Judges 14:16

Judges 14:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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?
• New International Version (NIV)Then Samson’s wife threw herself on him, sobbing, “You hate me! You don’t really love me. You’ve given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.” “I haven’t even explained it to my father or mother,” he replied, “so why should I explain it to you?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Samson's wife wept over him and said, "You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is." And he said to her, "Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Samson’s wife wept on him, and said, “You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.” And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?”

Context of Judges 14:16

14So Samson said to them, “From the eater came something to eat. From the strong one came something sweet.” For three days they couldn’t solve the riddle. 15On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Trick your husband into solving the riddle for us. If you don’t, we’ll burn you and your family to death. Did the two of you invite us ⌞just to make us poor⌟?” So Samson’s wife cried on his shoulder. She said, “You hate me! You don’t really love me! You gave my friends a riddle and didn’t tell me the answer.” Samson replied, “I haven’t even told my father and mother, so why should I tell you?” 17But she cried on his shoulder for the rest of the seven days of the party. Finally, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she made his life miserable. Then she told her friends the answer to the riddle. 18So before sundown on the seventh day, the men of the city said to him, “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson replied, “If you hadn’t used my cow to plow, you wouldn’t know my riddle now.”

Judges 14:16 word by word

וַתֵּבְךְּ֩ אֵ֨שֶׁת שִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן עָלָ֗יו וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ רַק־שְׂנֵאתַ֙נִי֙ וְלֹ֣א אֲהַבְתָּ֔נִי הַֽחִידָ֥ה חַ֙דְתָּ֙ לִבְנֵ֣י עַמִּ֔י וְלִ֖י לֹ֣א הִגַּ֑דְתָּה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הִנֵּ֨ה לְאָבִ֧י וּלְאִמִּ֛י לֹ֥א הִגַּ֖דְתִּי וְלָ֥ךְ אַגִּֽיד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Samson’sשִׁמְשׁוֹןshimshôn · SamsonH8123
• wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• before him, and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Thou dost but hateשָׂנֵאώânê' · to hateH8130
• me, and lovestאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
• me not: thou hast put forthחוּדchûd · to riddleH2330
• a riddleחִידָהchîydâh · riddleH2420
• unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• and hast not toldנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• nor my motherאֵם'êm · motherH517

Cross-references for Judges 14:16

• Judges 16:15Delilah said to Samson, “How can you say that you love me when your heart isn’t mine? You’ve made fun of me three times now, but you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong.”
• Genesis 2:24That is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Commentaries on Judges 14:16

• 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. 14-19Israel's hero, like Sisera, was defeated by a woman (Judges 4:21; see study note on Judges 8:20–21).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 14:16

• Betting
• Riddle
• Samson

In the dictionaries

• Change
• Plow
• Put
• Riddle
• Samson
• Swarm
• Timnath
• Dan (1); Dan, Tribe of
• Dark Sayings
• Israel, History of

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