Judges 14:1-11

Samson's Marriage

1 Then Samson went down to Timnah and saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.

2 So he came back and told his father and mother, "I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife."

3 Then his father and his mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your ¹relatives, or among all our people, that you go to ²take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for she looks * good to me."

4 However, his father and mother did not know that ³it was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

5 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him.

6 ⁴The Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, so that ⁵he tore him as one tears a young goat though he had nothing * in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

7 So he went down and talked to the woman; and she looked * good to Samson.

8 When he returned later * to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion.

9 So he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion.

10 Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this.

11 When they 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

• 1. Genesis 24:3, 4
• 2. Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3
• 3. Joshua 11:20
• 4. Judges 3:10
• 5. 1 Samuel 17:34-36

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "up"
• [b]. Lit "mother, saying,"
• [c]. Lit "brothers"
• [d]. Lit "my"
• [e]. Lit "is right in my eyes"
• [f]. Lit "rushed upon"
• [g]. Lit "was right in Samson's eyes"
• [h]. Lit "it"
• [i]. Lit "palms"