Judges 14

This is the second chapter of the Samson narrative in Judges 13–16. Samson, born a Nazirite in Judges 13, comes into conflict with the Philistines for the first time in this chapter.

Outline

• Verses 1–4: Samson asks his parents to obtain for him as a wife a Philistine woman he has seen in Timnah, but they object to his marrying one of the uncircumcised. The text adds that this was of the LORD.
• Verses 5–9: On the way to Timnah, Samson tears apart a young lion with his bare hands. Later he scoops honey out of the lion's carcass, eats it, and gives some to his parents, but he does not tell them where it came from.
• Verses 10–14: At the seven-day feast, Samson poses a riddle to thirty companions, wagering thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.
• Verses 15–18: The companions threaten Samson's wife, and when she weeps and presses him, Samson tells her the answer on the seventh day. The companions solve the riddle before sundown.
• Verses 19–20: Samson strikes down thirty men of Ashkelon to pay the wager with their garments and returns to his father's house. His wife is given to his companion.

Key Verses

• Judges 14:4 "But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD": This verse raises the question of how human decisions relate to the will of God.
• Judges 14:6 "And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him": This verse shows that Samson's strength comes from the Spirit of God.
• Judges 14:14 "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness": This is the riddle that drives the chapter's narrative.

Characters and Places

• Samson: A judge from the tribe of Dan.
• Samson's parents: His father is named Manoah in chapter 13.
• The woman of Timnah: The Philistine woman who becomes Samson's wife.
• The Philistines: The people who ruled over Israel during this period.
• Timnah: A town inhabited by Philistines.
• Ashkelon: One of the principal Philistine cities, located on the coast.

Points for Reflection

• The Nazirite regulations: The Nazirite regulations in Numbers 6 forbid coming near a dead body. For this reason, many interpreters read Samson's taking honey from the lion's carcass as a breach of his vow. The text itself, however, does not directly raise this as a problem.
• Verse 4 and providence: Rather than reading this verse to mean that God approved of Samson's choice, interpreters generally read it as an example of providence, in which God accomplishes His purposes even through flawed human decisions.
• The coming of the Spirit: There is broad agreement that "the Spirit of the LORD" in verses 6 and 19 refers to the work of the Holy Spirit. Many interpreters, however, regard this as power given temporarily for a particular task and distinguish it from the indwelling of the Spirit in the New Testament.
• Typological interpretation: Allegorical interpretations that see Samson's victory over the lion as a type of Christ are known to have existed in the ancient and medieval church. The text itself does not directly state this.
• Connection to the New Testament: Hebrews 11:32 mentions Samson among the people of faith.

In the Korean Church

In Sunday schools, the episodes of the lion and the riddle are frequently taught as part of the Samson story. In preaching, the parents' objection in verse 3 is often cited together with 2 Corinthians 6:14 when addressing the question of marriage to unbelievers.