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Judges 14
Judges 14 no.1[Judges 14:1] AND SAMSON WENT DOWN TO TIMNATH, AND SAW A WOMAN IN TIMNATH OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE PHILISTINES. [Judges 14:2] AND HE CAME UP, AND TOLD HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, AND SAID, I HAVE SEEN A WOMAN IN TIMNATH OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE PHILISTINES: NOW THEREFORE GET HER FOR ME TO WIFE. [Judges 14:3] THEN HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER SAID UNTO HIM, IS THERE NEVER A WOMAN AMONG THE DAUGHTERS OF THY BRETHREN, OR AMONG ALL MY PEOPLE, THAT THOU GOEST TO TAKE A WIFE OF THE UNCIRCUMCISED PHILISTINES? AND SAMSON SAID UNTO HIS FATHER, GET HER FOR ME; FOR SHE PLEASETH ME WELL. [Judges 14:4] BUT HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER KNEW NOT THAT IT WAS OF THE LORD, THAT HE SOUGHT AN OCCASION AGAINST THE PHILISTINES: FOR AT THAT TIME THE PHILISTINES HAD DOMINION OVER ISRAEL. <<THAT IT WAS OF THE LORD>>: <<Rav said in the name of Rabbi Reuben son Astrobili: A woman is given to a man by the Almighty according to the Torah (Pentateuch), Prophets, and Writings. From the Torah, "THEN LABAN AND BETHUEL ANSWERED AND SAID, THE THING PROCEEDETH FROM THE LORD" [Genesis 24:50]. From the Prophets, as it is written [in the case of Samson], "BUT HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER KNEW NOT THAT IT WAS OF THE LORD" [Judges 14:4]; and from the Writings, as it is written, "HOUSE AND RICHES ARE THE INHERITANCE OF FATHERS: AND [but] A PRUDENT WIFE IS FROM THE LORD" [Proverbs 19:14].>> Note: In Hebrew "torah" means literally "Instruction". The whole Bible and Oral Law together can be referred to as "Torah" but the term is also used to apply specifically to the First Five Books of the Bible that were written by Moses and that serve as the foundations for everything that came later. [Judges 14:5] THEN WENT SAMSON DOWN, AND HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, TO TIMNATH, AND CAME TO THE VINEYARDS OF TIMNATH: AND, BEHOLD, A YOUNG LION ROARED AGAINST HIM. [Judges 14:6] AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME MIGHTILY UPON HIM, AND HE RENT HIM AS HE WOULD HAVE RENT A KID, AND HE HAD NOTHING IN HIS HAND: BUT HE TOLD NOT HIS FATHER OR HIS MOTHER WHAT HE HAD DONE.. Everything we do we are enabled to do because of God who guides us through the Laws of nature. The closer we are to the Almighty the less subject are we to usual considerations. Even our limitations are from the Almighty. The human body is actually capable of fantastic feats and has what we would consider to be incredible potential. The Almighty in effect enabled Samson to transcend the usual limitations placed on human ability. Judges 14 no.2 [Judges 14:7] AND HE WENT DOWN, AND TALKED WITH THE WOMAN; AND SHE PLEASED SAMSON WELL.. [Judges 14:8] AND AFTER A TIME HE RETURNED TO TAKE HER, AND HE TURNED ASIDE TO SEE THE CARCASE OF THE LION: AND, BEHOLD, THERE WAS A SWARM OF BEES AND HONEY IN THE CARCASE OF THE LION.. [Judges 14:9] AND HE TOOK THEREOF IN HIS HANDS, AND WENT ON EATING, AND CAME TO HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND HE GAVE THEM, AND THEY DID EAT: BUT HE TOLD NOT THEM THAT HE HAD TAKEN THE HONEY OUT OF THE CARCASE OF THE LION. [Judges 14:10] SO HIS FATHER WENT DOWN UNTO THE WOMAN: AND SAMSON MADE THERE A FEAST; FOR SO USED THE YOUNG MEN TO DO. [Judges 14:11] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THEY SAW HIM, THAT THEY BROUGHT THIRTY COMPANIONS TO BE WITH HIM. [Judges 14:12] 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: >> I WILL NOW PUT FORTH A RIDDLE>>: In Greek Classical literature the use of riddles and rewards for solving them is a common device and is used by Homer. The Philistines were influenced by Greek culture. The Greeks referred to the previous inhabitants of much of Greece as Pelasgians. The Pelasgians according to some inscriptions were also known as Pelastoi which could be another term for Philistine. The Pelasgians were the founders of Athens. Irish traditions spoke of the People of Dan(a) (Tuatha de Danaan) who fought the Philistines in the region of Athens. The Dana later settled in Ireland and Western Britain. They were also known as the Dumnonii. At all events we have here YET ANOTHER instance of Irish traditions being consistent with historical probability according to findings that have ONLY become available in modern times. The Irish traditions were written down mainly from the 1600s onward and in some cases as late as the 1800s. Historians tend to dismiss them as fanciful inventions and undoubtedly they do consist of much embellishment. Nevertheless, they contain valuable historical information much of which is consistent with the most recent research. Dumnonii Brit-Am has used these sources to great avail by comparing them with the latest findings with which we attempt to remain updated. What applies to Irish traditions also holds for Welsh ones but so far we have been unable to obtain transcripts of the Welsh sources but only seen references to them that nevertheless look promising. [Judges 14:13] BUT IF YE CANNOT DECLARE IT ME, THEN SHALL YE GIVE ME THIRTY SHEETS AND THIRTY CHANGE OF GARMENTS. AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, PUT FORTH THY RIDDLE, THAT WE MAY HEAR IT. [Judges 14:14] AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, OUT OF THE EATER CAME FORTH MEAT, AND OUT OF THE STRONG CAME FORTH SWEETNESS. AND THEY COULD NOT IN THREE DAYS EXPOUND THE RIDDLE. . [Judges 14:15] 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? [Judges 14:16] 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 ? [Judges 14:17] 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. A nagging wife can make her husband do almost anything but the man will very seldom let himself be reconciled with the situation. He will always be rankled by it. A woman should be very careful about pressuring her husband to do something against his better judgement. [Judges 14:18] AND THE MEN OF THE CITY SAID UNTO HIM ON THE SEVENTH DAY BEFORE THE SUN WENT DOWN, WHAT IS SWEETER THAN HONEY? AND WHAT IS STRONGER THAN A LION? AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, IF YE HAD NOT PLOWED WITH MY HEIFER, YE HAD NOT FOUND OUT MY RIDDLE. [Judges 14:19] AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON HIM, AND HE WENT DOWN TO ASHKELON, AND SLEW THIRTY MEN OF THEM, AND TOOK THEIR SPOIL, AND GAVE CHANGE OF GARMENTS UNTO THEM WHICH EXPOUNDED THE RIDDLE. AND HIS ANGER WAS KINDLED, AND HE WENT UP TO HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. [Judges 14:20] BUT SAMSON'S WIFE WAS GIVEN TO HIS COMPANION, WHOM HE HAD USED AS HIS FRIEND. JUDGES INDEX HOME |