Samson's Marriage

Judges 14

1 Now Samson went down a to Timnah, and b saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, c get her for me as a wife." 3 Then his father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among the daughters of d your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the e uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said to his father, "Get her for me, for 1 she pleases me well."

4 But his father and mother did not know that it was f of the LORD - that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time g the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah.
Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. 6 And h the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

8 After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. 9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the i carcass of the lion.

10 So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so. 11 And it happened, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 Then Samson said to them, "Let me j pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me k within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty l changes of clothing. 13 "But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing." And they said to him, m "Pose your riddle, that we may hear it."

14 So he said to them:
"Out of the eater came something to eat,
And out of the strong came something sweet."
Now for three days they could not explain the riddle.

15 But it came to pass on the 2 seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, n "Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, o or else we will burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?" 16 Then Samson's wife wept on him, and said, p "You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me." And he said to her, "Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?" 17 Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people.

18 So 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?"
And he said to them:
"If you had not plowed with my heifer,
You would not have solved my riddle!"

19 Then q the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father's house. 20 And Samson's wife r was given to his companion, who had been s his best man.

  1. Cross References
    Genesis 38:13
    And it was told Tamar, saying, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.
    Joshua 15:10
    Then the border turned westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, passed along to the side of Mount Jearim on the north (which is Chesalon), went down to Beth Shemesh, and passed on to Timnah.
    Joshua 15:57
    Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 34:2
    And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and violated her.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 21:21
    He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 24:3
    And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.
    Genesis 24:4
    "but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 34:14
    And they said to them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us.
    Exodus 34:16
    And you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.
    Deuteronomy 7:3
    Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.
  6. Cross References
    Joshua 11:20
    For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
    1 Kings 12:15
    So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the LORD, that He might fulfill His word, which the LORD had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
    2 Kings 6:33
    And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, "Surely this calamity is from the LORD; why should I wait for the LORD any longer?
    2 Chronicles 10:15
    So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the LORD might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:48
    Therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.
    Judges 13:1
    Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
  8. Cross References
    Judges 3:10
    The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered CushanRishatha'im king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over CushanRishatha'im.
  9. Cross References
    Leviticus 11:27
    And whatever goes on its paws, among all kinds of animals that go on all fours, those are unclean to you. Whoever touches any such carcass shall be unclean until evening.
  10. Cross References
    1 Kings 10:1
    Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.
    Ezekiel 17:2
    Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel.
  11. Cross References
    Genesis 29:27
    "Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years."
  12. Cross References
    Genesis 45:22
    He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.
    2 Kings 5:22
    And he said, "All is well. My master has sent me, saying, 'Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.'
  13. Cross References
    Ezekiel 17:2
    Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel.
  14. Cross References
    Judges 16:5
    And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.
  15. Cross References
    Judges 15:6
    Then the Philistines said, "Who has done this?" And they answered, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife and given her to his companion." So the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.
  16. Cross References
    Judges 16:15
    Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.
  17. Cross References
    Judges 3:10
    The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered CushanRishatha'im king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over CushanRishatha'im.
    Judges 13:25
    And the Spirit of the LORD began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.
  18. Cross References
    Judges 15:2
    Her father said, "I really thought that you thoroughly hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Please, take her instead.
  19. Cross References
    John 3:29
    He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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