Judges 14:1-11

Samson's Marriage

1 1Samson went down to 2Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 Then he came up and told his father and mother, "I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. 3Now get her for me as my wife."
3 But his father and mother said to him, "Is there not a woman among the daughters 4of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the 5uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes."
4 His father and mother did not know that it was 6from the LORD, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. 7At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring.
6 8Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes.
8 After 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.
9 He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.
10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do.
11 As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him.

Judges 14:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 14

This chapter treats of Samson's courtship, and marriage of a Philistine woman, Jud 14:1-5 of his meeting with a young lion as he went courting, and of his slaying it, and afterwards finding honey in it, Jud 14:6-9, 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, Jud 14:10-14 and of their solving it by means of his wife, who got the secret from him, Jud 14:15-18, 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, Jud 14:19,20.

Cross References 8

  • 1. Hebrews 11:32
  • 2. Genesis 38:12, 13; Joshua 15:10; Joshua 19:43
  • 3. [Genesis 34:4]
  • 4. [Genesis 24:3, 4; Genesis 28:1, 2]
  • 5. Judges 15:18; 1 Samuel 14:6; 1 Samuel 17:26, 36; 1 Samuel 31:4; 2 Samuel 1:20
  • 6. Joshua 11:20
  • 7. Judges 13:1; Judges 15:11
  • 8. ver. 19; Judges 15:14; 1 Samuel 11:6; [Judges 3:10]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.