CHAPTER 14 SAMSON'S ACTIVITIES BEGIN.
This chapter deals with the commencement of Samson's life's work, with
his courtship and marriage of a Philistine woman, his meeting with a
young lion as he went courting, his killing of it with his bare hands,
and afterwards of his finding honey in it. It spea... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And he came up, and told his father and his mother, “I have seen
a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines, now therefore
get her for me to be my wife.” '
Samson was quite open about his aims. He had seen a Philistine woman
who attracted him and he wanted her as his wife. Being a duti... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 14:3 a
‘Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there never a
woman among the daughters of your kinsfolk, or among all my people,
that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” '
His father and mother were upset about his intentions. They were very
much aware that he w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And his father and mother did not know that it was of Yahweh. For
he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the
Philistines had rule over Israel.'
What his father and mother did not know was that his plan was in the
purposes of God. Yahweh was at work through the one whom He... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ Then Samson went down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah,
and came to the vineyards of Timnah, and, behold, a young lion roared
against him.'
It is clear that they made their separate ways to Timnah so that his
parents were not with him when he met the ‘young lion', or possibly
that he had... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 14:6 a
‘And the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him and he tore him as he
would tear a kid, and he had nothing in his hand.'
Calling on the One to whom his life was dedicated, and thus endued
with the Spirit of Yahweh, Samson exerted his strength against the
man-eater and with no weapon i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And he went down, and talked with the woman, and she pleased
Samson well.'
Further acquaintance with the Philistine woman confirmed his good
first impressions. He was satisfied that she would make him a good
wife. The fact that he did this prior to his marriage suggests that
they had had previous... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 14:8 a
‘And after a time he returned to take her.'
It is clear that her parents were satisfied with the arrangements, and
with the gifts offered, which confirms that Samson's parents were also
well-to-do. So as the marriage day approached he went again on his way
to Timnah to take her as hi... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 14:9 a
‘And he took it in his hands, and went on, eating as he went.'
As a Nazirite Samson had to avoid dead carcasses for they would render
him ‘unclean', but while he was fastidious about his hair he was
possibly slacker about the other requirements. Perhaps as a lifelong
Nazirite some le... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast
there, for so the young men used to do.'
His father then continued on to meet the woman to assist with
preparations for the wedding, while Samson arranged a pre-marriage
feast for the young men. This would seem to have been a feast fo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And it happened that when they saw him, they brought thirty
companions to be with him.'
The Philistines were seemingly quite content for one of their
daughters to marry a wealthy Israelite, demonstrating the reasonable
relations that existed between the two nations, even though one was
tributary a... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 14:12 a
‘And Samson said to them, “Let me now propound a riddle to you. If
you can declare its solution to me within the seven days of the feast,
and discover its meaning, then I will give you thirty linen cloths and
thirty changes of clothes, but if you cannot declare it then you will
give... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And he said to them, “From the eater came food, from the strong
came sweet.” And they could not propound the riddle in three days.'
They at first, in their merry state, probably thought that it would
soon be solved, but after a few days they became alarmed. No solution
that they propounded was co... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And so it was that on the seventh day they said to Samson's wife,
“Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the solution to the
riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you
invited us so as to take what we have? Is that not so?”'
Time passed by. It passed not only a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, “Really you hate me
and do not love me. You have propounded a riddle to the children of my
people and have not told me the answer.” And he said to her,
“Look, I have not told it my father or my mother, and shall I tell
it you?” '
Samson was unaware of... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 14:17 a
‘And she wept before him the seven days, while the feast lasted.'
These were the days of the actual marriage feast itself, a time of
feasting and merriment probably enjoyed by the whole town. But it was
not pleasant for the fearful girl, and it was spoiling it for Samson.
It seemed... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 14:18 a
‘And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before the
sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger
than a lion?” '
Late on the last day they provided the answer to his riddle, and we
can hear in their answer their mocking tones, but neither would dou... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges 14:19 a
‘And the Spirit of Yahweh came on him, and he went down to Ashkelon
and slew thirty men of them and took their spoil, and gave the changes
of clothing to those who gave the answer to the riddle.'
Time would need to be given to him to provide the clothing for all
would recognise that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as
his friend.'
Samson had chosen one of the thirty companions to be ‘the friend of
the bridegroom', the one who stood by him during the marriage feast
(compare John 3:29). It may be that this man had not participated in
the threats to... [ Continue Reading ]