Judges 14:17

17 Therefore by seven days of the feast she wept upon him; and at the last in the seventh day, he told it to her clearly, when she was dis-easeful to him. And anon she told it to her citizens. (And so for the remainder of the seven days of the feast, she wept before him; and at last on the seventh day, he told her the answer, after that she had made his life miserable. And at once she told it to her fellow citizens.)

Judges 14:17 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 14:17

And she wept before him the seven days, while the feast
lasted
Those that remained of the seven days, from the fourth to this time, as Kimchi seems rightly to interpret it; though some think she began to beseech him with tears, on the first day of the feast, to impart the secret to her for her own satisfaction; and then, after the men had urged her on the fourth day to persuade her husband to it, she continued pressing him more earnestly with tears unto the seventh day. Some, as Abarbinel observes, and to whom he seems to incline, think there were fourteen days, seven days before the festival began, on the last of which they importuned her to try to get the secret from him, ( Judges 14:15 ) , and that she continued pressing all the second seven days; but it seems quite clear that it was at the beginning of the seven days of the feast that the riddle was put, which was to be explained within that time, ( Judges 14:12 )

and it came to pass on the seven day, that he told her, because she lay
sore upon him;
pressed him most earnestly with her entreaties, cries, and tears:

and she told the riddle to the children of her people;
though she knew it would be to her husband's detriment, and that he must be obliged to give them thirty sheets of linen, and as many suits of apparel, and though it is probable she had promised not to tell them.

Judges 14:17 In-Context

15 And when the seventh day came, they said to the wife of Samson, Gloss thine husband, and counsel him, that he show to thee what the problem signifieth. That if thou wilt not do it, we shall burn thee and the house of thy father. Whether therefore ye called us to [the] weddings, that ye should rob us? (And when the fourth day came, they said to Samson's wife, Flatter thy husband, and counsel him, so that he show thee what the answer is. And if thou wilt not do this, we shall burn down thee and thy father's house as well. Or have ye only called us to the wedding, so that ye could rob us?)

16 And she shedded tears at Samson, and complained, and said, Thou hatest me, and lovest me not, therefore thou wilt not expound to me the problem, which thou hast put forth to the sons of my people. And he answered, I would not say this thing to my father and mother, and shall I be able to show it to thee? (And so she shed tears before Samson, and complained, and said, Thou hatest me, and lovest me not, and so thou wilt not expound the riddle to me, which thou hast put forth to the sons of my people. And he answered, If I would not even tell it to my father or my mother, then why would I tell it to thee?)

17 Therefore by seven days of the feast she wept upon him; and at the last in the seventh day, he told it to her clearly, when she was dis-easeful to him. And anon she told it to her citizens. (And so for the remainder of the seven days of the feast, she wept before him; and at last on the seventh day, he told her the answer, after that she had made his life miserable. And at once she told it to her fellow citizens.)

18 And they said to him in the seventh day before the going down of the sun, What is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If ye had not eared, or busied you, in my cow calf, that is, my wife, ye had not found (out) my proposition. (And so on the seventh day, before the going down of the sun, they said to him, What is sweeter than honey, and stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If ye had not busied yourselves with my cow calf, that is, with my wife, ye would not have solved my riddle.)

19 Therefore the spirit of the Lord felled into him; and he went down to Ashkelon, and killed there thirty men, whose clothes he took away, and he gave to them that solved the problem; and he was full wroth, and went up into his father's house. (And then the spirit of the Lord fell upon him; and he went down to Ashkelon, and killed thirty men there, whose clothes he took away, and he gave them to those who had solved his riddle; and he was very angry, and went back to his father's house.)