Shofetim 14:14

14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth the edible, and out of the oz (strong) came forth matok (sweetness). And they could not in shloshet yamim expound the khidah.

Shofetim 14:14 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 14:14

And he said unto them, out of the eater came forth meat
Out of a devouring eater, such as the lion is, came forth honey, or that was taken out of it, which Samson, and his father and mother, ate of, and which was the common food of some persons, as of John the Baptist:

and out of the strong came forth sweetness:
not only out of that which was strong in body while alive, but of a strong and ill scent, as the carcass of a dead lion is, and out of that came forth honey, than which nothing is sweeter. Josephus ^F13 expresses it,

``that which devours all things furnishes out pleasant food, when that itself is altogether unpleasant:''

and they could not in three days expound the riddle;
so long they laboured to find it out, but then began to despair of it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 6.

Shofetim 14:14 In-Context

12 And Shimshon said unto them, I will now put forth a khidah (riddle) unto you; if ye can certainly declare it to me within the shivat yemei hamishteh, and find it out, then I will give you shloshim linen garments and shloshim sets of begadim;

13 But if ye cannot declare it to me, then shall ye give me shloshim linen garments and shloshim begadim. And they said unto him, Put forth thy khidah, that we may hear it.

14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth the edible, and out of the oz (strong) came forth matok (sweetness). And they could not in shloshet yamim expound the khidah.

15 And it came to pass on the yom hashevi’i, that they said unto the isha of Shimshon, Entice thy ish, that he may declare unto us the khidah, lest we burn thee and thy bais avi with eish; Have ye invited us to make us poor? Is it not so?

16 And the isha of Shimshon wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not; thou hast put forth a khidah unto the bnei ami, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Hinei, I have not told it avi nor immi, and shall I tell it thee?