Samson desires a wife of the Philistines. He kills a lion: in whose mouth he afterwards finds honey. His marriage feast, and riddle, which is discovered by his wife. He kills, and strips thirty Philistines. His wife takes another man.

¹ Then Samson descended to Timnah. And seeing there a woman from the daughters of the Philistines,

² he went up, and he told his father and his mother, saying: “I saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. I ask that you take her to me as wife.”

³ And his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your brothers, or among all my people, so that you would be willing to take a wife from the Philistines, who are uncircumcised?” And Samson said to his father: “Take this woman to me. For she has pleased my eyes.”¹

1. 14:3Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren: This shows his parents were at first against his marriage with a Gentile, it being prohibited, Deut. 7.3; but afterwards they consented, knowing it to be by the dispensation of God; which otherwise would have been sinful in acting contrary to the law.(Challoner)

⁴ Now his parents did not know that the matter was done by the Lord, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

⁵ And so, Samson descended with his father and mother to Timnah. And when they had arrived at the vineyards of the town, he saw a young lion, savage and roaring, and it met him.

⁶ Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Samson, and he tore apart the lion, like a young goat being torn into pieces, having nothing at all in his hand. And he was not willing to reveal this to his father and mother.

⁷ And he went down and spoke to the woman who had pleased his eyes.

⁸ And after some days, returning to marry her, he turned aside so that he might see the carcass of the lion. And behold, there was a swarm of bees in the mouth of the lion, with a honeycomb.

⁹ And when he had taken it in his hands, he ate it along the way. And arriving to his father and mother, he gave them a portion, and they also ate it. Yet he was not willing to reveal to them that he had taken the honey from the body of the lion.

¹⁰ And so his father went down to the woman, and he made a feast for his son Samson. For so the young men were accustomed to do.

¹¹ And when the citizens of that place had seen him, they presented to him thirty companions to be with him.

¹² And Samson said to them: “I will propose to you a problem, which, if you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty shirts and the same number of tunics.

¹³ But if you are not able to solve it, you shall give me thirty shirts and the same number of tunics.” And they answered him, “Propose the problem, so that we may hear it.”

¹⁴ And he said to them, “Food went forth from that which eats, and sweetness went forth from that which is strong.” And they were unable to solve the proposition for three days.

¹⁵ And when the seventh day had arrived, they said to the wife of Samson: “Coax your husband, and persuade him to reveal to you what the proposition means. But if you are not willing to do so, we will burn you and your father’s house. Or have you called us to the wedding in order to despoil us?”¹

1. 14:15Notice that they were unable to solve the problem for three days (verse 14). Then verse 17 says that she wept before Samson during the seven days of the feast; it is not that she wept for seven days, but rather than she wept over several days, from day 4 to day 7, during a seven day feast. Her countrymen had been pleading with her since day 4 (or perhaps earlier). Only on day seven did their pleas reach the fever pitch of threatening to burn her and her father’s house, and on that day, she most likely pleaded more stringently (since her life was at stake), and Samson explained it to her then.(Conte)

¹⁶ And she shed tears before Samson, and she complained, saying: “You hate me, and you do not love me. That is why you do not want to explain to me the problem, which you have proposed to the sons of my people.” But he responded: “I was not willing to reveal it to my father and mother. And so, how can I reveal it to you?”

¹⁷ Therefore, she wept before him during the seven days of the feast. And at length, on the seventh day, since she had been troubling him, he explained it. And immediately she revealed it to her countrymen.

¹⁸ And they, on the seventh day, before the sun declined, said to him: “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And he said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have uncovered my proposition.”

¹⁹ And so the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he descended to Ashkelon, and in that place he struck down thirty men. And taking away their garments, he gave them to those who had solved the problem. And being exceedingly angry, he went up to his father’s house.

²⁰ Then his wife took as a husband one of his friends and wedding companions.