Samson’s Unconsummated Marriage

14:1 Samson went down to Timnah, where a Philistine girl caught his eye. 

 

Samson was up in the hill country of Zorah, so he had to go down to the valleys of Timnah. Timnah was given to the tribe of Dan, but they never had enough faith to capture it and keep it. Therefore, the Philistines moved in and took possession of it. The valleys of the Philistines were flat while the hill country of Israel was rocky. The Philistines were able to keep control of Timnah because of her chariots. At this time in history, Samson and the Israelites intermingled in these Philistine cities. A Philistine girl caught Samson’s eyes. Intermarriage with Gentiles was threatening the existence of Israel.

 

14:2 When he got home, he told his father and mother, “A Philistine girl in Timnah has caught my eye. Now get her for my wife.” 

 

Intermarriage with a pagan Gentile wife was forbidden by the Mosaic Law. Marriages were arranged by the parents, so Samson had to ask his father to arrange the marriage. His father and mother should have not allowed the marriage.

 

14:3 But his father and mother said to him, “Certainly you can find a wife among your relatives or among all our people! You should not have to go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines.” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, because she is the right one for me.” 

 

Samson’s parents wanted him to marry a nice Jewish girl, hopefully from the tribe of Dan. It appears that the Canaanites and Shechemites were circumcised, but the Philistines were not. Samson, like Israel, did what was right in his own eyes.

 

14:4 Now his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s doing, because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).

 

Providentially, God was the One who arranged this marriage. Since Samson would have never moved on his own, God would use this unholy marriage situation to stir up conflict with the Philistines.

 

14:5 Samson went down to Timnah. When he approached the vineyards of Timnah, he saw a roaring young lion attacking him. 

 

Samson cut through the vineyards to eat some grapes. This was a violation of his Nazarite vow to God. God allowed or even caused a lion to attack Samson. No unarmed man can survive the attack of a lion. Samson should have been torn to pieces in the vineyard.

 

14:6 The Lord’s spirit empowered him and he tore the lion in two with his bare hands as easily as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

 

It was always the Holy Spirit, and not Samson’s hair, which empowered Samson to perform his supernatural miracles. Many artists and Hollywood producers portray Samson to look like a muscled-up Hulk or a powerfully built superman. Samson most likely looked like a 98 pound weakling or a skinny kid who constantly had sand kicked in his face.

 

14:7 Samson continued on down to Timnah and spoke to the girl. In his opinion, she was just the right one. 

 

At first, Samson only saw this Philistine girl from a distance. He saw her outer beauty. Now, he was given the opportunity to speak with her. After speaking with her, Samson felt that she was the right girl for him.

 

14:8 Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to see the lion’s remains. He saw a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass, as well as some honey. 

 

The betrothal period was at least a one-year period. This gave the carcass of the lion enough time to dry up. As Samson came to receive his betrothed wife a year later, he cut through the vineyard again, perhaps to eat more grapes. He noticed that there was a swarm of bees in the dried up carcass of the lion in which he had killed.

 

14:9 He scooped it up with his hands and ate it as he walked along. When he returned to his father and mother, he offered them some and they ate it. But he did not tell them he had scooped the honey out of the lion’s carcass.

 

Samson violated the Nazarite vow by touching a dead body with his hands. He also violated the Nazarite vow by eating unclean food. Samson allowed his parents to eat this unclean food as well. If Samson’s parents would have known that the honey was unclean, they would not have eaten it. Samson had no regard for the laws of God. He allowed his parents to unknowingly break the law as well, so he was not honoring his parents.

 

14:10 Then Samson’s father accompanied him to Timnah for the marriage. Samson hosted a party there, for this was customary for bridegrooms to do. 

 

The Hebrew word for “party” is מִשְׁתֶּה (mishteh), meaning a drinking feast. If Samson participated in the drinking feast, then he violated the Nazarite vow again. The drinking party was a Philistine custom and not a Jewish custom.

 

14:11 When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company. 

 

Samson did not have any Jewish attendants, because this marriage to a pagan Gentile Philistine was against the Mosaic Law. This marriage would break Samson’s ties with the Jewish people. The Philistines did not trust Samson with his new bride, so they placed thirty armed Philistine guards around him.

 

14:12 Samson said to them, “I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes. 

 

The proposing of riddles at a wedding was common practice among the ancient Aegeans and Greeks. The Hebrew word for “riddle” is חִידָה (hichdah). This same word was used when the Queen of Sheba posed both questions and riddles to Solomon. Ezekiel also posed a riddle to the House of Israel.

 

Ancient weddings usually lasted one week. Many family members and guests would travel from afar and use this time as a family vacation so that they could get a chance to welcome and get to know their new family members.

 

Linen robes were worn as underwear and t-shirts underneath the clothing. The “sets of clothes” were festive clothes, which would only be worn for special occasions. The festive clothes were very expensive. Most people could only afford one set of festive clothes. This was a very large wager that Samson was making with his Philistine guests. Most of these guests were family members and friends of the bride.

 

14:13 But if you cannot solve it, you will give me thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.” They said to him, “Let us hear your riddle.” 

 

The guests accepted the challenge. The 30 Philistines were masters of the Jews. They did not think that one subordinate Jew could stump thirty Philistine masters.

 

14:14 He said to them, “Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong one came something sweet.” They could not solve the riddle for three days.

 

This was an unfair riddle. Only Samson would know the answer to this riddle. Normally, a riddle should be solvable by logic. There was no logic in this riddle. They would need supernatural knowledge to answer it.

 

14:15 On the fourth day they said to Samson’s bride, “Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. If you refuse, we will burn up you and your father’s family. Did you invite us here to make us poor?” 

 

This was not just an idle threat. The Philistines did not travel all of this way just to become poor.

 

14:16 So Samson’s bride cried on his shoulder and said, “You must hate me; you do not love me! You told the young men a riddle, but you have not told me the solution.” He said to her, “Look, I have not even told my father or mother. Do you really expect me to tell you?” 

 

Samson’s new wife began to put emotional and verbal pressure upon Samson.

 

14:17 She cried on his shoulder until the party was almost over. Finally, on the seventh day, he told her because she had nagged him so much. Then she told the young men the solution to the riddle. 

 

Samson may have thought that it was safe to tell his wife the answer on the last day of his bridal party.

 

14:18 On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” He said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!”

 

Samson accused his new Philistines family members of cheating.

 

14:19 The Lord’s spirit empowered him. He went down to Ashkelon and murdered thirty men. He took their clothes and gave them to the men who had solved the riddle. He was furious as he went back home. 

 

The Holy Spirit empowered Samson to begin the conflict with the Philistines. Ashkelon was a Philistine city which was 23 miles away from Timnah. Samson killed thirty Philistines and plundered them to pay the debt. Ashkelon was far enough away that these murders would not be tied to Samson.

 

14:20 Samson’s bride was then given to his best man.

 

Samson would not allow the Philistines to give away his bride.