Chapter 14
Samson’s Marriage
14:1 Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”
Now as a young man Samson goes to Timnah in Philistine territory, before questioning Samson’s motives we need to read verse four first. Timnah was approximately five miles west of Zorah in the Valley of Sorek. While there, Samson sees a Philistine woman and then later tells his parents and that he desires her to be his wife. They ask him why would he ask an uncircumcised Philistine, couldn’t he find a wife among their own people. Samson didn’t explain but insisted that she was the right one for him.
14:4 His father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
This is a key verse to understanding the Biblical account of Samson. Much of what Samson will be doing is contrary to what we understand about Nazirite vows (touching dead bodies, etc.) Plus, we might get confused about his behavior or perhaps wonder why certain actions were taken, we see from this verse that much of what he does comes from God. The primary objective of his life was to fight against the Philistines, who at that time ruled over Israel.
14:5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. 6 Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes.
Samson and his parents went to Timnah, as they were approaching the vineyards of Timnah, it appears that Samson, as a Nazirite, had to avoid contact with grapes, and in order to avoid the grapes of the vineyards, he likely took a circuitous route around the vineyards where he encountered a young lion. The Holy Spirit rushed (Hebrew tiṣ·lǎḥ’ to come mightily) upon him and he tore the lion to pieces with his bare hands (the Hebrew implies tearing in half, perhaps by separating the hind legs). When he rejoined his parents he did not tell them about the incident. He then went to the woman he had seen before and talked with her, he was convinced she was right for him.
14:8 After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.
Due to a number of reasons (such as a potential betrothal period, the decay of the lion’s body, production of honey, etc.) it is believed that approximately a year has passed since verse seven. On his way to get his wife with his parents, Samson retraced his route from before and saw where the lion’s body still remained but now was host to a bee hive along with some honey. He took some of the honey (which would have been considered unclean being found in a dead body) and ate some and gave some to his parents when they rejoined. He did not tell them where the honey came from.
14:10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. 11 As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 And Samson said to them, “Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes, 13 but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14 And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.” And in three days they could not solve the riddle.
Samson’s father goes to the woman probably to finalize any negotiations for the wedding, while Samson prepares a feast (Hebrew miš·tě(h)’, drink, from the root that means ’to drink’). Since this marriage doesn’t appear to be strictly following Jewish wedding tradition it is thought that to be a blend of both Philistine and Jewish customs. The people saw Samson had no wedding guests so they gathered thirty groomsmen to celebrate with him. Samson then proposes a riddle, if they can solve it he will provide thirty sets of garments for them, but if they can’t solve the riddle then they owe him thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes. They agree, so Samson tells them, “ Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet” (Judges 14:14, NLT) After three days they were still stumped.
14:15 On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?”
The next day they approach Samson’s wife and threaten her to find the answer to the riddle or they will burn down her home. They further claim that getting those garments would make them poor.
14:16 And Samson’s wife wept over him and said, “You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?” 17 She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people. 18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.”
Instead of telling him the truth regarding the threat, Samson’s wife tries desperately to get him to tell her the answer to the riddle. She cried each day during the seven-day wedding feast, she apparently tormented him with constant nagging. He finally, on the seventh day told her and she then told her people, and they then told Samson the answer. Samson then replied, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.” A statement that bluntly proclaims, “You Cheated!” and exposes his wife as a traitor.
14:19 And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
Once again the Holy Spirit rushed upon Samson as he went to Ashkelon a Philistine city on the Mediterranean coast approximately twenty-five miles from Timnah and struck down thirty men and took their clothing. He then gave the clothing to the thirty men who answered the riddle. Now since he was angry due to being betrayed by his wife, he went back home without his wife. Meanwhile back at Timnah, his wife was given to his best man by her father (see Judges 15:1-2).