God’s Word Translation
Judges 14:17
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.
Judges 14:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
- New International Version (NIV)She cried the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people.
Context of Judges 14:17
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⌟?” 16So 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?” But 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.” 19When the Lord’s Spirit came over him, he went to Ashkelon and killed 30 men there. He took their clothes and gave them to the men who solved the riddle. He was angry, and he went to his father’s house.
Read all of Judges 14Judges 14:17 word by word
וַתֵּ֤בְךְּ עָלָיו֙ שִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה וַיְהִ֣י׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וַיַּגֶּד־לָהּ֙ כִּ֣י הֱצִיקַ֔תְהוּ וַתַּגֵּ֥ד הַחִידָ֖ה לִבְנֵ֥י עַמָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And she weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
- before him the sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- while their feastמִשְׁתֶּהmishteh · feastH4960
- lastedהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- and it came to pass on the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
- that he toldנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- her, because she lay soreצוּקtsûq · to pressH6693
- the riddleחִידָהchîydâh · riddleH2420
- to the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of her peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
Cross-references for Judges 14:17
- Judges 16:6So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong. How can you be tied up so that someone could torture you?”
- Genesis 3:6The woman saw that the tree had fruit that was good to eat, nice to look at, and desirable for making someone wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
- Job 2:9His wife asked him, “Are you still holding on to your principles? Curse God and die!”
- Proverbs 7:21With all her seductive charms, she persuades him. With her smooth lips, she makes him give in.
- Luke 11:8I can guarantee that although he doesn’t want to get up to give you anything, he will get up and give you whatever you need because he is your friend and because you were so bold.
- Luke 18:4“For a while the judge refused to do anything. But then he thought, ‘This widow really annoys me. Although I don’t fear God or respect people,
- Proverbs 2:16⌞Wisdom will⌟ also save you from an adulterous woman, from a loose woman with her smooth talk,
Commentaries on Judges 14:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17And she wept before him - Not through any love to him, for it appears she had none, but to oblige her paramours; and of this he soon had ample proof.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. 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 14:17
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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