American Standard Version
Judges 14:12
12And Samson said unto them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment;
Judges 14:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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:
- New International Version (NIV)“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can give me the answer within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Samson said to them, "Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve and explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing.
Context of Judges 14:12
10And his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 11And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. And Samson said unto them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment; 13but if ye cannot declare it unto me, then shall ye give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it. 14And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth food, And out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days declare the riddle.
Read all of Judges 14Judges 14:12 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן אָחֽוּדָה־נָּ֥א לָכֶ֖ם חִידָ֑ה אִם־הַגֵּ֣ד תַּגִּידוּ֩ אוֹתָ֨הּ לִ֜י שִׁבְעַ֨ת יְמֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙ וּמְצָאתֶ֔ם וְנָתַתִּ֤י לָכֶם֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים סְדִינִ֔ים וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים חֲלִפֹ֥ת בְּגָדִֽים׃Read the interlinear
- Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןshimshôn · SamsonH8123
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- putנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- riddleחִידָהchîydâh · riddleH2420
- declareנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- feastמִשְׁתֶּהmishteh · feastH4960
- findמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- thirtyשְׁלֹשִׁיםshelôshîym shelôshîym · thirtyH7970
- linenסָדִיןsâdîyn · linenH5466
- garmentsבֶּ֫גֶדbeged · garmentH899
Cross-references for Judges 14:12
- 1 Kings 10:1And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Jehovah, she came to prove him with hard questions.
- Psalms 49:4I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.
- Proverbs 1:6To understand a proverb, and a figure, The words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
- Ezekiel 17:2Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
- Ezekiel 20:49Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! they say of me, Is he not a speaker of parables?
- Matthew 13:13Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
- Luke 14:7And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them,
- John 16:29His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no dark saying.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.
- Genesis 29:27Fulfil the week of this one, and we will give thee the other also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
- 2 Chronicles 7:8So Solomon held the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt.
- Matthew 27:28And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
- Mark 14:51And a certain young man followed with him, having a linen cloth cast about him, over his naked body: and they lay hold on him;
- Genesis 45:22To 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.
- 2 Kings 5:5And the king of Syria said, Go now, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
- Matthew 6:19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:
Commentaries on Judges 14:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12I will now put forth a riddle - Probably this was one part of the amusements at a marriage-feast; each in his turn proposing a riddle, to be solved by any of the rest on a particular forfeit; the proposer forfeiting, if solved, the same which the company must forfeit if they could not solve it. Thirty sheets - I have no doubt that the Arab hayk, or hake, is here meant; a dress in which the natives of the East wrap themselves, as a Scottish Highlander does…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12See the marginal references. Riddles formed one of the amusements of these protracted feasts. Sheets - Rather “linen shirts;” the “garments” which follow are the outward garments worn by the Orientals.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 Samson's riddle literally meant no more than that he had got honey, for food and for pleasure, from the lion, which in its strength and fury was ready to devour him. But the victory of Christ over Satan, by means of his humiliation, agonies, and death, and the exaltation that followed to him, with the glory thence to the Father, and spiritual advantages to his people, seem directly alluded to. And even death, that devouring monster, being…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Riddles were common tests of skill or a form of entertainment that often used double meanings. Although there is some evidence of bees building hives in dead animals, solving the mystery required knowing what Samson knew.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-1812-18. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 14:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries