Judges Chapter 14

At a Glance

  • Judges 14 shifts into the familiar arena of Samson’s personal life and his complex, sometimes irrational engagement with Philistine neighbors.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • Judges 14 sits within the early Samson cycle, where divine power operates through a flawed instrument.
  • wisdom: Samson’s power is real, but his decisions reveal a gap between capability and discernment.
  • - The lure of the Philistines and cross-cultural ties: Intermarriage with Philistines reveals the complexities of loyalty, identity, and divine purposes in a hostile environment.

Chapter Overview

Judges 14 shifts into the familiar arena of Samson’s personal life and his complex, sometimes irrational engagement with Philistine neighbors. The chapter begins with Samson’s discovery of a wife among the Philistines at Timnath, a union that raises questions about faithfulness, national allegiance, and the tension between divine purposes and human desires. The narrative follows Samson’s impulsive actions: he returns to Timnath, participates in a wedding feast, and poses a riddle to his Philistine companions. The stakes rise as the riddle becomes a battlefield of cunning, pride, and potential violence. Samson’s vow of victory through a riddle reflects his pattern of bold risk-taking, powered by the Spirit of the LORD, yet intertwined with personal flawed judgment.

The episode continues with a public wager, the unravelling of trust, and the eventual consequences: Samson’s “riddle” leads to manipulation, coercion, and deception as the Philistines press for answers. The chapter is a study in contrasts—divine empowerment evident in Samson’s feats juxtaposed with the fragility of moral decision-making, especially in human relationships and national tensions. The narrative moves toward the next steps of Samson’s journey, framing his evolution as a leadership figure whose strength is both a gift and a liability, especially when tethered to self-serving impulses rather than covenant fidelity.

Historical & Literary Context

Judges 14 sits within the early Samson cycle, where divine power operates through a flawed instrument. The episode uses intimate, domestic settings—a wedding feast—to explore high-stakes spiritual and political dynamics. The genre blends adventure with cautionary storytelling: a hero gifted with extraordinary strength yet vulnerable to pride, deception, and impulsivity. The text uses vivid motifs—the riddle, the carcase with honey, and the social wager—to illustrate how strength without wisdom becomes a source of conflict and harm. The broader context remains Israel’s oppression under Philistine rule, with personal stories serving as microcosms of national tension.

Key Themes

- Strength vs. wisdom: Samson’s power is real, but his decisions reveal a gap between capability and discernment.

- The lure of the Philistines and cross-cultural ties: Intermarriage with Philistines reveals the complexities of loyalty, identity, and divine purposes in a hostile environment.

- Vows, hospitality, and deception: The riddle and its consequences highlight risks inherent in boasting and deception.

- Personal life and national mission: Samson’s private choices influence the trajectory of Israel’s deliverance.

Modern Application

Judges 14 resonates with contemporary readers who navigate the tension between personal desires and communal obligations. It warns against letting personal gratification or pride override loyalty to God and the well-being of the community. The episode invites reflection on how individuals—whether leaders, professionals, or families—balance strength with wisdom, humility, and truthful living. It also speaks to the dangers of strategic maneuvering that may seem clever but lacks ethical clarity or reverence for God’s purposes. For churches and communities, the chapter can prompt conversations about discernment in relationships, decision-making under pressure, and the responsibilities that accompany any significant gift or role.

- Proverbs 16:18 (pride going before destruction)

- Judges 13–16 (Samson’s life and moral arc)

- Genesis 39 (Potiphar’s wife’s temptation and integrity)

- 1 Corinthians 13 (love as the right framework for powerful gifts)

Recommended Personas

- Paul (to discuss conscience, gifts, and how love governs power)

- Jesus (to emphasize righteousness and discernment in leadership)

- Deborah (for wise leadership in challenging circumstances)

Note: The above chapters 10–14 provide overviews in the requested sections, with the 15-chapter range stopped at 14 per your input. If you’d like, I can continue with Judges 15–16 or expand any section for deeper study.

Chapter Text

1

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

2

And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

3

Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

4

But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5

Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

6

And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

7

And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

8

And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.

9

And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

10

So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

11

And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12

And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:

13

But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

14

And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

15

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?

16

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?

17

And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

18

And the men of the city said unto 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 unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

19

And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.

20

But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

Discuss This Chapter with Biblical Personas

Explore Judges Chapter 14 with Biblical figures who can provide unique perspectives grounded in Scripture.

Ask Apostle PaulAsk MosesAsk King DavidAsk Jesus Christ
← Judges 13Judges 15 →