Judges

Women and Riddles

Samson went down to Timnah and saw a Philistine woman.

He came up and said to his father and mother:

“I have seen a Philistine woman at Timnah; get her for me that she may be my wife.”

His father and mother said to him:

“Is there no one among the daughters of your brothers and among all your people that you should go and take a wife from among those uncircumcised Philistines?”

Samson said to his father:

“Get her for me, for I like her.”

His father and mother did not know that this came from the Lord, who was seeking a quarrel with the Philistines; at that time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

Samson then went down to Timnah, and when he reached the vineyards at Timnah, a young lion came up roaring toward him.

The Spirit of the Lord then seized Samson. With bare hands, he tore the lion to pieces as he would have done with a young goat.

But he told neither his father nor mother what he had done.

Then he went down and talked to the woman who pleased him.

After some time, he returned to take her. He went out of his way to look at the lion’s carcass. He found a swarm of bees and honey inside the lion’s carcass.

Samson scraped the honey into his hands and ate it as he walked.

When he reached his parents, he gave them honey, which they ate. But he did not tell them he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.

Then, Samson’s father went down to the woman, and Samson offered a banquet, which was the custom among the young.

Samson told them:

“I will give you a riddle. If you can give me the right solution within the seven days of the feast, I shall give you thirty tunics and thirty linen garments.

But if you cannot tell me the solution, you will give me thirty tunics and thirty linen garments.”

They answered

“Tell your riddle; we are listening.”

He told them:

“From him who eats came what is eaten, and from the strong, sweetness came.”

After three days, they had not guessed the riddle. So, on the fourth day, they told Samson’s wife:

“Convince your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s family. Did you invite us to rob us?”

Samson’s wife began to weep, and she threw herself upon her husband, saying:

“You do not like me or love me anymore. You have given a riddle to the young men of my people, but you have not explained it to me.”

He told her:

“I have not explained it even to my parents; why should I explain it to you?”

She cried before him for seven days while the feast lasted. He explained it to her on the seventh day, for he was growing tired of her crying. She then related it to her villagers.

On the seventh day, before the married couple entered the wedding chamber, the city’s people said to Samson:

“What is sweeter than honey?

What is stronger than a lion?”

He said to them:

“If you had not plowed

with my young cow,

you would not have guessed my riddle.”

Then the Spirit of the Lord seized him. He went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their plunder, and gave the linen garments to those who had guessed the riddle. Then, in great anger, he approached his father’s house.

So Samson’s wife was given to one of his wedding companions.