Judges 14:11

11 When the P'lishtim saw him, they provided thirty companions to be with him.

Judges 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.)

Judges 14:11 In-Context

9 He scraped the honey out into his hands and went on, eating as he went; and when he came to his father and mother, he gave them some; and they ate too. But he didn't tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion.

10 His father went down to the woman, and there Shimshon gave a banquet - this is what the young men used to do.

11 When the P'lishtim saw him, they provided thirty companions to be with him.

12 Shimshon said to them, "Let me present you with a riddle. If you can solve it within the seven days of the banquet and tell me the solution, I will give you thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of good clothes.

13 But if you can't solve it, you give me thirty linen shirts and thirty changes of good clothes." They answered, "Tell us the riddle, we want to hear it."