Judges 14:15

Judges 14:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?
• New International Version (NIV)On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to steal our property?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?”

Context of Judges 14:15

13but if you cannot solve it for me, then you must give me 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes.” “Propose your riddle,” they said to him. “Let’s hear it!” 14So he said to them, “Out of the eater came forth food, out of the strong came forth sweet.” But for three days they could not solve the riddle. Now on the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband so that he will explain the riddle to us—or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us?” 16So Samson’s wife wept before him and said, “You only hate me! You don’t love me! You proposed a riddle to the sons of my people—yet you haven’t explained it to me!” “Look,” he said, “I haven’t explained it to my father or my mother, so should I explain it to you?” 17But she wept before him the seven days while their banquet lasted. So it was on the seventh day he told her, because she nagged him. Then she told the riddle to the sons of her people.

Judges 14:15 word by word

וַיְהִ֣י׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ לְאֵֽשֶׁת־שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ פַּתִּ֣י אֶת־אִישֵׁ֗ךְ וְיַגֶּד־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הַ֣חִידָ֔ה פֶּן־נִשְׂרֹ֥ף אוֹתָ֛ךְ וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית אָבִ֖יךְ בָּאֵ֑שׁ הַלְיָרְשֵׁ֕נוּ קְרָאתֶ֥ם לָ֖נוּ הֲלֹֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass on the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
• dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• that they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Samson’sשִׁמְשׁוֹןshimshôn · SamsonH8123
• wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• Enticeפָּתָהpâthâh · to enticeH6601
• thy husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
• that he may declareנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• unto us the riddleחִידָהchîydâh · riddleH2420
• lest we burnשָׂרַףώâraph · to burnH8313
• thee and thy father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• with fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• have ye calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• us to take that we haveיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: poorH3423

Cross-references for Judges 14:15

• Judges 14:17But she wept before him the seven days while their banquet lasted. So it was on the seventh day he told her, because she nagged him. Then she told the riddle to the sons of her people.
• Judges 16:5So the Philistine lords came up to her and said to her, “Coax him, see where his great strength comes from and by what we may overpower him, so we may bind him to subdue him—then we’ll each of us give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”
• Genesis 3:1But the serpent was shrewder than any animal of the field that Adonai Elohim made. So it said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from all the trees of the garden’?”
• Proverbs 1:11Suppose they say: “Come with us! Let’s lie in wait for blood! Let’s ambush the innocent— for no reason!
• Proverbs 5:3For a seducing woman’s lips drip honey and her mouth is smoother than oil.
• Proverbs 6:26For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a loaf of bread; a man’s wife preys on your precious life.
• Micah 7:5Do not trust in a friend. Do not trust in a close companion. Guard the openings of your mouth from her who lies on your breast.
• Judges 12:1Then the men of Ephraim were summoned and crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the children of Ammon without calling us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.”
• Judges 15:6Then the Philistines asked, “Who did this?” They were told, “Samson, son-in-law of the Timnite, because he took his wife and gave her to his best man.” So the Philistines came up and burnt her and her father with fire.

Commentaries on Judges 14:15

• 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 14:15

• Betting
• Riddle
• Samson

In the dictionaries

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

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