Keraia
Judges 14

Judges 14:16

Samson’s Riddle · Judges 14:8–20
Read Judges 14

Translations

Modern
Then Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me! You do not really love me! You have posed to my people a riddle, but have not explained it to me.” “Look,” he said, “I have not even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?”
Traditional
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?
Literal
And the wife of Samson wept on him and said, “You have only hated me, and you have not loved me. You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, and to me you have not explained it.” And he said to her, “Behold, to my father and to my mother I have not explained it, and to you should I explain it?”
Latin
Quæ fundebat apud Samson lacrimas, et quærebatur, dicens: Odisti me, et non diligis: idcirco problema, quod proposuisti filiis populi mei, non vis mihi exponere. At ille respondit: Patri meo et matri nolui dicere: et tibi indicare potero?

Original

Hebrew
English
Then Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me! You do not really love me! You have posed to my people a riddle, but have not explained it to me.” “Look,” he said, “I have not even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?”

Notes

Judges 14:14–19

Israel's hero, like Sisera, was defeated by a woman (Judges 4:21; see study note on Judges 8:20–21).

Judges 14:1–15:20

Samson's decision to marry a Philistine woman was the Lord's way (Judges 14:4) of starting to address the Philistine threat (see 13:5). One event led to another, marked by three times when the Spirit came strongly upon him (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14). During these events, Samson was a strong but imperfect hero.

Judges 13:1–16:31

Samson, who gets more attention in the book of Judges than any other judge, is more mysterious than Jephthah. Samson shows great inspiration as a leader. He also represents the unstoppable move toward chaos, which shows the need for a more organized society under a godly ruler.

Theme notes and profiles

Samson The Philistines

People

Samson: Israelite judge with great strength from God

Glossary

Judges, Book of Marriage, Marriage Customs Philistia, Philistines Riddle Tribe of Dan

Topics

Betting by Samson Riddle used As a Test of Wit: At Samson's Feast Samson: His Marriage Feast and the Riddle Propounded Wives: Bad: Samson's Wife