The Marriage of Samson
December 1, 2021
Commentary
In those days the parents arranged for a marriage, and there was several weeks between engagement and marriage. On the trip to Timnah with his parents he had killed a lion with his bare hands. Then several weeks later when he came back, perhaps to complete the marriage, he found honey in the dead carcass of the lion. Samson not only defied his parents, but he defiled his body by eating honey from the dead carcass of the lion (vv. 8-9). Numbers 6:6-9 tells us that a Nazarite was never to touch a dead body, but Samson deliberately defiled himself for the sake of the honey!
The usual length of the celebration was seven days, and the marriage was not consummated until the end of that time. Samson challenges the thirty companions of the wedding party to a riddle (vv. 10-14). If they could answer the riddle by the end of the celebration, he was to give them garments of superior quality. If they couldn’t answer the riddle, they were to give him the same. When they couldn’t answer it, they put pressure on Samson’s wife to find out the answer from Samson (vv. 15-20). The woman, fearing her life used a flood of tears to get him to tell his secret. The marriage was never completed, but the seeds of sin had already been planted in his heart.
Application
Think of the Christians today who defile themselves just to enjoy a little honey. I need to explain to my family how in just a few minutes of so-called pleasure of sin may ruin and wreck your entire life. Also, it will have a damaging effect on the lives of others as well.
Judges 14:8– 20 (NET)
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. 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.
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. 11 When the Philistines saw he had no attendants, they gave him thirty groomsmen who kept him company. 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. 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.” 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.
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?” 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?” 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. 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!”
19 The Lord’s Spirit empowered him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed 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. 20 Samson’s bride was then given to his best man.