Judges 14:8-20

Samson's Feast and Riddle Judges 14:8-20

8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
9And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion,

10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
13 But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets, and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he said unto them,

Out of the eater came forth meat,
and out of the strong came forth sweetness.

And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?
17 And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down,

What is sweeter than honey?
And what is stronger than a lion?

And he said unto them,

If ye had not plowed with my heifer,
ye had not found out my riddle.

19 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

7.

Why did Samson not tell his parents where he got the honey? Judges 14:9

Another part of Samson's vow was his oath not to eat any unclean food. The people of Israel were allowed to eat honey. The land is described as a land flowing with milk and honey; but since the honey was in the sunbleached carcase of a dead lion, the food would be unclean. Even Samson's mother had been told by the angel who announced Samson's birth that she should not eat any unclean food. If Samson had told his parents where he got the honey, his mother at least would have refused to eat it. He also would have revealed his violation of his Nazarite vow.

8.

Why did the Philistines give Samson thirty companions? Judges 14:11

Commentators are divided over the reason for the Philistines providing thirty young men to be with Samson. They ask whether it was to honor the bridegroom or to watch him. From the first, suspicion must have been in the Philistines-' mind as this passionate, young Israelite came among them. It must have seemed necessary to have as many as thirty to one in order to awe Samson, In the course of a feast there often would be quarrels. Without a strong guard on the Hebrew from Dan, Timnath might have been in danger.

9.

Where did Samson get the idea for his riddle? Judges 14:12

Samson's experience with the lion must have been a traumatic episode. In the course of the wedding feast, the company fell to composing riddles. Samson, probably annoyed by the Philistines who watched every movement, gave them his riddle. The terms he proposed were quite fair. In his riddle, we see a man perfectly self-reliant, full of easy superiority, courting danger, and defying his opponents. The thirty may win if they can. In that case, he was willing to pay a forfeit. When he put forth the riddle he couched it in these words, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. The riddle itself is a curiosity of old world banter. Some see in it a kind of gospel for the Philistines. It is true that like many witty sayings, the riddle had a range of meaning far wider than Samson intended. Any adverse influence conquered, any temptation mastered, any difficulty overcome, any struggle of faithfulness will supply us not only with happy recollections but also with arguments against infidelity. Anyone who can glory in his tribulations that have brought experience and hope, whether he be in bonds and imprisonments, or at liberty, can use this riddle. Vigor comes from what threatens life; joy comes out of sorrow. The man who walks with God is helped by the forces which oppose him. Samson demanded, however, a particular interpretation of his riddle.

10.

Did Samson gamble with his riddle? Judges 14:12-13

There was no gamble involved in the proposal Samson made to the Philistines. It was a promise on his part to give them a reward if they could find the answer to his riddle. On the other hand, if he was able to propound a riddle which defied them, they in turn were to reward him with thirty changes of garments and thirty sheets. The reward was proportionate to the number of companions given to be with Samson. It was a matter of each of his companions giving a reward to him. He probably never entertained the thought of their being able to learn the meaning of his riddle, but he was willing to reward each of them if such an event came to pass.

11.

How long did Samson's wife try to learn his riddle? Judges 14:17

His wife wept before him during the seven days of the banquet. Such a statement is not at variance with the statement made in verse fifteen. The woman had evidently already come to Samson every day with her entreaties from simple curiosity. Samson resisted them until the seventh day. At that time she became more urgent than ever because of the threat on the part of the Philistines. On the seventh day he finally told her, and she immediately went to those who had enticed her to wheedle the answer out of her husband. As a result the Philistines were able to come to Samson before sundown and give the answer to his riddle.

12.

What was the meaning of Samson's answer to the Philistines? Judges 14:18

Samson said that they would have been unable to find out the meaning of his riddle if they had not used his wife unfairly. John Milton in his poem, Samson Agonistes, puts the answer in poetical form by saying, You had not found out my answer I trow; if with my heifer you did not plow. It is not very complimentary to refer to his wife as a heifer, but the meaning of his statement is quite clear.

13.

Why did Samson kill the thirty men? Judges 14:19

He was angry. He had promised the thirty men who were his companions at the wedding feast that he would give them each a change of raiment and thirty sheets of cloth. He went out to find thirty men whom he could kill, He evidently took their garments and gave them to his companions. The thirty whom he killed were evidently not the thirty who were given to be his companions.

14.

How did the Spirit of the Lord cause this? Judges 14:19

God empowered him. The Spirit of the Lord began to move Samson at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol according to the statement made in Judges 13:25. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, he was evidently able to perform deeds which he was not physically equipped to do without God's help. It was a supernatural gift; and as long as he was keeping his Nazarite vow, the Lord was with him.

15.

Why was Samson's wife given to another man? Judges 14:20

Samson's father-in-law looked upon his daughter more as chattel than as a person. He was anxious to get dowries from young men who wanted to marry his daughter. If one young man did not give the father satisfaction, he felt perfectly at liberty to arrange for his daughter's marriage to another man. Such a low view of marriage was prevalent in countries where they did not have the full revelation of God. Even among some of the Israelite people marriage did not have its high and holy estate to which it was raised in the teaching of Jesus. Nonetheless, Samson appears to be enraged when he learns later that his wife had been taken from him and given to someone else.