 On the fourth[a] day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax(A) your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death.(B) Did you invite us here to steal our property?”

16 Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, “You hate me! You don’t really love me.(C) You’ve given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.”

“I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied, “so why should I explain it to you?” 17 She cried the whole seven days(D) of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.

18 Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?
    What is stronger than a lion?”(E)

Samson said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
    you would not have solved my riddle.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Judges 14:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew seventh

Bible Gateway Recommends