Judges 14:16

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?

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Samson’s	שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן shim.Shon	H8123	Shimshon · proper noun, a man's name
wife	אֵ֨שֶׁת 'E.shet	H802	a woman · noun, common feminine singular construct
wept	וַתֵּבְךְּ֩ va.te.veK	H1058	to weep · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
said	וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ va.To.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
hate	שְׂנֵאתַ֙נִי֙ se.ne.Ta.ni	H8130	to hate (personally) · verb, qal perfect, 2nd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix
lovest	אֲהַבְתָּ֔נִי 'a.hav.Ta.ni	H157	to have affection for (sexually or otherwise) · verb, qal perfect, 2nd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix
forth	חַ֙דְתָּ֙ chad.ta	H2330	properly · verb, qal perfect, 2nd person masculine singular
riddle	הַֽחִידָ֥ה ha.chi.Dah	H2420	a puzzle · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
children	לִבְנֵ֣י liv.Nei	H1121	a son (as a builder of the family name) · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct
people	עַמִּ֔י 'a.Mi	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
told	הִגַּ֑דְתָּה hi.Gad.tah	H5046	properly · verb, hiphil perfect, 2nd person masculine singular
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
told	הִגַּ֖דְתִּי hi.Gad.ti	H5046	properly · verb, hiphil perfect, 1st person common singular
father	לְאָבִ֧י le.'a.Vi	H1	father · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
mother	וּלְאִמִּ֛י u.le.'i.Mi	H517	a mother (as the bond of the family) · conjunction + preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix
tell	אַגִּֽיד 'a.Gid	H5046	properly · verb, hiphil imperfect, 1st person common singular

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

Judges 16:15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not…
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

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…

Read the whole note in the console

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 14:16

And Samson's wife wept before him,.... When she came to him to get out of him the explanation of the riddle, thinking that her tears would move him to it: and said, thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: another artifice she used, well knowing he could not bear to have his affection called in question, which was now very strong, as is usual with newly married persons: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people; her countrymen, fellow citizens, and neighbour, and could not but be dear to her, and respected by her; so that what affected and afflicted them must have some influence upon her: and hast not told me; that is, the explanation of it, otherwise it is likely she h…

Read the whole note in the console

Dictionary and topics

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
Riddle · Used as a test of wit: at Sam — Used as a test of wit: at Sam
Samson · His marriage feast and the riddle propoun — His marriage feast and the riddle propoun
Wives · Bad — Exemplified: Samson’s wife — Bad — Exemplified: Samson’s wife

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Judges 14:16

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 14:16

Dictionary and topics

Judges 14:16

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 14:16

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on Judges 14:10–end

Rashi on Judges 14:15