Judges 14 and some brief comments

 

Judges 14:1 ¶  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.

 

Timnath is where Judah went to sheer his sheep in Genesis 28 and had the unknowing encounter with his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Here, although this is supposedly in Dan’s territory it is apparent that the Philistines control it. God is going to permit Samson’s carnality to provoke the Philistines to damage their control over the Israelites.

Samson is making a huge mistake in desiring a woman of the heathen, which is a practice apparently common in Israel that did not bear good fruit.

 

Deuteronomy 7:1 ¶  When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; 2  And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: 3  Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4  For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

 

See how the Spirit of Jehovah God comes on Samson but does not indwell him like it does every Christian, in verse 6.

 

John Gill noted that Samson marrying a Gentile woman is in type Christ marrying the church although considering the hatred and animosity here that interpretation seems a bit stretched.

 

Judges 14:10 ¶  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.

 

See how the Philistine woman is threatened with her murder and the murder of her family. Samson is a pretty hard person to deal with as is evidenced by his killing other Philistines to give these Philistines the winnings from “solving” his riddle. The provocations continue. Samson too is provoked as his wife is passed along like any property to a friend who remains nameless but may himself have been a Philistine.