Judges 14:12
in Judges 14“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Samson said unto them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment;
KJV
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:
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This verse in Judges 14
Commentary
3 notes on this verseI will now put forth a riddle - Probably this was one part of the amusements at a marriage-feast; each in his turn proposing a riddle, to be solved by any of the rest on a particular forfeit; the proposer forfeiting, if solved, the same which the company must forfeit if they could not solve it. Thirty sheets - I have no doubt that the Arab hayk, or hake, is here meant; a dress in which the natives of the East wrap themselves, as a Scottish Highlander does in his plaid.
This site's exposition
now put forth a riddle
on Judges 14:12-14
The word for riddle is chidah, the same word used of the hard questions the queen of Sheba brings to Solomon at 1 Kings 10:1 and of the dark saying Ezekiel is told to speak at Ezekiel 17:2. The stake is thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment against the same, so a wedding game carries the price of a small fortune on each side. Adam Clarke observes that the riddle offers no rule of interpretation to anyone who was not there, since the road to the answer runs through a lion nobody saw and honey nobody was told about. Three of the seven days are spent by the end of verse 14.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
on Judges 14:12-18
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Friends. Companions who formed the retinue of wedding attendants.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן | shimshon | Samson | H8123 → | 38 times |
| אָחֽוּדָה־ | ʾachudah- | let me ask a riddle | H2330 → | 4 times |
| נָּ֥א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| לָכֶ֖ם | lakhem | to you | ||
| חִידָ֑ה | chidah | a riddle | H2420 → | 17 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | <if> | H518 → | 1069 times |
| הַגֵּ֣ד | haged | certainly [if] <to tell> | H5046 → | 370 times |
| תַּגִּידוּ֩ | tagidu | you will tell | H5046 → | 370 times |
| אוֹתָ֨הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִ֜י | li | to <the> me | ||
| שִׁבְעַ֨ת | shivat | [the] seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| יְמֵ֤י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙ | hamishteh | the feast | H4960 → | 46 times |
| וּמְצָאתֶ֔ם | umetzatem | and you will find [it] out | H4672 → | 455 times |
| וְנָתַתִּ֤י | venatati | and I will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָכֶם֙ | lakhem | to <the> you | ||
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים | sheloshim | thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| סְדִינִ֔ים | sedinim | linen garments | H5466 → | |
| וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖ים | usheloshim | and thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| חֲלִפֹ֥ת | chalifot | changes of | H2487 → | 12 times |
| בְּגָדִֽים׃ | begadim | garments | H899 → | 217 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָהֶם֙to <the> them
lahem
שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹןSamson
shimshonH8123 →38 times
אָחֽוּדָה־let me ask a riddle
ʾachudah-H2330 →4 times
נָּ֥אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
לָכֶ֖םto you
lakhem
חִידָ֑הa riddle
chidahH2420 →17 times
אִם־<if>
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
הַגֵּ֣דcertainly [if] <to tell>
hagedH5046 →370 times
תַּגִּידוּ֩you will tell
tagiduH5046 →370 times
אוֹתָ֨הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
לִ֜יto <the> me
li
שִׁבְעַ֨ת[the] seven
shivatH7651 →394 times
יְמֵ֤י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙the feast
hamishtehH4960 →46 times
וּמְצָאתֶ֔םand you will find [it] out
umetzatemH4672 →455 times
וְנָתַתִּ֤יand I will give
venatatiH5414 →2011 times
לָכֶם֙to <the> you
lakhem
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםthirty
sheloshimH7970 →172 times
סְדִינִ֔יםlinen garments
sedinimH5466 →
וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖יםand thirty
usheloshimH7970 →172 times
חֲלִפֹ֥תchanges of
chalifotH2487 →12 times
בְּגָדִֽים׃garments
begadimH899 →217 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 1:6by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
it leads to
- Psalms 78:2
I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,
- Mark 4:11
He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
- Psalms 49:4
I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
- Hebrews 5:14
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.
- Acts 8:30–31
So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
- Psalms 78:2
Through
1 Kings 10:1Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.
it leads to
- Matthew 12:42
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One…
- Luke 11:31
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon,…
- Genesis 10:28
Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
- Matthew 12:42
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Judges
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.