Samson demands a Philistine wife from Timnah. On the way, he kills a lion with his bare hands. Later he finds honey in the carcass and poses a riddle at his wedding feast. When his wife extracts the answer, he kills thirty Philistines for their garments and abandons his wife.
What Makes This Chapter Remarkable
The narrator offers a theological key the characters lack: 'his father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion against the Philistines' (v. 4). Samson's desire for a Philistine wife — which violates every Deuteronomic principle — is used by God to provoke conflict with the Philistines. The riddle (v. 14, 'out of the eater came something to eat, out of the strong came something sweet') is both clever and theological: destruction produces sustenance, a pattern woven through the entire Samson narrative.
Translation Friction
The verb tsalach (v. 6, 'rushed upon') describes the Spirit's action as violent irruption, not gentle empowerment. We rendered it 'rushed upon' to preserve the Hebrew's force. Samson's contact with the lion carcass violates his Nazirite vow (corpse contact, Numbers 6:6), though the text does not comment — the silent violations accumulate.
Connections
The Spirit rushing upon Samson echoes its action on Othniel (3:10), Gideon (6:34), and Jephthah (11:29), but Samson is the only judge whose Spirit-empowerment serves personal rather than communal purposes. The honey-from-the-lion image anticipates the theological paradox of Samson's death (ch. 16): out of destruction comes deliverance. The Philistine-wife theme contrasts with the inter-Israelite marriage ideals of Deuteronomy 7.
Samson went down to Timnah and saw a Philistine woman there.
KJV And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Va-yered Shimshon Timnatah ('Samson went down to Timnah') — the verb yarad ('to go down') is geographically accurate (Timnah is lower than Zorah) but also signals spiritual descent. Throughout the Samson cycle, his movements are consistently downward — toward Philistine territory, toward compromise, toward captivity. Timnah was a border town in the Sorek Valley, roughly four miles from Zorah. The phrase mi-benot Pelishtim ('from the daughters of the Philistines') immediately signals trouble — the man set apart as a Nazirite is drawn to the women of the very people he is meant to oppose.
He went back up and told his father and mother, "I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife."
KJV And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Samson's demand qechu otah li le-ishah ('get her for me as a wife') is blunt and imperious. He does not ask; he commands. The verb ra'iti ('I saw') echoes the language of desire and temptation — seeing leads to wanting, as with Eve in Genesis 3:6 and David in 2 Samuel 11:2. Marriage to a Philistine woman would violate the prohibition against intermarriage with the nations (Deuteronomy 7:3), though the Philistines are not explicitly listed among the prohibited peoples in that text. Samson's parents will serve as the voice of covenant faithfulness in the next verse.
His father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among your relatives or among all our people, that you must go take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson told his father, "Get her for me, because she is the one I want."
KJV Then his father and his mother said unto him, 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? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The parents' objection uses the term ha-arelim ('the uncircumcised') — the most contemptuous Israelite designation for the Philistines, defining them by what they lack: the covenant sign. Samson's response ki hi yashrah be-einai ('because she is right/pleasing in my eyes') uses the exact phrase that characterizes the moral chaos of the judges era — 'everyone did what was right in their own eyes' (17:6, 21:25). The Nazirite judge embodies the very problem he was born to address. He does what is 'right in his own eyes' rather than what is right in God's eyes.
His father and mother did not realize that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an opportunity to confront the Philistines — for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
KJV But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
מֵיְהוָהme-YHWH
"from the LORD"—Indicating divine origin, purpose, or causation behind events
This editorial aside is one of the most theologically complex statements in Judges. God does not cause Samson's lust, but He incorporates it into His plan to create conflict with the Philistines. The phrase reveals the narrator's conviction that even the worst human decisions cannot derail God's purposes — a theme that runs throughout the biblical narrative from Joseph's slavery (Genesis 50:20) to the cross.
Translator Notes
Ki me-YHWH hi ('for it was from the LORD') — this stunning editorial comment reveals that God works through Samson's sinful desire to achieve divine purposes. The word to'anah ('occasion, opportunity, pretext') means God is looking for a provocation, a reason to initiate conflict with the Philistines. This does not excuse Samson's lust; it shows God's sovereignty operating through human failure. The narrator adds the political context: Pelishtim moshelim be-Yisra'el ('the Philistines were ruling over Israel'). God's plan for deliverance runs through the very compromise that makes Samson an unlikely judge. The tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility is left deliberately unresolved.
Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah. When they reached the vineyards of Timnah, a young lion came roaring toward him.
KJV Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Kefir arayot ('a young lion') — kefir refers to a young but fully grown lion in its prime, not a cub. The lion sho'eg liqrato ('roaring to meet him, charging at him') is a lethal threat. The location in the karmei Timnatah ('vineyards of Timnah') is significant — a Nazirite should have no business in vineyards, where grapes grow. The text may subtly hint that Samson is already in territory that compromises his vow. His parents are present for the journey but apparently not for the lion encounter, as verse 6 notes he told them nothing about it.
The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would tear apart a young goat — with nothing in his hands. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
KJV And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
"the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him"—The sudden, forceful empowerment of the divine Spirit enabling superhuman action
This is the first of three 'rushing' Spirit episodes (14:6, 14:19, 15:14). The verb tsalach ('to rush upon') is more violent than the Spirit language used for other judges — it 'was upon' Othniel, 'clothed' Gideon, 'came upon' Jephthah. For Samson, the Spirit erupts in bursts of raw physical power. The Spirit enables extraordinary feats but does not transform Samson's character — a devastating contrast that defines his tragedy.
Translator Notes
Va-titslach alav ruach YHWH ('the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him') — the verb tsalach means 'to rush, to advance forcefully.' This is the characteristic verb for the Spirit's empowerment of Samson, appearing three times in the cycle (14:6, 14:19, 15:14). It conveys sudden, overwhelming, almost violent infusion of divine power. The result is superhuman: va-yeshasse'ehu ke-shassa ha-gedi ('he tore it as one tears a kid') — shasa means 'to tear, to rip apart.' The comparison to tearing a young goat makes the extraordinary seem casual. The secrecy — lo higgid le-aviv ule-immo ('he did not tell his father and mother') — is puzzling. It may set up the later narrative requirement: if his parents knew about the lion, the riddle would be solvable.
He went down and spoke with the woman, and she was pleasing in Samson's eyes.
KJV And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Va-tishar be-einei Shimshon ('she was pleasing in the eyes of Samson') — the verb yashar ('to be straight, right, pleasing') echoes verse 3 where the same root described his desire (yashrah be-einai, 'right in my eyes'). The repetition emphasizes that Samson's motivation is entirely visual and personal. The verb yarad ('went down') appears again — his pattern of descent continues. He speaks with the woman (va-yedabber la-ishah) but the content of the conversation is not recorded; what matters to the narrative is the sensory attraction.
Some time later, when he returned to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass. A swarm of bees had settled in the lion's body, along with honey.
KJV And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Va-yasar lir'ot et mappelet ha-aryeh ('he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion') — the verb sur ('to turn aside') suggests a deliberate detour. Samson goes looking for the dead animal. The geviyat ha-aryeh ('body/corpse of the lion') contains bees and honey. This sets up a critical Nazirite violation: touching a dead body (mafelet, 'carcass, fallen thing') directly violates Numbers 6:6-7, which prohibits a Nazirite from going near any dead body. Samson has now crossed a boundary of his consecration — and he does it casually, out of curiosity.
He scraped it out into his hands and walked along eating it. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it too. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion's carcass.
KJV And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Va-yirdehu el kappav ('he scraped it into his palms') — the verb radah means 'to scrape out, to extract.' Samson physically reaches into the dead carcass, making direct contact with the corpse — an unambiguous Nazirite violation. He then shares the contaminated honey with his parents without disclosure: lo higgid lahem ('he did not tell them'). This is the second secret (cf. v. 6). The pattern of concealment deepens Samson's isolation — he operates alone, hiding his actions from those closest to him. His parents unknowingly share in the ritual defilement. The honey from the dead lion becomes the basis for the riddle, linking Samson's violation to the coming conflict.
His father went down to the woman, and Samson held a feast there, as was the custom for young men.
KJV So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
Notes & Key Terms
1 term
Key Terms
מִשְׁתֶּהmishteh
"feast"—A drinking feast or banquet, from the root shatah ('to drink'), implying wine consumption
The mishteh is not merely a celebration but a drinking party. For a Nazirite, participating in — let alone hosting — a mishteh represents a fundamental contradiction. The term signals another erosion of Samson's consecration: his hair remains uncut, but his behavior increasingly mirrors the culture he was set apart to challenge.
Translator Notes
Va-ya'as sham Shimshon mishteh ('Samson made a feast there') — the word mishteh derives from the root shatah ('to drink'). A mishteh is literally a 'drinking feast' — a banquet centered on wine and alcohol. For a Nazirite who is forbidden all grape products, hosting a drinking feast is at minimum a profound irony and likely another vow violation. The narrator adds ki khen ya'asu ha-bachurim ('for so the young men used to do') — it was the cultural norm. Samson conforms to Philistine social customs rather than maintaining his Nazirite separation. The term bachurim ('young men') emphasizes youthful social pressure and convention over covenant obligation.
When the Philistines saw him, they provided thirty companions to be with him.
KJV And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The sheloshim mere'im ('thirty companions') are Philistine groomsmen assigned to Samson. The phrasing ki re'otam oto ('when they saw him') may suggest they were impressed — or intimidated — by his physical presence. These 'companions' may also function as guards or minders, keeping an eye on the powerful Israelite in their midst. The number thirty will become significant when Samson must obtain thirty sets of garments as riddle payment (v. 19).
Samson said to them, "Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can solve it during the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothing.
KJV And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Achudah na lakhem chidah ('let me pose a riddle to you') — the verb chud ('to propound a riddle') introduces the central literary device of the chapter. The chidah ('riddle') was a respected intellectual contest in the ancient Near East (cf. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, 1 Kings 10:1). The stakes are high: sheloshim sedinim ('thirty linen garments' — expensive undergarments) and sheloshim chaliphot begadim ('thirty changes of clothing' — complete outfits). This is a significant wager, equivalent to outfitting thirty men in luxury clothing.
But if you cannot solve it, then you will give me thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothing." They said to him, "Pose your riddle — let us hear it."
KJV But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The terms are symmetrical — the same payment either way: thirty of each garment type. The companions accept readily: chudah chidatekha ve-nishma'ennah ('pose your riddle and let us hear it'). Their confidence will prove misplaced, as the riddle is unsolvable without inside knowledge. No amount of intellectual effort can crack it, because it depends on a private experience — Samson's encounter with the lion. The riddle is not really fair; it is a trap disguised as a game.
He said to them: "Out of the eater came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet." They could not solve the riddle for three days.
KJV And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Me-ha-okhel yatsa ma'akhal u-me-az yatsa matok ('from the eater came food, from the strong came sweetness') — the riddle is elegant in Hebrew, with parallel structure and alliterative wordplay (okhel/ma'akhal). The 'eater' is the lion; the 'food' is the honey. The 'strong one' is the lion; the 'sweet' is the honey. But without knowing about the lion carcass, the riddle is genuinely unsolvable — it describes a unique personal experience, not a universal phenomenon. The three-day failure establishes the companions' desperation, which drives them to coerce Samson's wife.
On the seventh day, they said to Samson's wife, "Persuade your husband to tell us the answer to the riddle, or we will burn you and your father's household alive. Did you invite us here just to rob us?"
KJV And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The companions' threat is savage: pen nisrof otakh ve-et beit avikh ba-esh ('lest we burn you and your father's house with fire'). This is not an idle threat — they will carry it out in 15:6. The verb patti ('entice, persuade, seduce') from the root patah carries connotations of deception and sexual manipulation. They pressure the wife to use her intimate access to Samson as a weapon. The accusation ha-leyarshenu qera'tem lanu ('did you call us to impoverish us?') reveals their real concern: the financial stakes of the wager. The threat creates an impossible situation for the woman — caught between Samson and his enemies.
Samson's wife wept over him and said, "You only hate me — you do not love me! You posed a riddle to my people and haven't told me the answer!" He said to her, "I haven't even told my father or mother. Why would I tell you?"
KJV And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell thee?
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Va-tevk eshet Shimshon alav ('Samson's wife wept over him') — her tears are a weapon of emotional manipulation, though her fear is genuine (v. 15). Her argument — raq sne'atani ve-lo ahavtani ('you only hate me and do not love me') — frames the riddle as a test of love rather than an intellectual game. This same pattern of weeping and emotional pressure will recur with Delilah in chapter 16, but with far more devastating consequences. Samson's defense — 'I haven't told my parents' — is logically sound but emotionally tone-deaf. It will not hold.
She wept over him through the seven days of the feast. On the seventh day he told her, because she had pressured him relentlessly. Then she told the answer to her people.
KJV And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Ki hetsiqathu ('because she pressed him hard, pressured him relentlessly') — the verb tsaqaq means 'to press, to constrain, to squeeze.' The image is of constant, unrelenting emotional pressure. Samson's strength is physical, not emotional — he can tear apart a lion but cannot withstand a woman's tears. This vulnerability will prove fatal in chapter 16. The wife immediately relays the answer to her people (va-tagged ha-chidah li-vnei ammah), demonstrating that her loyalty lies with her own people, not her husband. The pattern — Samson telling a secret to a woman who betrays it to his enemies — will repeat with escalating consequences.
On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him: "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" He said to them, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle."
KJV And the men of the city said unto 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 unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The answer — mah matok mi-devash u-meh az me-ari ('what is sweeter than honey, what is stronger than a lion') — is presented as two rhetorical questions rather than a direct statement, giving it a triumphant quality. They deliver the answer be-terem yavo ha-charsah ('before the sun went down') — just in time. Samson's furious response uses a crude agricultural metaphor: lulei charashtem be-eglati ('if you had not plowed with my heifer') — comparing his wife to a cow and their interrogation of her to plowing. The metaphor implies both sexual betrayal and informational exploitation. Samson instantly knows how they obtained the answer — there was no other way.
The Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty men there, took their clothing, and gave the garments to those who had answered the riddle. Burning with anger, he went back up to his father's house.
KJV And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Va-titslach alav ruach YHWH — the second 'rushing' of the Spirit (cf. v. 6). The Spirit empowers Samson not for national deliverance but to settle a personal gambling debt. He goes to Ashkelon — a major Philistine city about twenty-three miles southwest — kills thirty men (the exact number needed), strips their chalitsotam ('spoils, clothing'), and pays the wager. The violence is divinely empowered but personally motivated. Va-yichar appo ('his anger burned') — Samson's rage drives him home, abandoning his wife. The narrator records this descent into fury without moral commentary, letting the reader draw conclusions.
And Samson's wife was given to the companion who had been his best man.
KJV But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Le-mere'ehu asher re'ah lo ('to his companion who had been his friend/best man') — the ultimate betrayal. The mere'a was the 'best man' or 'friend of the bridegroom' (cf. John 3:29). Samson's abandonment of his wife was interpreted by her family as divorce, and she was given to the very man who stood beside Samson at the wedding. This final verse sets up the chain of retaliations in chapter 15. What began with Samson's desire for a Philistine woman ends with losing her to a Philistine man — the irony is complete.