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Judges 14:1-20 — Samson's Marriage

Judg.14.1-20

¹Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah, one of the young Philistine women. ²He went up and told his father and his mother, and he said, “I have seen a woman in Timnah, one of the young Philistine women. Now, get her for me as a wife.” ³His father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the young women of your relatives or among all my people, that you are going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” ⁴His father and his mother did not know that this was from the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel. ⁵Samson went down to Timnah with his father and his mother, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came roaring to meet him. ⁶The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one tears apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. ⁷Then he went down and spoke to the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes. ⁸After some days, he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. ⁹He scooped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and his mother, he gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scooped the honey out of the carcass of the lion. ¹⁰His father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for that is what the young men used to do. ¹¹Now it happened, when they saw him , that they took thirty companions to be with him. ¹²Samson said to them, "Let me now pose a riddle to you. If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes. ¹³But if you cannot declare it to me, then you yourselves shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.“ And they said to him, ”Pose your riddle, that we may hear it." ¹⁴He said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” And for three days they could not declare the riddle. ¹⁵On the seventh day , they said to Samson's wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare the riddle to us, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us? Is it not so?” ¹⁶So Samson's wife wept before him and said, “You only hate me, and you do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, and you have not declared it to me.” He said to her, “Behold, I have not declared it to my father or my mother, so should I declare it to you?” ¹⁷She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted. And on the seventh day, he declared it to her, because she pressed him hard. Then she declared the riddle to the sons of her people. ¹⁸The 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.” ¹⁹The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of them. He took their garments and gave the changes of clothes to those who had declared the riddle. And his anger burned, and he went up to his father's house. ²⁰And Samson's wife was given to his companion , who had attended him.

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4/11/2026

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