Judges 14:1-11
A Riddle at the Feast
1One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
2So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”
3But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”
4(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)
5Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him,
6and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
7Then Samson continued on his way down and spoke to the woman, because she was pleasing to his eyes.
8When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey.
9So he scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. And when he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.
10Then his father went to visit the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, as was customary for the bridegroom.
11And when the Philistines saw him, they selected thirty men to accompany him.
Berean Standard Bible
Samson sees a Philistine woman in Timnah and tells his parents to get her for him, while they ask whether there is no woman among Israel.
The narrator says the LORD was seeking an occasion against the Philistines, but Samson's desire is still his desire. The passage does not erase the tension between God's providence and Samson's self-centered request.
One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
Samson's desire for a Philistine woman is said to be from the LORD's purpose against the Philistines, but that statement does not turn his appetite into a moral example. The Spirit of the LORD comes upon him in the encounter with the lion, and he later uses the hidden honey in a riddle. Providence and Samson's self-rule remain in tension throughout the scene.
On the way, Samson tears apart a young lion, and later finds honey in its carcass. He makes the discovery into a riddle at the feast, hiding the source of the answer from the guests.
And when the Philistines saw him, they selected thirty men to accompany him.
Discuss the danger of treating every strong desire as proof of God's guidance. Ask what your household should do when God works through a person whose motives are mixed.
Questions
1 What is happening in this reading?
AnswerSamson sees a Philistine woman in Timnah and tells his parents to get her for him, while they ask whether there is no woman among Israel. The narrator says the LORD was seeking an occasion against the Philistines, but Samson's desire is still his desire.
2 Where do we see responsibility or failure?
AnswerOn the way, Samson tears apart a young lion, and later finds honey in its carcass. He makes the discovery into a riddle at the feast, hiding the source of the answer from the guests.
3 What does this passage make clear?
AnswerSamson's desire for a Philistine woman is said to be from the LORD's purpose against the Philistines, but that statement does not turn his appetite into a moral example. The Spirit of the LORD comes upon him in the encounter with the lion, and he later uses the hidden honey in a riddle. Providence and Samson's self-rule remain in tension throughout the scene.
4 What should our household remember?
AnswerDiscuss the danger of treating every strong desire as proof of God's guidance. Ask what your household should do when God works through a person whose motives are mixed.
What This Means for Us
Samson's desire exists within God's purpose, but that does not make every desire of his a model for us. Discuss why strong feelings are not enough to prove God's guidance, and ask what obedience requires when motives are mixed.
Strong desire can be sincere and still need testing. Bring motives into the light, listen to wise correction, and teach the household that God's purpose never turns disobedience into a safe pattern to copy.
Prayer
Lord, help us discuss the danger of treating every strong desire as proof of god's guidance. Keep us from confusing strength with faithfulness. Amen.