AND Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
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.
9 And 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.

1And Samson went down to Timnath, and sawe a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines.

2And hee came vp, and told his father and his mother, and said, I haue seene a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines: nowe therefore get her for me to wife.

3Then his father and his mother said vnto him, Is there neuer a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the vncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said vnto his father, Get her for me, for shee pleaseth me well.

4But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that hee sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion ouer Israel.

5 Then went Samson downe, and his father & his mother, to Timnath, and came, to the vineyards of Timnath: and behold, a young Lion roared against him.

6And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily vpon him, and hee rent him as he would haue rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but hee told not his father or his mother what hee had done.

7And hee went downe and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

8 And after a time hee returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carkeis of the Lion: and beholde, there was a swarme of Bees, and honie in the carkeis of the Lion.

9And hee tooke thereof in his handes, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and hee gaue them, and they did eate: but he told not them that he had taken the hony out of the carkeis of the Lion.

10 So his father went downe vnto the woman, and Samson made there a feast: for so vsed the young men to doe.

11And it came to passe when they saw him, that they brought thirtie companions to be with him.

12 And Samson said vnto them, I will now put foorth a riddle vnto you: if you can certeinly declare it me, within the seuen dayes of the feast, and finde it out, then I will giue you thirtie sheetes, and thirtie change of garments:

13But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall yee giue me thirtie sheetes, and thirtie change of garments. And they said vnto him, Put foorth thy riddle, that we may heare it.

14And hee said vnto them, Out of the eater came foorth meate, aud out of the strong came foorth sweetnesse. And they could not in three dayes expound the riddle.

15And it came to passe on the seuenth day, that they said vnto Samsons wife, Entice thy husband, that hee may declare vnto vs the riddle, lest we burne thee and thy fathers house with fire: Haue yee called vs, to take that wee haue? is it not so?

16And Samsons wife wept before him, and said, Thou doest but hate me, and louest me not: thou hast put foorth a riddle vnto the children of my people, and hast not tolde it me. And hee said vnto her, Behold, I haue not tolde it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?

17And shee wept before him the seuen dayes, while the feast lasted: and it came to passe on the seuenth day, that he tolde her, because shee lay sore vpon him: and she tolde the riddle to the children of her people.

18And the men of the city said vnto him on the seuenth day before the sunne went downe, What is sweeter then honie? and what is stronger then a Lion? And he said vnto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, yee had not found out my riddle.

19 And the Spirit of the Lord came vpon him, and hee went downe to Ashkelon, and slewe thirtie men of them, and tooke their spoile, and gaue change of garments vnto them which expounded the riddle, and his anger was kindled; and hee went vp to his fathers house.

20But Samsons wife was giuen to his companion, whom hee had vsed as his friend.

I == Gen 34:2 ; 38:13 ; Josh 15:10

II == Gen 21:21 ; 34:4

 

III == Gen 24:3-4 ; 34:14 ; Ex 34:16 ; Deut 7:3

 

 

 

 

IV == Deut 28:48 ; Josh 11:20 ; Judg 13:1 ; 1st Kings 12:15 ; 2nd Kings 6:33 ; 2nd Chr 10:15 ; 22:7 ; 25:20

 

 

 

VI == Judg 3:10 ; 13:25 ; 1st Sam 11:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Gen 29:27 ; 45:22 ; 1st Kings 5:22 ; Ezek 17:2 ; Luke 14:7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XV == Judg 15:6 ; 16:5

 

 

 

XVI == Judg 16:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIX == Judg 3:10 ; 13:25

 

 

 

 

XX == Judg 15:2 ; John 3:29

 

 

 

1 Samson went down to Timnah and saw there one of the Philistine women.

2 On his return he told his father and mother, "There is a Philistine woman I saw in Timnah whom I wish you to get as a wife for me."

3 His father and mother said to him, "Can you find no wife among your kinsfolk or among all our people, that you must go and take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson answered his father, "Get her for me, for she pleases me."

4 Now his father and mother did not know that this had been brought about by the LORD, who was providing an opportunity against the Philistines; for at that time they had dominion over Israel.

5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother. When they had come to the vineyards of Timnah, a young lion came roaring to meet him.

6 But the spirit of the LORD came upon Samson, and although he had no weapons, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a kid.

7 However, on the journey to speak for the woman, he did not mention to his father or mother what he had done.

8 Later, when he returned to marry the woman who pleased him, he stepped aside to look at the remains of the lion and found a swarm of bees and honey in the lion's carcass.

9 So he scooped the honey out into his palms and ate it as he went along. When he came to his father and mother, he gave them some to eat, without telling them that he had scooped the honey from the lion's carcass.

10 His father also went down to the woman, and Samson gave a banquet there, since it was customary for the young men to do this.

11 When they met him, they brought thirty men to be his companions.

12 Samson said to them, "Let me propose a riddle to you. If within the seven days of the feast you solve it for me successfully, I will give you thirty linen tunics and thirty sets of garments.

13 But if you cannot answer it for me, you must give me thirty tunics and thirty sets of garments." "Propose your riddle," they responded; "we will listen to it."

14 So he said to them,
"Out of the eater came forth food,
and out of the strong came forth sweetness." After three
days' failure to answer the riddle,

15 they said on the fourth day to Samson's wife, "Coax your husband to answer the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your family. Did you invite us here to reduce us to poverty?"

16 At Samson's side, his wife wept and said, "You must hate me; you do not love me, for you have proposed a riddle to my countrymen, but have not told me the answer." He said to her, "If I have not told it even to my father or my mother, must I tell it to you?"

17 But she wept beside him during the seven days the feast lasted. On the seventh day, since she importuned him, he told her the answer, and she explained the riddle to her countrymen.

18 On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him,
"What is sweeter than honey,
and what is stronger than a lion?"
He replied to them,
"If you had not plowed with my heifer,
you would not have solved my riddle."

19 The spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, where he killed thirty of their men and despoiled them; he gave their garments to those who had answered the riddle. Then he went off to his own family in anger,

20 and Samson's wife was married to the one who had been best man at his wedding.

v 1-4. Samson fell in lust with a woman of Timnah, about an hour’s walk from his home, and according to custom, asked his parents to arrange a marriage. They were concerned that he was marrying a person of the land contrary to Ex. 34:16; Deut. 7:3. He was apparently spoiled and used to getting his way and insisted they get her. We are warned about dating and marrying unbelievers, 2 Cor. 6:14. It was not of the Lord that he sinned, but it was of the Lord to use his sin to work out God’s will.

 

 

 

v 5-7. The three went to see her, but Samson went alone and killed the lion.

 

 

 

 

v 8-11. When he went for the marriage, bees had made honey in the carcass, so he ate some and proceeded and met his 30 “best men”.

 

 

 

 

 

v 12-14. Riddles and forfeits were common then. It would have been impossible for them to figure out the riddle and he stood to gain a great deal from the challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

v 15-18. Probably from the third day, the bride to be pled for the answer, but on the seventh day, they were desperate and threatened to burn her household. Samson fell for her increased tears and foolishly expected her to keep a secret he did not himself keep. The moment they gave the answer, he knew they had gotten it from her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 19,20. He killed 30 other Philistines to pay them off, and went home in anger. Her father thought they would see Samson no more, so he gave her to the best man.