Judges 14:19
in Judges 14Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And burning with anger, Samson returned to his father’s house,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes of raiment unto them that declared the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Judges 14
Commentary
10 notes on this verseThe Spirit of the Lord came upon him - “The spirit of fortitude from before the Lord.” - Targum. He was inspired with unusual courage, and he felt strength proportioned to his wishes. He - slew thirty men - and took their spoils - He took their hayks, their kumjas, and caftans, and gave them to the thirty persons who, by unfair means, had solved his riddle; thus they had what our version calls thirty sheets, and thirty changes of raiment. See the note on Jdg 14:12.
This site's exposition
he went down to Ashkelon
on Judges 14:19-20
Ashkelon lies about twenty-four miles from Timnah by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, so the thirty men whose clothes pay the wager are not the thirty who won it. This third coming of the Spirit on Samson is followed by a killing. Meanwhile “his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him”.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Who ever was mightier or more richly endowed from his very cradle with God's Spirit than Samson the Nazarite? Yet was he betrayed by a woman, and by her means failed to retain God's favour... But it happened on a certain day that a nuptial feast was held, and that the young men inspirited by the banquet provoked each other to sport by question and answer, and as they assailed each other with wanton jests, as is the wont on such occasions, the contest of pleasure waxed hot.
Let us see further what kind of a parable Samson proposed to the strangers. "Out of the eater came forth food," he said, "and out of the strong came forth sweetness." This parable was revealed, carried to friends and solved. Samson was defeated. If he …
As to the question implied in the words "Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness," what else does it signify but Christ rising from the dead? Truly, out of the eater, that is, from death which devours …
"What," answer they, "is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion?" To which he replied: "If ye had not farmed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle." O divine mystery! O manifest sacrament! we have escaped from the slayer, we have overcome the strong one. The food of life is now there, where before was the hunger of a miserable death. Dangers are changed into safety, bitterness into sweetness. Grace came forth from the offence, power from weakness, and life from death. There are, however, who think on the other hand that the wedlock could not have been established unless the lion of the tribe of Judah had been slain; and so in His body, that is, the Church, bees were found who store up the honey of wisdom, because after the Passion of the Lord the apostles believed more fully. This lion, then, Samson as a Jew slew, but in it he found honey, as in the figure of the heritage which was to be redeemed, that the remnant might be saved according to the election of grace. "And the Spirit of the Lord," it is said, "came upon him, and he went down to Ascalon, and smote thirty men of them." For he could not fail to carry off the victory who saw the mysteries. And so in the garments they receive the reward of wisdom, the badge of intercourse, who resolve and answer the riddle.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, both to authorize and to enable him to do this. This proves a good occasion of weaning Samson from his new relations. He found how his companions had abused him and how his wife had betrayed him, and therefore his anger was kindled,
It were well for us if the unkindnesses we meet with from the world, and our disappointments in it, had but this good effect upon us, to oblige us by faith and prayer to return to our heavenly Father's house and rest there. The inconveniences that occur in our way should make us love home and long to be there. No sooner had he gone than his wife was disposed of to another,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
HE SLAYS THIRTY PHILISTINES. 19, 20. went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them--This town was about twenty-four miles west by southwest from Timnah; and his selection of this place, which was dictated by the Divine Spirit, was probably owing to its bitter hostility to Israel. took their spoil--The custom of stripping a slain enemy was unknown in Hebrew warfare.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתִּצְלַ֨ח | vatitzlach | and it rushed | H6743 → | 65 times |
| עָלָ֜יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| ר֣וּחַ | ruach | [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיֵּ֨רֶד | vaiyered | and he went down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| אַשְׁקְל֜וֹן | ʾashkelon | Ashkelon | H831 → | |
| וַיַּ֥ךְ | vaiyakh | and he struck down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| מֵהֶ֣ם׀ | mehem | of <the> them | ||
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים | sheloshim | thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| אִ֗ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| וַיִּקַּח֙ | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֲלִ֣יצוֹתָ֔ם | chalitzotam | spoils their | H2488 → | |
| וַיִּתֵּן֙ | vaiyiten | and he gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| הַחֲלִיפ֔וֹת | hachalifot | the changes | H2487 → | 12 times |
| לְמַגִּידֵ֖י | lemagidei | to [those who] told | H5046 → | 370 times |
| הַחִידָ֑ה | hachidah | <of> the riddle | H2420 → | 17 times |
| וַיִּ֣חַר | vaiyichar | and it burned | H2734 → | 91 times |
| אַפּ֔וֹ | ʾapo | anger his | H639 → | 276 times |
| וַיַּ֖עַל | vaiyaal | and he went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| בֵּ֥ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אָבִֽיהוּ׃ פ | ʾavihu | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
וַתִּצְלַ֨חand it rushed
vatitzlachH6743 →65 times
עָלָ֜יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
ר֣וּחַ[the] spirit of
ruachH7307 →378 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיֵּ֨רֶדand he went down
vaiyeredH3381 →381 times
אַשְׁקְל֜וֹןAshkelon
ʾashkelonH831 →
וַיַּ֥ךְand he struck down
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
מֵהֶ֣ם׀of <the> them
mehem
שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםthirty
sheloshimH7970 →172 times
אִ֗ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
וַיִּקַּח֙and he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חֲלִ֣יצוֹתָ֔םspoils their
chalitzotamH2488 →
וַיִּתֵּן֙and he gave
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
הַחֲלִיפ֔וֹתthe changes
hachalifotH2487 →12 times
לְמַגִּידֵ֖יto [those who] told
lemagideiH5046 →370 times
הַחִידָ֑ה<of> the riddle
hachidahH2420 →17 times
וַיִּ֣חַרand it burned
vaiyicharH2734 →91 times
אַפּ֔וֹanger his
ʾapoH639 →276 times
וַיַּ֖עַלand he went up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
בֵּ֥ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
אָבִֽיהוּ׃ פfather his
ʾavihuH1 →1212 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
Judges 13:25And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
it leads to
- Judges 3:10
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Judges 3:10
Through
Judges 14:6and 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…
it leads to
- Judges 13:25
And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him at Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Zechariah 4:6
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
- Judges 13:25
Through
Judges 3:10The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against…
it leads to
- Judges 14:6
and 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…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 11:6
When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 11:29
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, then through Mizpah of Gilead. And from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 14:6
Through
1 Samuel 11:6When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
it leads to
- Judges 6:34
So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who blew the ram’s horn and rallied the Abiezrites behind him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Samuel 10:10
When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.
- Judges 6:34
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; Ambrose of Milan, Letter 19.8,15-17; Ambrose of Milan, On the Holy Spirit 2, Introduction, 8-10; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 118.2; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 118.3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.