Samson desireth a wife of the Philistines. He killeth a lion: in whose
mouth he afterwards findeth honey. His marriage feast, and riddle,
which is discovered by his wife. He killeth, and strippeth thirty
Philistines. His wife taketh another man.
14:1. Then Samson went down to Thamnatha, and seeing there a woman of
the daughters of the Philistines,
14:2. He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying: I saw a
woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philistines: I beseech you,
take her for me to wife.
14:3. And his father and mother said to him: Is there no woman among
the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou wilt
take a wife of the Philistines, who are uncircumcised? And Samson said
to his father: Take this woman for me; for she hath pleased my eyes.
Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren.... This shews
his parents were at first against his marriage with a Gentile, it being
prohibited, Deut. 7.3; but afterwards they consented, knowing it to be
by the dispensation of God; which otherwise would have been sinful in
acting contrary to the law.
14:4. Now his parents knew not that the thing was done by the Lord, and
that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time
the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
14:5. Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Thamnatha.
And when they were come to the vineyards of the town, behold a young
lion met him, raging and roaring.
14:6. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he tore the lion
as he would have torn a kid in pieces, having nothing at all in his
hand: and he would not tell this to his father and mother.
14:7. And he went down, and spoke to the woman that had pleased his
eyes.
14:8. And after some days, returning to take her, he went aside to see
the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees in the
mouth of the lion, and a honey-comb.
14:9. And when he had taken it in his hands, he went on eating: and
coming to his father and mother, he gave them of it, and they ate: but
he would not tell them that he had taken the honey from the body of the
lion.
14:10. So his father went down to the woman, and made a feast for his
son Samson: for so the young men used to do.
14:11. And when the citizens of that place saw him, they brought him
thirty companions to be with him.
14:12. And Samson said to them: I will propose to you a riddle, which
if you declare unto me within the seven days of the feast, I will give
you thirty shirts, and as many coats:
14:13. But if you shall not be able to declare it, you shall give me
thirty shirts and the same number of coats. They answered him: Put
forth the riddle, that we may hear it.
14:14. And he said to them: Out of the eater came forth meat, and out
of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not for three days
expound the riddle.
14:15. And when the seventh day came, they said to the wife of Samson:
Sooth thy husband, and persuade him to tell thee what the riddle
meaneth. But if thou wilt not do it, we will burn thee, and thy
father’s house. Have you called us to the wedding on purpose to strip
us?
14:16. So she wept before Samson and complained, saying: Thou hatest
me, and dost not love me: therefore thou wilt not expound to me the
riddle, which thou hast proposed to the sons of my people. But he
answered: I would not tell it to my father and mother: and how can I
tell it to thee?
14:17. So she wept before him the seven days of the feast: and, at
length, on the seventh day, as she was troublesome to him, he expounded
it. And she immediately told her countrymen.
14:18. And they, on the seventh day before the sun went down, said to
him: What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And
he said to them: If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you had not
found out my riddle.
14:19. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to
Ascalon, and slew there thirty men whose garments he took away, and
gave to them that had declared the riddle. And being exceeding angry,
he went up to his father’s house:
14:20. But his wife took one of his friends and bridal companions for
her husband.