Giudici 14:11

11 Non appena i parenti della sposa videro Sansone, invitarono trenta compagni perché stessero con lui.

Giudici 14:11 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 14:11

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 Josephus {l}, 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 6.)

Giudici 14:11 In-Context

9 Egli prese in mano di quel miele, e si mise a mangiarlo per istrada; e quando ebbe raggiunto suo padre e sua madre, ne diede loro, ed essi ne mangiarono; ma non disse loro che avea preso il miele dal corpo del leone.

10 Suo padre scese a trovar quella donna, e Sansone fece quivi un convito; perché tale era il costume dei giovani.

11 Non appena i parenti della sposa videro Sansone, invitarono trenta compagni perché stessero con lui.

12 Sansone disse loro: "Io vi proporrò un enimma; e se voi me lo spiegate entro i sette giorni del convito, e se l’indovinate, vi darò trenta tuniche e trenta mute di vesti;

13 ma, se non me lo potete spiegare, darete trenta tuniche e trenta mute di vesti a me".