Judges 14

Judges 14:1

2. Samson’s Feast and Riddle (Chap. 14)14:1-4 Samson’s willfulness soon appeared in his determination to marry a Philistine womanone of the enemies of Israel. His father and mother sought to dissuade him, but he insisted. Verse 4 does not mean that the LORD approved of Samson’s disobedience, but that He permitted it and planned to overrule it for Israel’s welfare and for the punishment of the enemy. 14:5-7 En route to Timnah (a Philistine city) with his parents, Samson was threatened by a young lion. The Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him and enabled him to kill the lion unaided. Presumably arrangements for the marriage were made at this time. 14:8, 9 Later, when Samson was returning to Timnath to claim his bride, he found honey . . . in the carcass of the lion he had slain and shared it with his father and mother. He didn’t tell them that the honey was defiled by contact with a dead body (As a Nazirite he broke part of his vow by touching the dead animal.) 14:10-14 At Timnah, a great wedding feast was arranged, and Samson gave a riddle, offering each of his thirty companions a complete outfit if they could explain it. If not, they would have to give him thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing. The riddle was: Out of the eater came something to eat, And out of the strong came something sweet. It referred, of course, to his killing of the lion and to his finding the honey in its carcass. 14:15-18 When the men failed to guess the answer, they persuaded Samson’s wife with threats to obtain the answer from him. She did this and explained it to the thirty young men. They came to Samson with the answer and demanded the clothing. Samson then realized that they had collaborated with his wife. 14:19, 20 In order to get the clothing to pay the men, Samson angrily killed thirty . . . men of Ashkelon and took their apparel. On the seventh day, when the marriage should have been consummated, he returned home. His wife was given to his companion, his best man.