NASB — Judges 14 — KJV

Samson’s Marriage

1 Then Samson° went° down° to Timnah° and saw° a woman° in Timnah°, [one] of the daughters° of the Philistines°. 2 So he came° Iback° and told° his father° and IImother°, “I saw° a woman° in Timnah°, [one] of the daughters° of the Philistines°; now° therefore, get° her for me as a wife°.” 3 Then his father° and his mother° said° to him, “Is there° no° woman° among the daughters° of your Iarelatives°, or among all° IIour people°, that you go° to btake° a wife° from the uncircumcised° Philistines°?” But Samson° said° to his father°, “Get° her for me, for she IIIlooks°° good° to me.” 4 However, his father° and mother° did not know° that ait was of the LORD°, for He was seeking° an occasion° against° the Philistines°. Now at that time° the Philistines° were ruling° over Israel°.

[2] ILit up IILit mother, saying,
[3] ILit brothers IILit my IIILit is right in my eyes aGn 24:3, 4 bEx 34:16; Dt 7:3
[4] aJsh 11:20

5 ¶ Then Samson° went° down° to Timnah° with his father° and mother°, and came° as far° as the vineyards° of Timnah°; and behold°, a young° lion° [came] roaring° toward° him. 6 aThe Spirit° of the LORD° Icame° upon him mightily°, so that bhe tore° him as one tears° a young° goat° though he had° nothing°° in his hand°; but he did not tell° his father° or mother° what° he had done°. 7 So he went° down° and talked° to the woman°; and she Ilooked°° good° to Samson°. 8 When he returned° later°° to take° her, he turned° aside° to look° at the carcass° of the lion°; and behold°, a swarm° of bees° and honey° were in the body° of the lion°. 9 So he scraped° Ithe honey into his IIhands° and went° on, eating° as he went°. When he came° to his father° and mother°, he gave° [some] to them and they ate° [it]; but he did not tell° them that he had scraped° the honey° out of the body° of the lion°.

[6] ILit rushed upon aJg 3:10 b1S 17:34-36
[7] ILit was right in Samson’s eyes
[9] ILit it IILit palms

10 ¶ Then his father° went° down° to the woman°; and Samson° made° a feast° there°, for the young° men° customarily did° this°. 11 When they saw° him, they brought° thirty° companions° to be with him.

Samson’s Riddle

12 Then Samson° said° to them, “Let me now° apropound° a riddle° to you; if° you will indeed° tell° it to me within the seven° days° of the feast°, and find° it out, then I will give° you thirty° linen° wraps° and thirty° bchanges° of clothes°. 13 But if° you are unable°° to tell° me, then you shall give° me thirty° linen° wraps° and thirty° changes° of clothes°.” And they said° to him, “Propound° 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°.”
But they could° not tell° the riddle° in three° days°.

[12] aEzk 17:2 bGn 45:22; 2K 5:22

15 ¶ Then it came° about on the Ifourth° day° that they said° to Samson’s° wife°, “aEntice° your husband°, so that he will tell° us the riddle°, bor° we will burn° you and your father’s° house° with fire°. Have you invited° us to impoverish° us? Is this not [so]?” 16 Samson’s° wife° wept° before° him and said°, “aYou only° hate° me, and you do not love° me; you have propounded° a riddle° to the sons° of my people°, and have not told° [it] to me.” And he said° to her, “Behold°, I have not told° [it] to my father° or mother°; so should I tell° you?” 17 However she wept° before° him seven° days° while° their feast° lasted°. And on the seventh° day° he told° her because° she pressed° him so hard°. She then told° 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 found° out my riddle°.”
19 Then athe Spirit° of the LORD° Icame° upon him mightily°, and he went° down° to Ashkelon° and killed° thirty° of them and took° their spoil° and gave° the changes° [of clothes] to those who told° the riddle°. And his anger° burned°, and he went° up to his father’s° house°. 20 But Samson’s° wife° was a[given] to his companion° who° had been his Ifriend°.

[15] ISo with some ancient versions; Heb seventh aJg 16:5 bJg 15:6
[16] aJg 16:15
[19] ILit rushed upon aJg 3:10; 13:25
[20] IOr best man aJg 15:2


New American Standard Bible
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries
Copyright © 1981, 1998 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Samson desireth a wife of the Philistines.

1 ¶ And Samsonº went downºª to Timnath,º and sawºª a womanº in Timnathº of the daughtersº² of the Philistines.º 2 And he came up,ºª and toldºª his fatherº and his mother,º and said,ºª I have seenºª a womanº in Timnathº of the daughtersº² of the Philistines:º now² therefore getºª her for me to wife.º 3 Then his fatherº and his motherº saidºª unto him, [Is there] neverº a womanº among the daughtersº of thy brethren,º or among all² my people,º that² thou² goestºª to takeºª a wifeº of the uncircumcisedº Philistines?º² And Samsonº saidºª unto² his father,º Getºª her for me; for² she² pleaseth me well.ººª 4 But his fatherº and his motherº knewºª not² that² it² [was] of the LORD,º² that² he² soughtºª an occasionº against the Philistines:º² for at that² timeº the Philistinesº had dominionºª over Israel.º

[1] Gn 6:2; 34:1; 38:12; Jsh 15:10; 19:43; 2S 11:2; Jb 31:1; Ps 119:37; 1Jn 2:16.
[2] Gn 21:21; 24:2; 34:4; 38:6; 2K 14:9.
[3] Gn 13:8; 21:3, 27; 34:14; Ex 34:12; Dt 7:2; Jg 15:18; 1S 14:6; 17:26, 36; 31:4; 2S 1:20.
[4] Dt 28:48; Jsh 11:20; Jg 13:1; 15:11; 1K 12:15; 2K 6:33; 2Ch 10:15; 22:7; 25:20; Ps 115:3.

In his journey he killeth a lion.

5 ¶ Then went¹ª Samson¹ down,ºª² and his fatherº and his mother,º to Timnath,º and cameºª to² the vineyardsº of Timnath:º and, behold,² a youngº lionº roaredºª againstºª him. 6 And the Spiritº of the LORDº came mightilyºª upon² him, and he rentºª him as he would have rentºª a kid,º and [he had] nothingº² in his hand:º but he toldºª not² his fatherº or his motherº² what² he had done.ºª 7 And he went down,ºª and talkedºª with the woman;º and she pleased¹ª Samson¹ well.ººª²

[5] Jg 14:5.
[6] Jg 3:10; 11:29; 13:25; 15:8, 15; 16:30; 1S 11:6; 17:34, 46; Is 42:2; Zc 4:6; Mt 11:29; 1Jn 3:8.

In a second journey he findeth honey in the carcase.

8 ¶ And after a timeº² he returnedºª to takeºª her, and he turned asideºª to seeºª² the carcaseº of the lion:º and, behold,² [there was] a swarmº of beesº and honeyº in the carcaseº of the lion.º 9 And he tookºª thereof in² his hands,º and went onº¹ª eating,ºª and cameºª to² his fatherº and mother,º and he gaveºª them, and they did eat:ºª but he toldºª not² them that² he had takenºª the honeyº out of the carcaseº² of the lion.º

[8] Gn 29:21; Mt 1:20.
[9] 1S 14:25; Pv 25:15.

Samson's marriage feast.

10 ¶ So his fatherº went downºª unto² the woman:º and Samsonº madeºª there² a feast;º for² so² used the young menº to do.ºª 11 And it came to pass,² when they sawºª him, that they broughtºª thirtyº companionsº to be² with² him.

[10] Gn 29:22; Es 1:7; Ec 10:19; Mt 22:2; Jn 2:9; Rv 19:9.
[11] 1S 10:23; 16:6; Mt 9:15; Jn 3:29.

His riddle by his wife is made known.

12 ¶ And Samsonº saidºª unto them, I will now² put forthºª a riddleº unto you: if² ye can certainly¹ª declareºª it me within the sevenº daysº of the feast,º and find [it] out,ºª then I will giveºª you thirtyº sheetsº and thirtyº changeº of garments:º 13 But if² ye cannotºª² declareºª [it] me, then shall ye² giveºª me thirtyº sheetsº and thirtyº changeº of garments.º And they saidºª unto him, Put forthºª thy riddle,º that we may hearºª it. 14 And he saidºª unto them, Out of the eaterºª² came forthºª meat,º and out of the strongº² came forthºª sweetness.º And they couldºª not² in threeº daysº expoundºª the riddle.º 15 And it came to pass² on the seventhº day,º that they saidºª unto Samson'sº wife,º Enticeºª² thy husband,º that he may declareºª unto us² the riddle,º lest² we burnºª thee and thy father'sº houseº with fire:º have ye calledºª us to take that we have?ºª [is it] not² [so]? 16 And Samson'sº wifeº weptºª before² him, and said,ºª Thou dost but² hateºª me, and lovestºª me not:² thou hast put forthºª a riddleº unto the childrenº of my people,º and hast not² toldºª [it] me. And he saidºª unto her, Behold,² I have not² toldºª [it] my fatherº nor my mother,º and shall I tellºª [it] thee? 17 And she weptºª before² him the sevenº days,º while² their feastº lasted:ºª and it came to pass² on the seventhº day,º that he toldºª her, because² she lay soreºª upon him: and she toldºª the riddleº to the childrenº of her people.º 18 And the men¹² of the cityº saidºª unto him on the seventhº dayº before² the sunº went down,ºª What² [is] sweeterº than honey?º² and what² [is] strongerº than a lion?º² And he saidºª unto them, Ifº ye had not plowedºª with my heifer,º ye had not² found outºª my riddle.º

[12] Gn 29:27; 45:22; 1K 10:1; 2K 5:5, 22; 2Ch 7:8; Ps 49:4; Pv 1:6; Ezk 17:2; 20:49; Mt 6:19; 13:13, 34; 27:28; Mk 14:51; Lk 14:7; Jn 16:29; 1Co 13:12; Jm 5:2.
[14] Gn 3:15; Dt 8:15; 1K 17:6; 2Ch 20:2, 25; Pv 24:7; Is 53:10; Mt 13:11; Ac 8:31; Ro 5:3; 8:37; 2Co 4:17; 12:9; Php 1:12; He 2:14; 12:10; Jm 1:2; 1P 2:24.
[15] Gn 3:1; Jg 12:1; 14:17; 15:6; 16:5; Pv 1:11; 5:3; 6:26; Mi 7:5.
[16] Gn 2:24; Jg 16:15.
[17] Gn 3:6; Jg 16:6, 13, 16; Jb 2:9; Pv 2:16; 7:21; Lk 11:8; 18:4.

He spoileth thirty Philistines.

19 ¶ And the Spiritº of the LORDº cameºª upon² him, and he went downºª to Ashkelon,º and slewºª thirtyº menº of² them, and tookºª² their spoil,º and gaveºª change¹ of garments² unto them which expoundedºª the riddle.º And his angerº was kindled,ºª and he went upºª to his father'sº house.º

[19] Jg 3:10; 13:25; 14:6; 15:14; 1S 11:6.

His wife is married to another.

20 But Samson'sº wifeº was² [given] to his companion,º whom² he had used as his friend.ºª

[20] Jg 15:2; Ps 55:12; Jr 9:5; Mi 7:5; Mt 26:49; Jn 3:29; 13:18.


KJV 1769 King James Bible Authorized Version (Student's Edition)
©2011 by First Gospel Publications, Zion, Ill. All rights reserved.
For downloads and more information please visit www.FirstGospel.com.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
with Hebrew-Chaldee and Greek Dictionaries
Featuring the qBible.com Living Strong's Lexical Map
©2003 by The WWW Chat Bible Compages. All rights reserved.
For how to use color-coding please view [www.ChatBible.com/key.html].

Judges 14 Top of NASB New American Standard Bible KJV King James Version Red-Letter Strong's Concordance Numbers Cross References & Footnotes


 ChatBible.com  |  Lexicon & Concordance  |  1611Bible.com 
 Download  |  Contact  |  About  | Become a fan.