Shofetim 14:16

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?

Shofetim 14:16 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 14:16

And Samson's wife wept before him
When she came to him to get out of him the explanation of the riddle, thinking that her tears would move him to it:

and said, thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not:
another artifice she used, well knowing he could not bear to have his affection called in question, which was now very strong, as is usual with newly married persons:

thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people;
her countrymen, fellow citizens, and neighbour, and could not but be dear to her, and respected by her; so that what affected and afflicted them must have some influence upon her:

and hast not told me;
that is, the explanation of it, otherwise it is likely she had heard the riddle itself told:

and he said unto her behold, l have not told it my father nor my
mother, and shall I tell it thee?
his parents he was greatly indebted to, for whom he had the highest reverence and esteem, whose fidelity and taciturnity he had sufficient knowledge of, and yet he had not thought fit to impart it to them; how therefore could she expect to be trusted with such a secret, with whom he had not been long acquainted, not long enough to know whether she could keep it or not?

Shofetim 14:16 In-Context

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?
17 And she wept before him the shivat hayamim, while their mishteh lasted; and it came to pass on the yom hashevi’i, that he told her, because of the pressing of her nagging; and she told the khidah to the bnei of her Am (People).
18 And the anshei haIr said unto him on the yom hashevi’i before the sun went down, What is sweeter than devash? And what is stronger than an ari? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not hit upon my khidah.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.