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Judges Chapter
Fourteen
Judges 14
Outlines
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 14
This
chapter treats of Samson's courtship
and marriage of a Philistine woman
Judges 14:1 of his
meeting with a young lion as he went courting
and of his slaying it
and afterwards
finding honey in it
Judges 14:6
of a
riddle which be framed out of this incident
and put to his companions at his
marriage to solve
giving them seven days to do it in
with a promise of a
reward
Judges 14:10 and of
their solving it by means of his wife
who got the secret from him
Judges 14:15
which
led him to slay thirty Philistines
to make good his promise of thirty sheets
and changes of raiment
and to leave his newly married wife
who was given to
his companion
Judges 14:19.
Judges 14:1 Now
Samson went down to Timnah
and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the
Philistines.
YLT
1And Samson goeth down to Timnath
and seeth a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines
And Samson went down to Timnath
.... A city which by lot
fell to the tribe of Judah
but was afterwards given to the tribe of Dan
and
now in the hands of the Philistines
Joshua 15:57. Judah
is said to go up to it
because the place where he lived lay below it
Genesis 38:13
but
Samson is said to go down to it
because he lived above it. The JewsF20T.
Bab. Sotah
fol. 10. 1. differ about the reconciliation of these two places;
some say there were two of this name
the one is a descent
and the other is an
ascent; others say there was but one
so situated
that they that came to it on
one side ascended
and they that came to it on the other side descended.
BochartF21IIierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 4. col. 763
764. approves of
the former. According to BuntingF23Travels
&c. p. 115.
this
was twelve miles from Eshtaol
where Samson lived:
and saw a woman in Timnath
of the daughters of the Philistines; who at this
time dwelt there; he saw no doubt many other women besides her
but he took
special notice of her
and entertained a particular affection for her; or
in
other words
on sight of her fell in love with her.
Judges 14:2 2 So he went up and told his
father and mother
saying
“I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of
the Philistines; now therefore
get her for me as a wife.”
YLT
2and cometh up and declareth
to his father
and to his mother
and saith
`A woman I have seen in Timnath
of the daughters of the Philistines; and now
take her for me for a wife.'
And he came up
and told his father and his mother
.... Of his
passion of love
being desirous of having their approbation and consent
in
which he acted a dutiful part
and what became him; and may be an example to
children to advise with their parents
and have their opinion and consent
before they engage in such an enterprise
even before courtship: and said:
I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines; whom he had a
good liking of
and a strong affection for; he is very open and ingenuous in
his account
does not go about to hide anything from his parents
or colour
things over
or conceal her descent
but frankly tells them she was a
Philistine woman
which he knew would at once furnish out an objection against
her:
now therefore get her for me to wife: for it seems
it was the custom then
when a young man had found a woman he liked
that it
was left to his parents to entreat with the woman and her friends about the
marriage of her to him.
Judges 14:3 3 Then his father and mother
said to him
“Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren
or
among all my people
that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised
Philistines?” And Samson said to his father
“Get her for me
for she pleases
me well.”
YLT
3And his father saith to him
-- also his mother
`Is there not among the daughters of thy brethren
and
among all my people
a woman
that thou art going to take a woman from the
uncircumcised Philistines?' and Samson saith unto his father
`Take her for me
for she is right in mine eyes.'
Then his father and his mother said unto him
.... What he
might expect
and doubtless did expect:
is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren
or
among all my people
that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised
Philistines? none in their own family
nor in the tribe of Dan
nor among the
whole nation of Israel
but must go among the uncircumcised Philistines; for
though they were not of the seven nations of the Canaanites
with whom marriage
was forbidden
yet they not only dwelt where they did
and where the Israelites
should
but were idolaters and impure persons
and therefore affinity should
not be contracted with them
as being of a dangerous consequence
which might
entice to idolatry. Ben Gersom observes
that their Rabbins say he made her a
proselyte first
though he did not acquaint his parents with it
and so
Abarbinel; but this seems not likely
for
had this been the case
he would
have had an easy and ready reply to this objection of theirs:
and Samson said unto his father
get her for me
for she pleaseth
me well; or "is right in mine eyes"F24ישרה בעיני "recta in oculis
meis"
Montanus
Junius et Tremellius. ; not only his eyes were taken with
her beauty or external form
but it was right in his sight
in his judgment
to
marry her; he having an impulse upon his mind from the Spirit of God unto it
though he did not let his parents know of it
but left them to conclude it
sprung from a strong affection to her person. Abarbinel observes
that he only
addressed his father
and not his mother
she being most vehemently against the
match
and expressing more uneasiness at it than his father did; but it is most
likely that he addressed his father particularly
because he was the proper
person to negotiate this affair for him.
Judges 14:4 4 But his father and mother
did not know that it was of the Lord—that He was seeking an
occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had
dominion over Israel.
YLT
4And his father and his
mother have not known that from Jehovah it [is]
that a meeting he is seeking
of the Philistines; and at that time the Philistines are ruling over Israel.
And his father and mother knew not that it was of the Lord
.... That he
should marry this uncircumcised Philistine; Samson knew it was
and that his
desire of having her in marriage did not arise from carnal affection to her
merely
being captivated with her beauty and external form
for she was not so
very fair
her younger sister was fairer than she
Judges 15:2 but he
perceived it was the mind and will of God that he should take such a person to
wife
by the impulse of the Spirit of God upon him
pointing it
unto him
inclining and urging him to it
suggesting the end and design of it
and the
opportunity it would give him of quarrelling with the Philistines
and taking
vengeance on them; but this his parents were ignorant of
nor did he let them
know that this was of God:
that he sought an occasion against the Philistines; in this way
by this means; they might know he sought to get an opportunity to be avenged on
them for their oppression
and to attempt the deliverance of Israel; but they
knew not that it was the will of God that a way should be opened for it by this
means. Samson might be directed by the Lord to reason thus in his mind
that if
he proposed to the Philistines to marry one of their daughters
and they should
reject his proposal
this would give him a reason to fall out with them
and
fall upon them; and if they should agree to such a match
he might expect they
would be kind to him
and to his people for his sake
being in alliance with
them
or he should resent it
and take occasion from hence to come to a quarrel
with them:
for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel; had invaded
their country
and dwelt in their cities
and made them tributary to them
and
used them ill; which Samson observing
was provoked to seek an opportunity of
avenging the injuries done them
and of delivering them
and he was directed to
it this way.
Judges 14:5 5 So Samson went down to
Timnah with his father and mother
and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to
his surprise
a young lion came roaring against him.
YLT
5And Samson goeth down --
also his father and his mother
to Timnath
and they come unto the vineyards of
Timnath
and lo
a lion's whelp roareth at meeting him
Then went Samson down
and his father and his mother
to Timnath
.... They were
prevailed upon to go with him
either because they perceived his affections
were so strongly set upon a wife
that they thought it advisable to agree to
it
lest it should be of bad consequence to him
or because he let them know
that the thing was of God
and what was his design in it:
and came to the vineyards of Timnath; the land of
Canaan was a land of vineyards
and particularly that part of it which was
inhabited by the Philistines and Phoenicians; and though we nowhere read of the
wine of Timnath
yet frequent mention is made in authors of the wine of
Ashkelon
Gaza
and Sarepta
inhabited by the above people; these vineyards
seem to have lain somewhat out of Samson's way; but hither he turned on some
account or another from his parents
perhaps to eat some grapes:
and
behold
a young lion roared against him; not a whelp
that is expressed by another word
but one more grown
and is afterwards called
a lion simply; and
by the Targum
a lion
the son of lions or lionesses; which
seeing him in the vineyards
where he was lurking
came out to meet him
and
roared at him in a hideous manner
and came up to him to destroy him: these
creatures
though now more rare in those parts
were at this time frequent
and
in later times: see 1 Samuel 17:34 and
several writersF25Strabo. Geograph. l. 16. p. 514. Curtius
l. 8.
sect. 1. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 16. make mention of lions in Mesopotamia and
Syria; and StraboF26Geograph
l. 16. p. 520.
and PlinyF1Nat.
Hist. l. 5. c. 20. speak of a city in Phoenicia near Sidon
called the city of
lions
because perhaps it had been much infested with them; and for a like
reason it may be some cities in the tribes of Judah and Simeon were called
Lebaoth and Bethlebaoth
Joshua 15:32.
Judges 14:6 6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily
upon him
and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn 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.
YLT
6and the Spirit of Jehovah
prospereth over him
and he rendeth it as the rending of a kid
and there is
nothing in his hand
and he hath not declared to his father and to his mother
that which he hath done.
And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him
.... The
Spirit of might from the Lord
as the Targum
inspiring him with courage and
intrepidity of mind
and increasing his bodily strength:
and he rent him as he would rend a kid; as he came up
to him to seize him
he laid hold on him and strangled him
as JosephusF2Antiqu
l. 5. c. 8. sect. 5. says
caught him by the throat
and tore it out; for it
does not seem that the carcass was torn to pieces
or limb from limb
by what
follows; and this he did with as much ease as if he had had only a kid to deal
with:
and he had nothing in his hand; not a staff to keep it
off
nor a spear
sword
or knife to stab it with: in this Samson was a type of
Christ
who has destroyed our adversary the devil
compared to a roaring lion
1 Peter 5:8 to a
lion for his strength
cruelty
and voraciousness; to a roaring lion
making a
hideous noise and stir when the Gospel was carried unto the Gentiles
and they
were about to be called and espoused to Christ; from among whom he was cast
out
and by no other weapon than the ministration of the Gospel
accompanied
with the power of Christ
and his Spirit:
but he told not his father or his mother what he had done; when he
overtook them
as he quickly did
he said not a word to them of his meeting
with a lion and slaying it; which
as it showed his modesty in not blazing
abroad his wonderful and heroic actions
in which also he was a type of Christ
but his great prudence in concealing this
lest his great strength should be
known too soon
and the Philistines be upon their guard against him
or seek to
dispatch him privately; though no doubt he had pondered this in his own mind
and considered it as an omen and presage of the advantage he should have over
the Philistines his enemies
whom he should as easily overcome as he had that
lion
and that without any instrument of war.
Judges 14:7 7 Then he went down and
talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
YLT
7And he goeth down and
speaketh to the woman
and she is right in the eyes of Samson;
And he went down
and talked with the woman
.... Entered
into a conversation with her
that he might the better judge of her other qualifications
besides that of outward form and beauty
whether she would be a suitable yoke
fellow for him; and he talked with her about marriage
and proposed it to her
or talked about her to her father and near relations; and
as the Targum
expresses it
asked the woman
not only asked of her consent
but demanded her
of her friends: it may refer
as Abarbinel observes
to his father
that he
went down and talked with the woman and with her relations about her
concerning the affair of his son's marriage with her:
and she pleased Samson well; he liked her
conversation as well as her person
and the more he conversed with her
the
more agreeable she was to him
and the more desirous he was to marry her.
Though some observe from hence
that she did not please the father of Samson as
himself; so Abarbinel.
Judges 14:8 8 After some time
when he
returned to get her
he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And
behold
a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion.
YLT
8and he turneth back after
[some] days to take her
and turneth aside to see the carcase of the lion
and
lo
a company of bees [are] in the body of the lion -- and honey.
And after a time he returned to take her
.... Matters
being agreed on
and settled on both sides
and the espousals made
he and his
parents returned
and
at the proper usual time for the consummation of the
marriage
he went again to Timnath for that purpose. It is in the Hebrew text
"after days"F3מימים "a
diebus"
Montanus; "post dies"
Vatablus.
which sometimes
signifies a year
see Genesis 4:3 and so
Ben Gersom interprets it
that a year after this woman became Samson's wife
(i.e. betrothed to him) he returned to take her to himself to wife; and it
seems
adds he
that twelve months were given her to prepare herself; and some
considerable time must have elapsed
as appears from what had happened to the
carcass of the lion
next related:
and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: just before
he came to Timnath he thought of the lion he had slain some time ago
and he
went a little out of the way to see what was become of it
or had happened to
it. Josephus saysF4Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 5.)
when
he slew it he threw it into a woody place
perhaps among some bushes
a little
out of the road; for which reason it had not been seen and removed
and was in
a more convenient place for what was done in it:
and
behold
there was a swarm of bees and honey in the
carcass of the lion; and though naturalistsF5Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9.
c. 40. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 11. c. 21. tell us that bees are averse to flesh
and will not touch any
yet in the course of time that the carcass of this lion
had lain
its flesh might have been clean eaten off by the fowls of the air
or
was quite dried away and consumed
so that it was nothing but a mere skeleton;
a bony carcass
as the Syriac version. JosephusF6Ut supra
(Antiqu.
l. 5. c. 8.) sect. 6. says
the swarm was in the breast of the lion; and it is
no more unlikely that a swarm of bees should settle in it
and continue and
build combs
and lay up their honey there
than that the like should be done in
the skull of Onesilus king of Cyprus
when hung up and dried
as HerodotusF7Terpsichore
sive
l. 5. c. 114. relates. Besides
according to VirgilF8"----quoquo
modo caesis"
&c. Georgic. l. 4. ver. 284
&c. "Liguefacta
boum per viscera"
&c. Ib ver. 555.
this was a method made use of to
produce a new breed of bees
even from the corrupt gore and putrid bowels of
slain beasts; and PythagorasF9Apud Ovid. Melamorph. l. 15. fab. 4.
ver. 365
366. observes
they are produced from thence. This may be an emblem
of those sweet blessings of grace
which come to the people of Christ through
his having destroyed Satan the roaring lion
and all his works; particularly
which came to the poor Gentiles
when the devil was cast out from them
and his
empire there demolished.
Judges 14:9 9 He took some of it in his
hands and went along
eating. When he came to his father and mother
he gave some
to them
and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the
honey out of the carcass of the lion.
YLT
9And he taketh it down on to
his hands
and goeth on
going and eating; and he goeth unto his father
and
unto his mother
and giveth to them
and they eat
and he hath not declared to
them that from the body of the lion he took down the honey.
And he took thereof in his hands
and went on eating
.... JosephusF11Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 6.) says he took three honeycombs
he means
three pieces of the honeycomb
and ate the honey as he went along to Timnath;
which he might do without touching the carcass of the lion
and defiling
himself thereby
which
as a Nazarite
he was more especially to be careful of:
and came to his father and mother
and he gave them
and they did
eat; who went down with him to the consummation of the marriage
and
from whom he had turned a little aside; and now overtook them
and to whom he
gave some of his honey to eat
which
having travelled some way
might be
grateful to them. The above writer takes no notice of this
but says he gave of
it to the young woman whom he betrothed
when he came to her; but of that the
text makes no mention:
but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the
carcass of the lion; either lest they should scruple eating it
being taken out of
such a carcass; or that the riddle
which perhaps he meditated as he came along
eating the honey
might not be found out
which might more easily have been
done
had this fact been known by any.
Judges 14:10 10 So his father went down to
the woman. And Samson gave a feast there
for young men used to do so.
YLT
10And his father goeth down
unto the woman
and Samson maketh there a banquet
for so the young men do;
So his father went down unto the woman
.... At
Timnath
whom Samson had espoused; the Targum is
"about the business of
the woman;'about the consummation of the marriage with her; they all three
went
the father
the mother
and the son
as appears from the preceding verse:
for Samson made a feast
for so used the young men to do; at the time
of marriage; this was the nuptial feast common in all nations; but it seems the
custom now and here was for the bridegroom to make it; whereas from other
instances we learn
that the father of the bridegroom used to make it
Matthew 22:2 and
the Vulgate Latin version here renders it:
and he made a feast for his son Samson; the
Septuagint
Syriac
and Arabic versions add
seven days
and so long this feast
was kept
Judges 14:12. Now
this marriage of Samson with a daughter of the Philistines was a type of the
marriage of Christ with his people
especially with the Gentile church
such as
were not of the commonwealth of Israel
but sinners of the Gentiles
very
ignorant of divine things
reproached by the Jews
and their calling an offence
to them; and may fitly express the love of Christ to his church
though
unworthy of it
which is a love of complacency and delight
arising from his
own good will and pleasure
and not owing to any superior beauty
excellence
worth
or worthiness in them
they being no better than others
children of
wrath
even as others
see Judges 15:2 as well
as there is an agreement in the manner of his obtaining and betrothing her
which was by applying to his father to get her for him
and being got and
given
be betrothed her; so Christ asked his people of his father to be his
spouse
which request being obtained
he betrothed them to himself in
righteousness; and the Gospel feast
or ministry of the word
is kept and
continued on account of it
Psalm 21:2.
Judges 14:11 11 And it happened
when they
saw him
that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
YLT
11and it cometh to pass when
they see him
that they take thirty companions
and they are with him.
And it came to pass; when they saw him
.... That is
the Philistines
the citizens of Timnath
when they saw that he was come to
consummate his marriage:
that they brought thirty companions to be with him; to be the
bridegroom's men
or children of the bridechamber
as they are called
Matthew 9:15 or
friends of the bridegroom
John 3:29 to keep
him company during the nuptial feast: this they did according to custom
and in
honour and respect unto him; though some think
and so JosephusF12Ut
supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 6.)
that they were brought to be guards
upon him
observing that he was a man of great might
strength
and courage
so
that they were afraid of him
lest he should have some design upon them; but it
is not certain that there was anything very visible or terrible in him
more
than in another man
that showed him to be of extraordinary courage and strength
since it was but at times the Spirit of the Lord came upon him
and as yet he
had done nothing to their knowledge which showed him to be such; had they
indeed known of his encounter with the lion
they might have had such thoughts
of him
but this they knew nothing of.
Judges 14:12 12 Then Samson said to them
“Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me
within the seven days of the feast
then I will give you thirty linen garments
and thirty changes of clothing.
YLT
12And Samson saith to them
`Let me
I pray you
put forth to you a riddle; if ye certainly declare it to
me [in] the seven days of the banquet
and have found [it] out
then I have
given to you thirty linen shirts
and thirty changes of garments;
And Samson said unto them
.... His thirty
companions
very likely on the first day of the feast:
I will now put forth a riddle to you: a secret
hidden
abstruse thing
not easy to be understood; a dark saying
wrapped up in
figurative terms; and this he proposed as an amusement to them
to exercise
their wits
which it seems was usual to entertain guests with
and might be
both pleasing and profitable:
if you can certainly declare it unto me within the seven days of
the feast; for so long the nuptial feast was usually kept
see Genesis 29:27. If
they could find it out; and with clearness and certainty explain the riddle to
him within that period of time
which was giving them time enough to do it in:
then I will give you thirty sheets
and thirty change of garments: that is
every man one of each. By "sheets" he means
as Kimchi and Ben Melech
interpret it
a covering of the body in the night next to the flesh
in which a
man lies
and was made of linen; meaning either what we call shirts
or bed
sheet
and by change of raiment
a suit of clothes worn in the daytime.
Judges 14:13 13 But if you cannot explain it
to me
then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of
clothing.” And they said to him
“Pose your riddle
that we may hear it.”
YLT
13and if ye are not able to
declare [it] to me
then ye have given to me thirty linen shirts
and thirty
changes of garments.' And they say to him
`Put forth thy riddle
and we hear
it!'
But if ye cannot declare it unto me
.... Explain the riddle
in the space of time allowed:
then shall ye give me thirty sheets
and thirty change of garments; so many
shirts and suits of apparel:
and they said unto him
put forth thy riddle that we may hear it; not thereby
to judge whether they would agree to his proposals
but hereby suggesting that
they accepted his terms and conditions
either to give or receive the above
premium
if they did or did not hit on the explanation of the riddle.
Judges 14:14 14 So he said to them: “Out
of the eater came something to eat
And out of the strong came something
sweet.” Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.
YLT
14And he saith to them: `Out
of the eater came forth meat
And out of the strong came forth sweetness;' and
they were not able to declare the riddle [in] three days.
And he said unto them
out of the eater came forth meat
.... Out of a
devouring eater
such as the lion is
came forth honey
or that was taken out
of it
which Samson
and his father and mother
ate of
and which was the
common food of some persons
as of John the Baptist:
and out of the strong came forth sweetness: not only out
of that which was strong in body while alive
but of a strong and ill scent
as
the carcass of a dead lion is
and out of that came forth honey
than which
nothing is sweeter. JosephusF13Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 6.
expresses it
"that which devours all things furnishes out pleasant food
when that itself is altogether unpleasant:"
and they could not in three days expound the riddle; so long they
laboured to find it out
but then began to despair of it.
Judges 14:15 15 But it came to pass on the
seventh[a] day that
they said to Samson’s wife
“Entice your husband
that he may explain the
riddle to us
or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have
you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?”
YLT
15And it cometh to pass
on
the seventh day
that they say to Samson's wife
`Entice thy husband
that he
declare to us the riddle
lest we burn thee and the house of thy father with
fire; to possess us have ye called for us? is it not?'
And it came to pass on the seventh day
.... Not on
the seventh day of the feast
for some time before that they applied to his
wife
and she pressed him hard to disclose it; but on the sabbath day
as
Kimchi
and so Jarchi says
on the seventh day of the week
not on the seventh
day of the feast
for it was the seventh day of the feast; this is so clear
that the Septuagint
Syriac
and Arabic versions
instead of the seventh
read
the fourth day:
that they said unto Samson's wife
entice thy husband
that he may
declare unto us the riddle; that is
persuade him to tell the meaning
of it to her
that she might declare it to them:
lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire; in which she
now was
not as yet being taken home to her husband
and her in it; this they
said to terrify her
and make her importunate with Samson to explain the riddle
to her
if he had any value for her
and her life:
have ye called us to take that we have? invited them
to the wedding feast
to strip them of their clothes
and even take their very
shirts off of their backs
which they must have been obliged to part with
if
they could not explain the riddle
or send for other suits and shirts from
their own houses: "is it not so?" verily this is the case
nor can it
be understood otherwise than a contrived business between thee and thy husband
to get our raiment
woollen and linen
from us.
Judges 14:16 16 Then Samson’s wife wept on
him
and said
“You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle
to the sons of my people
but you have not explained it to me.” And he
said to her
“Look
I have not explained it to my father or my mother;
so should I explain it to you?”
YLT
16And Samson's wife weepeth
for it
and saith
`Thou hast only hated me
and hast not loved me; the riddle
thou hast put forth to the sons of my people -- and to me thou hast not
declared it;' and he saith to her
`Lo
to my father and to my mother I have
not declared [it] -- and to thee I declare [it]!'
And Samson's wife wept before him
.... When she came to him
to get out of him the explanation of the riddle
thinking that her tears would
move him to it:
and said
thou dost but hate me
and lovest me not: another
artifice she used
well knowing he could not bear to have his affection called
in question
which was now very strong
as is usual with newly married persons:
thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people; her
countrymen
fellow citizens
and neighbour
and could not but be dear to her
and respected by her; so that what affected and afflicted them must have some
influence upon her:
and hast not told me; that is
the explanation
of it
otherwise it is likely she had heard the riddle itself told:
and he said unto her behold
l have not told it my father nor my
mother
and shall I tell it thee? his parents he was
greatly indebted to
for whom he had the highest reverence and esteem
whose
fidelity and taciturnity he had sufficient knowledge of
and yet he had not
thought fit to impart it to them; how therefore could she expect to be trusted
with such a secret
with whom he had not been long acquainted
not long enough
to know whether she could keep it or not?
Judges 14:17 17 Now she had wept on him
the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day
that he told her
because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the
riddle to the sons of her people.
YLT
17And she weepeth for it the
seven days [in] which their banquet hath been
and it cometh to pass on the
seventh day that he declareth [it] to her
for she hath distressed him; and she
declareth the riddle to the sons of her people.
And she wept before him the seven days
while the feast lasted
.... Those
that remained of the seven days
from the fourth to this time
as Kimchi seems
rightly to interpret it; though some think she began to beseech him with tears
on the first day of the feast
to impart the secret to her for her own
satisfaction; and then
after the men had urged her on the fourth day to
persuade her husband to it
she continued pressing him more earnestly with
tears unto the seventh day. Some
as Abarbinel observes
and to whom he seems
to incline
think there were fourteen days
seven days before the festival
began
on the last of which they importuned her to try to get the secret from
him
Judges 14:15
and
that she continued pressing all the second seven days; but it seems quite clear
that it was at the beginning of the seven days of the feast that the riddle was
put
which was to be explained within that time
Judges 14:12.
and it came to pass on the seven day
that he told her
because
she lay sore upon him; pressed him most earnestly with her entreaties
cries
and
tears:
and she told the riddle to the children of her people; though she
knew it would be to her husband's detriment
and that he must be obliged to give
them thirty sheets of linen
and as many suits of apparel
and though it is
probable she had promised not to tell them.
Judges 14:18 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 solved my
riddle!”
YLT
18And the men of the city say
to him on the seventh day
before the sun goeth in: -- `What [is] sweeter than
honey? And what stronger than a lion?' And he saith to them: `Unless ye had
ploughed with my heifer
Ye had not found out my riddle.'
And the men of the city said unto him
on the seventh day
before
the sun went down
.... And so soon
enough to free them from the obligation they
otherwise would have been under
to have given him the sheets and changes of
raiment agreed unto:
what is sweeter than honey? nothing
at least that
was known
sugar not being invented. Julian the emperorF14Opera
par. 9. epist. 24.
in commendation of figs
shows
from various authors
that
nothing is sweeter than they
excepting honey:
and what is stronger than a lion? no creature is
it is
the strongest among beasts
Proverbs 30:30.
HomerF15Odyss. 4. ver. 336. gives the epithet of strong to a lion:
and he said unto them
if ye had not ploughed with my heifer; meaning his
wife
whom he compares to an heifer
young
wanton
and unaccustomed to the
yokeF16Vid. Horat. Carmin
l. 2. ode 5. Graja. "Juvenca
venit". Ovid. ep. 5. ver. 117. ; and by "ploughing" with her
he
alludes to such creatures being employed therein
making use of her to get the
secret out of him
and then plying her closely to obtain it from her; and this
diligent application and search of theirs
by this means to inform themselves
was like ploughing up ground; they got a discovery of that which before lay
hid
and without which they could never have had the knowledge of
as he adds:
ye had not found out my riddle; the explanation of it.
Ben Gersome and Abarbinel interpret ploughing of committing adultery with her;
in which sense the phrase is used by Greek and Latin writersF17Vid.
Bochart. Hierozoic par. 1. l. 2. c. 41. col. 406. ; but the first sense is
best
for it is not said
"ploughed my heifer"
but with her.
Judges 14:19 19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him
mightily
and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men
took
their apparel
and gave the changes of clothing to those who had
explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused
and he went back up to his
father’s house.
YLT
19And the Spirit of Jehovah
prospereth over him
and he goeth down to Ashkelon
and smiteth of them thirty
men
and taketh their armour
and giveth the changes to those declaring the
riddle; and his anger burneth
and he goeth up to the house of his father;
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him
.... The
Spirit of might from the Lord
as the Targum; which filled him with zeal and
courage
animating him to the following undertaking
and increased his bodily
strength to perform it:
and he went down to Ashkelon; one of the five
principal cities of the Philistines; it lay near the Mediterranean sea
and
according to BuntingF18Travels of the Patriarchs
&c. p. 116.
was twenty four miles from Timnath; why he went so far
is not easy to say;
some think there was some grand solemnity or festival observed there at this
time
which he knew of
when persons put on their best suits of apparel
and
such he wanted: and slew thirty men of them; in vindication of which
it may be
observed
that Samson was now raised up of God to be judge of Israel; and that
he acted now as such
and under the direction and impulse of the Spirit of God
and the persons he slew were the common enemies of Israel; and if now observing
a festival in honour of their gods
they were justly cut off for their
idolatry:
and took their spoil; their clothes off their
backs
stripped them of their apparel
and even of their shirts
all which he
brought away with him: and here it may be observed
that though Samson was a
Nazarite
yet not a common one
and was an extraordinary person
and not in all
things bound to the law of the Nazarites; at least that law was dispensed with
in various instances relative to him
as taking honey out of the carcass of the
lion
and here stripping dead bodies which were defiling
and other things:
and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle; to the thirty
companions
to whom it was proposed
each man a suit of apparel taken from the
thirty men he slew at Ashkelon
and sheets or shirts also no doubt
though not
expressed. Indeed some have thought
because they did not find out the riddle
of themselves
he did not give them the whole premium
and that by their own
consent:
and his anger was kindled; against his wife
for
her treachery and unfaithfulness to him
and against his companions for their
deceitful usage of him
and against the citizens of the place
who perhaps laughed
at him
being thus tricked and deceived:
and he went up to his father's house; left his
wife
and her relations
and his companions
and the men of Timnath
and betook
himself to his father's house again
as if he had been never married; his
parents very probably had returned before him.
Judges 14:20 20 And Samson’s wife was given
to his companion
who had been his best man.
YLT
20and Samson's wife becometh
his companion's
who [is] his friend.
But Samson's wife was given to his companion
.... By her
father
and with her consent
both being affronted and provoked by Samson
leaving her
who judged her not only to be injured
but hereby discharged from
him
and free to marry another:
and whom he had used as his friend; though there were thirty
of them that were his companions
yet there was one of them that was the
principal of them
and was the most intimate with him
whom he used in the most
friendly manner
and admitted to a more free conversation than the rest
the
same that is called the friend of the bridegroom
John 3:29 while the
others were called the children of the bridechamber
Matthew 9:15. It is
not unlikely that this person had too much intimacy with Samson's wife before
and so had the secret of the riddle from her
and so very readily married her
as soon as Samson departed; and all this furnished out an occasion and
opportunity
which Samson sought for
to be revenged on the Philistines
as in
the following chapter.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)