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 ]