Judges 14:12

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:

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Samson	שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן shim.Shon	H8123	Shimshon · proper noun, a man's name
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
forth	אָחֽוּדָה 'a.chu.dah-	H2330	properly · verb, qal infinitive construct, 1st person common singular
riddle	חִידָ֑ה chi.Dah	H2420	a puzzle · noun, common feminine singular absolute
certainly	הַגֵּ֣ד ha.Ged	H5046	properly · verb, hiphil infinitive absolute
declare	תַּגִּידוּ֩ ta.gi.Du	H5046	properly · verb, hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine plural
seven	שִׁבְעַ֨ת shiv.'At	H7651	seven (as the sacred full one) · noun, common both genders singular construct
days	יְמֵ֤י ye.Mei	H3117	a day (as the warm hours) · noun, common masculine plural construct
feast	הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙ ha.mish.Teh	H4960	drink · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
out	וּמְצָאתֶ֔ם u.me.tza.Tem	H4672	properly · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 2nd person masculine plural
give	וְנָתַתִּ֤י ve.na.ta.Ti	H5414	to give · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 1st person common singular
thirty	שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים she.lo.Shim	H7970	thirty · noun, common masculine plural absolute
sheets	סְדִינִ֔ים se.di.Nim	H5466	a wrapper · noun, common masculine plural absolute
thirty	וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים u.she.lo.Shim	H7970	thirty · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural absolute
change	חֲלִפֹ֥ת cha.li.Fot	H2487	alternation · noun, common feminine plural construct
garments	בְּגָדִֽים be.ga.Dim	H899	a covering · noun, common masculine plural absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 Kings 10:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
Genesis 45:22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
Ezekiel 17:2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
2 Kings 5:5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of s…
2 Kings 5:22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons…
Proverbs 1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
Ezekiel 20:49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 14:10–end

We have here an account of Samson's wedding feast and the occasion it gave him to fall foul upon the Philistines. I. Samson conformed to the custom of the country in making a festival of his nuptial solemnities, which continued seven days, Jdg 14:10. Though he was a Nazarite, he did not affect, in a thing of this nature, to be singular, but did as the young men used to do upon such occasions. It is no part of religion to go contrary to the innocent usages of the places where we live: nay, it is a reproach to religion when those who profess it give just occasion to others to call them covetous, sneaking, and morose. A good man should strive to make himself, in the best sense, a good companion…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 14:12

HIS RIDDLE. (Jdg 14:12-18) I will now put forth a riddle--Riddles are a favorite Oriental amusement at festive entertainments of this nature, and rewards are offered to those who give the solution. Samson's riddle related to honey in the lion's carcass. The prize he offered was thirty sindinim, or shirts, and thirty changes of garments, probably woolen. Three days were passed in vain attempts to unravel the enigma. The festive week was fast drawing to a close when they secretly enlisted the services of the newly married wife, who having got the secret, revealed it to her friends.

John Gill on Judges 14:12

And Samson said unto them,.... His thirty companions, very likely on the first day of the feast: I will now put forth a riddle to you: a secret, hidden, abstruse thing, not easy to be understood; a dark saying, wrapped up in figurative terms; and this he proposed as an amusement to them, to exercise their wits, which it seems was usual to entertain guests with, and might be both pleasing and profitable: if you can certainly declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast; for so long the nuptial feast was usually kept, see Genesis 29:27. If they could find it out; and with clearness and certainty explain the riddle to him within that period of time, which was giving them time enough…

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Dictionary and topics

Banquets — among the Hebrews, were not only a means of social enjoyment, but were a part of the observance of religious festivity. At the three solemn festivals the family also had its domestic feast. (16:11)…
Changes of raiment — Were reckoned among the treasures of rich men (Gen. 45:22; Judg. 14:12, 13; 2 Kings 5:22, 23).
Dress — (1.) Materials used. The earliest and simplest an apron of fig-leaves sewed together (Gen. 3:7); then skins of animals (3:21). Elijah’s dress was probably the skin of a sheep (2 Kings 1:8). The…
Linen — (1.) Heb., pishet, pishtah, denotes “flax,” of which linen is made (Isa. 19:9); wrought flax, i.e., “linen cloth”, Lev. 13:47, 48, 52, 59; Deut. 22:11. Flax was early cultivated in Egypt (Ex. 9:31),…
Marriage — Was instituted in Paradise when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:18-24). Here we have its original charter, which was confirmed by our Lord, as the basis on which all regulations are to be framed (Matt.…
Meals — Are at the present day “eaten from a round table little higher than a stool, guests sitting cross-legged on mats or small carpets in a circle, and dipping their fingers into one large dish heaped…
Riddle — (Heb. hodah). The oldest and, strictly speaking, the only example of a riddle was that propounded by Samson (Judg. 14:12-18). The parabolic prophecy in Ezek. 17:2-18 is there called a “riddle.” It…
Timnath — Gen. 38:12, 14. (1.) Heb. Timnathah, which is appropriately rendered in the Revised Version, Timnah, a town in Judah. (2.) The town where Samson sojourned, probably identical with “Timnah” (1) (Judg.…
Betting · By Sam — By Sam
Feasts · Riddles propoun — Riddles propoun
Marriage · General references — General references

Judges 14:12

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 14:10–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 14:12

John Gill on Judges 14:12

Dictionary and topics

Judges 14:12

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Judges 14:10–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 14:12

John Gill on Judges 14:12

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 14:10–end

Rashi on Judges 14:11