New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Judges 14
2
When he returned, he spoke to his father and mother. He said, "I've seen a Philistine woman in Timnah. Get her for me. I want her to be my wife."
Reference
3
His father and mother replied, "Can't we find a wife for you among your relatives? Isn't there one among any of our people? Do you have to go to the Philistines to get a wife? They aren't God's people. They haven't even been circumcised." But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me."
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4
Samson's parents didn't know that the Lord wanted things to happen that way. He was working out his plans against the Philistines. That's because the Philistines were ruling over Israel at that time.
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5
Samson went down to Timnah. His father and mother went with him. They approached the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring toward Samson.
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Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with power. He tore the lion apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as he might have torn a young goat apart. But he didn't tell his father or mother what he had done.
Reference
7
Then he went down and talked with the woman. He liked her.
8
Some time later, he was going back to get married to her. But he turned off the road to look at the lion's dead body. Large numbers of bees and some honey were in it.
9
He dug the honey out with his hands. He ate it as he walked along. Then he joined his parents again. He gave them some honey. They ate it too. But he didn't tell them he had taken it from the lion's dead body.
10
Samson's father went down to see the woman. Samson had a big dinner prepared there. He was following the practice of men when they got married.
11
When the people saw Samson, they gave him 30 companions.
12
"Let me tell you a riddle," Samson said to the companions. "The dinner will last for seven days. Give me the answer to the riddle before the dinner ends. If you do, I'll give you 30 linen shirts. I'll also give you 30 sets of clothes.
Reference
13
But suppose you can't give me the answer. Then you must give me 30 linen shirts. You must also give me 30 sets of clothes." "Tell us your riddle," they said. "Let's hear it."
14
Samson replied, "Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet." For three days they couldn't give him the answer.
Reference
15
On the fourth day they spoke to Samson's wife. "Get your husband to explain the riddle for us," they said. "If you don't, we'll burn you to death. We'll burn up everyone in your family. Did you invite us here to rob us?"
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16
Then Samson's wife threw herself on him. She sobbed, "You hate me! You don't really love me. You have 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?"
Reference
Love
Judges 16:15
17
She cried during the whole seven days the dinner was going on. So on the seventh day he finally told her the answer to the riddle. That's because she kept on asking him to tell her. Then she explained the riddle to her people.
Reference
Parallel theme
Judges 16:16
18
Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town spoke to Samson. They said, "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" Samson said to them, "You have plowed with my young cow. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have known the answer to my riddle."
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Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Samson with power. He went down to Ashkelon. He struck down 30 of their men. He took everything they had with them. And he gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Samson was burning with anger as he went up to his father's house.
Reference
Chapter Summary
Judges chapter 14 begins the saga of Samson's conflict with the Philistines. Samson goes down to Timnath and sees a Philistine woman that he desires to marry. His parents object, noting that she is not of the nation of Israel, but Samson determines to have her. This chapter then narrates a lion that Samson killed, the subsequent finding of a lion's carcass, and a riddle that causes a major altercation with the Philistines.
Samson goes on a downward path to Timnath, a city in the region of Judah just across the border from the Philistines. While going down, he spots a young Philistine maiden. Upon returning home, he tells his father and mother that he wants them to get her for him as his wife.
His parents are concerned. They ask him whether any of the daughters of Israel would not be more suitable for him to marry since they know that the Philistines are Israel's enemies. They therefore question why he should want to marry a woman from among the Philistines.
Samson is unmoved and insists that his father get the woman for him since she pleases him. His parents have no idea of the larger scheme that God has in store for the Philistines through the marriage of Samson to one of their women.
The narrator then reveals the larger scheme that God had in store for the Philistines through the marriage of Samson to one of their women. Israel is currently under the domination of the Philistines and Samson's future wars with the Philistines will be part of God's effort to bring about Israel's freedom from the domination of the Philistines.
Samson goes toward Timnath with his parents. While approaching the vineyards of Timnath, a young lion suddenly jumps out of a thicket and attacks him. The Spirit of the Lord comes powerfully upon Samson and he splits open the lion's head with his bare hands. The text notes that Samson does not tell his parents what has transpired.
Later, Samson goes toward Timnath to take the woman for his wife. On his way, he decides to take a detour and see the lion's carcass. He finds that there is a swarm of bees inside the lion's corpse and there is honey on the inside of the corpse.
Samson takes some honey in his hands and eats it as he goes. He also gives some of the honey to his parents without letting them know that it is from the inside of the dead lion's body. This is notable because a dead lion's carcass should be considered unclean for Israelites to consume.
Samson's father goes down to the woman. Samson holds a feast in her home. The chapter calls it a marriage feast and thirty companions are provided to be with Samson.
During the feast, Samson gives the thirty men a riddle. He warns them that if they solve it within the seven days of the feast, he will give them thirty sheets or changes of garments and thirty garments. If they cannot solve it, they must give the same amount to him.
The riddle was based on Samson's previous encounter with the lion. He says, "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness."
The thirty men cannot solve the riddle. For three days they try to solve the riddle, but they do not succeed.
On the seventh day, they go to Samson's wife and corner her, threatening to burn her and her father's house if she does not get the answer to the riddle from Samson. They also threaten her saying that they have been invited to the feast only so that they can be robbed.
Samson's wife begins to cry before him saying that he does not love her because he is not telling her the answer to the riddle. She continues to press him through the remaining days of the feast.
Eventually, Samson gives in and tells her the answer to the riddle. She immediately tells the Philistine men.
Before sunset on the seventh day, the men give Samson their own version of the answer to the riddle. They say, "What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion?"
Samson readily realizes that the men could not have found out the answer to the riddle on their own. He tells them that if they had not plowed with his heifer, they would not have been able to solve his riddle. In other words, he knows that his wife has been used to obtain the information.
The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Samson again. He goes down to Ashkelon and kills thirty Philistine men and takes their garments. He gives the clothing to the men who solved his riddle.
Samson is angry and goes back to his father's house. His wife is then turned over to one of the companions who had attended the feast.
Samson's anger and conflict with the Philistines is the ending of the chapter. What began as a marriage arrangement has turned into a new source of hostility for the Philistines and Samson.
Judges chapter 14 reveals several aspects of Samson's character. Though Samson possesses superhuman strength and is blessed by the Spirit of the Lord, his life is characterized by a great degree of impulsive behavior. The decision to marry the Philistine woman sets off a sequence of events that leads to his conflict with the Philistines.
The story of the lion demonstrates Samson's superhuman strength. He kills the animal without the assistance of any weapons and the honey inside the lion's carcass becomes the source of his riddle. The riddle reveals his confidence in his own strength as well as his determination to confront the Philistines.
At the same time, the chapter demonstrates that his strength does not always lead him to make wise judgments. The marriage to the Philistine woman leads to complications which ultimately lead to violence.
This chapter also picks up a major theme of Samson's introduction. God is working through events which Samson does not understand. Samson's marriage to the Philistine woman becomes part of the larger conflict between Samson and the Philistines. The involvement of the Lord in events is evident, but the personal shortcomings of Samson are also woven into the narrative.
By the end of Judges 14, Samson has begun to oppose the Philistines, but Israel is still under the domination of the Philistines. The conflict with the Philistines has just begun and the events of Samson's wedding will lead to further complications in the next chapter.
Samson goes on a downward path to Timnath, a city in the region of Judah just across the border from the Philistines. While going down, he spots a young Philistine maiden. Upon returning home, he tells his father and mother that he wants them to get her for him as his wife.
His parents are concerned. They ask him whether any of the daughters of Israel would not be more suitable for him to marry since they know that the Philistines are Israel's enemies. They therefore question why he should want to marry a woman from among the Philistines.
Samson is unmoved and insists that his father get the woman for him since she pleases him. His parents have no idea of the larger scheme that God has in store for the Philistines through the marriage of Samson to one of their women.
The narrator then reveals the larger scheme that God had in store for the Philistines through the marriage of Samson to one of their women. Israel is currently under the domination of the Philistines and Samson's future wars with the Philistines will be part of God's effort to bring about Israel's freedom from the domination of the Philistines.
Samson goes toward Timnath with his parents. While approaching the vineyards of Timnath, a young lion suddenly jumps out of a thicket and attacks him. The Spirit of the Lord comes powerfully upon Samson and he splits open the lion's head with his bare hands. The text notes that Samson does not tell his parents what has transpired.
Later, Samson goes toward Timnath to take the woman for his wife. On his way, he decides to take a detour and see the lion's carcass. He finds that there is a swarm of bees inside the lion's corpse and there is honey on the inside of the corpse.
Samson takes some honey in his hands and eats it as he goes. He also gives some of the honey to his parents without letting them know that it is from the inside of the dead lion's body. This is notable because a dead lion's carcass should be considered unclean for Israelites to consume.
Samson's father goes down to the woman. Samson holds a feast in her home. The chapter calls it a marriage feast and thirty companions are provided to be with Samson.
During the feast, Samson gives the thirty men a riddle. He warns them that if they solve it within the seven days of the feast, he will give them thirty sheets or changes of garments and thirty garments. If they cannot solve it, they must give the same amount to him.
The riddle was based on Samson's previous encounter with the lion. He says, "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness."
The thirty men cannot solve the riddle. For three days they try to solve the riddle, but they do not succeed.
On the seventh day, they go to Samson's wife and corner her, threatening to burn her and her father's house if she does not get the answer to the riddle from Samson. They also threaten her saying that they have been invited to the feast only so that they can be robbed.
Samson's wife begins to cry before him saying that he does not love her because he is not telling her the answer to the riddle. She continues to press him through the remaining days of the feast.
Eventually, Samson gives in and tells her the answer to the riddle. She immediately tells the Philistine men.
Before sunset on the seventh day, the men give Samson their own version of the answer to the riddle. They say, "What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion?"
Samson readily realizes that the men could not have found out the answer to the riddle on their own. He tells them that if they had not plowed with his heifer, they would not have been able to solve his riddle. In other words, he knows that his wife has been used to obtain the information.
The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Samson again. He goes down to Ashkelon and kills thirty Philistine men and takes their garments. He gives the clothing to the men who solved his riddle.
Samson is angry and goes back to his father's house. His wife is then turned over to one of the companions who had attended the feast.
Samson's anger and conflict with the Philistines is the ending of the chapter. What began as a marriage arrangement has turned into a new source of hostility for the Philistines and Samson.
Judges chapter 14 reveals several aspects of Samson's character. Though Samson possesses superhuman strength and is blessed by the Spirit of the Lord, his life is characterized by a great degree of impulsive behavior. The decision to marry the Philistine woman sets off a sequence of events that leads to his conflict with the Philistines.
The story of the lion demonstrates Samson's superhuman strength. He kills the animal without the assistance of any weapons and the honey inside the lion's carcass becomes the source of his riddle. The riddle reveals his confidence in his own strength as well as his determination to confront the Philistines.
At the same time, the chapter demonstrates that his strength does not always lead him to make wise judgments. The marriage to the Philistine woman leads to complications which ultimately lead to violence.
This chapter also picks up a major theme of Samson's introduction. God is working through events which Samson does not understand. Samson's marriage to the Philistine woman becomes part of the larger conflict between Samson and the Philistines. The involvement of the Lord in events is evident, but the personal shortcomings of Samson are also woven into the narrative.
By the end of Judges 14, Samson has begun to oppose the Philistines, but Israel is still under the domination of the Philistines. The conflict with the Philistines has just begun and the events of Samson's wedding will lead to further complications in the next chapter.