Judges 14
Expanded Bible
Samson’s First Marriage
14 Samson went down to the city of Timnah where he saw ·a Philistine woman [L one of the daughters of the Philistines]. 2 When he returned home, he said to his father and mother, “I saw ·a Philistine woman [L one of the daughers of the Philistines] in Timnah. I want you to get her for me so I can marry her.”
3 His father and mother answered, “·Surely there is [L Is there not…?] a woman from ·Israel [L the daughters of your brothers/relatives] you can marry. Do you have to marry a woman from the uncircumcised Philistines [Deut. 7:1–3]?”
But Samson said, “Get that woman for me! She is ·the one I want [L right in my eyes]!” 4 (Samson’s parents did not know that ·the Lord wanted this to happen [this was from the Lord] because he was looking for a ·way [opportunity] to challenge the Philistines, who were ruling over Israel at this time.) 5 Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, as far as the vineyard near there. ·Suddenly [T And behold], a young lion came roaring toward Samson! 6 The Spirit of the Lord ·entered Samson with great power [empowered/came upon/rushed upon him; 3:10; 6:34; 11:29], and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands. ·For him it was as easy as tearing apart [L …as one tears] a young goat. But Samson did not tell his father or mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down to the city and talked to the Philistine woman, and ·he liked her [L she was right in Samson’s eyes].
8 Several days later Samson went back to ·marry [get; take] her. On his way he went over to look at the body of the dead lion and ·found [T behold, there was] a swarm of bees and honey in it. 9 Samson ·got [scooped; scraped] some of the honey with his hands and walked along eating it. When he came to his parents, he gave some to them. They ate it, too, but Samson did not tell them he had ·taken [scooped; scraped] the honey from the body of the dead lion [C touching the carcass violated Samson’s Nazirite vow; 13:5, 7; Num. 6:6].
10 Samson’s father went down to see the Philistine woman. And Samson gave a feast, as was the custom for the ·bridegroom [L young men]. 11 When the people saw him, they sent thirty ·friends [companions; groomsmen] to be with him.
Samson’s Riddle
12 Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle. Try to find the answer during the seven days of the feast. If you can, I will give you thirty linen ·shirts [garments] and thirty changes of clothes. 13 But if you can’t, you must give me thirty linen ·shirts [garments] and thirty changes of clothes.”
So they said, “Tell us your riddle so we can hear it.”
14 Samson said,
“Out of the eater comes something to eat.
Out of the strong comes something sweet.”
After three days, they had not ·found the answer [solved the riddle].
15 On the fourth[a] day they said to Samson’s wife, “Did you invite us here to make us poor? ·Trick [Entice; Coax] your husband into telling us the answer to the riddle. If you don’t, we will burn you and everyone in your father’s house.”
16 So Samson’s wife went to him, crying, and said, “You hate me! You don’t really love me! You told ·my people [L the sons of my people] a riddle, but you won’t tell me the answer.”
Samson said, “I haven’t even told my father or mother. Why should I tell you?”
17 Samson’s wife cried for the rest of the seven days of the feast. So he finally gave her the answer on the seventh day, because she kept ·bothering [nagging; pressing] him. Then she told ·her [L the sons of her] people the answer to the riddle.
18 Before sunset on the seventh day of the feast, the Philistine men had the answer. They came to Samson and said,
“What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?”
Then Samson said to them,
“If you had not plowed with my ·young cow [heifer; C referring to his wife],
you would not have solved my riddle!”
19 Then the Spirit of the Lord ·entered Samson and gave him great power [empowered/came upon/rushed upon him; v. 6]. Samson went down to the city of Ashkelon [C a Philistine capital] and killed thirty of its men and took all that they had and gave the clothes to the men who had answered his riddle. Then he went to his father’s house very angry. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to his best man [C one of those companions who had attended the feast].
Footnotes
- Judges 14:15 fourth The Hebrew text has “seven.” Some old translations read “fourth,” which fits the order of events better.
Judges 14
New American Standard Bible
Samson’s Marriage
14 Then Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he came [a]back and told his father and [b]mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; so now, get her for me as a wife.” 3 But his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your (A)relatives, or among all [c]our people, that you go to (B)take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” Yet Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she is right [d]for me.” 4 However, his father and mother did not know that (C)this was of the Lord, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. And at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
5 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him. 6 And (D)the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, so that (E)he tore it apart as one tears apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done. 7 So he went down and talked to the woman; and she [e]looked pleasing to Samson. 8 When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. 9 So he took out [f]the honey on his [g]hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had took the honey out of the body of the lion.
10 Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson held a feast there, for the young men customarily did this. 11 When they saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.
Samson’s Riddle
12 Then Samson said to them, “Let me now (F)propose a riddle for you; if you actually tell me [h]the answer within the seven days of the feast, and solve it, then I will give you thirty linen wraps and thirty (G)outfits of clothes. 13 But if you are unable to tell me, then you shall give me thirty linen wraps and thirty outfits of clothes.” And they said to him, “Propose your riddle, so that we may hear it.” 14 So he said to them,
“Out of the eater came something to eat,
And out of the strong came something sweet.”
But they could not tell the answer to the riddle in three days.
15 Then it came about on the [i]fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “(H)Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, (I)or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?” 16 So Samson’s wife wept in front of him and said, “(J)You only hate me, and you do not love me; you have proposed a riddle to the sons of my people, and have not told it to me.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told it to my father or mother; so should I tell you?” 17 However she wept before him for seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 So the men of the city said to 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 to them,
“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
You would not have found out my riddle.”
19 Then (K)the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of them and took what they were wearing and gave the outfits of clothes to those who told the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father’s house. 20 But Samson’s wife was (L)given to his companion who had been his [j]friend.
Footnotes
- Judges 14:2 Lit up
- Judges 14:2 Lit mother, and said,
- Judges 14:3 Lit my
- Judges 14:3 Lit in my eyes
- Judges 14:7 Lit was right in Samson’s eyes
- Judges 14:9 Lit it
- Judges 14:9 Lit palms
- Judges 14:12 Lit it
- Judges 14:15 As in some ancient versions; MT seventh
- Judges 14:20 Or best man
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
