Study Bible

Loading
Judges 14:1-20...

(Swipe page to view/hide tools)

Judges Chapter 14

Samson's Marriage and Riddle Samson desires a wife of the Philistines.

14 1 Gen 38:13; Jos 15:10; Gen 34:2 A1And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

2 Gen 21:21; Gen 24:2; Gen 24:13 2And 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.

3 Deu 7:3; Exo 34:16; Gen 24:3-4 3Then 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.

4 Jos 11:20; 2 Chr 10:15 4But 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.

5Then 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. In his journey he kills a lion

6 Jdg 3:10; Jdg 13:25; 1 Sam 11:6 6And 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.

7And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. In a second journey he finds honey in the carcass

8And 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.

9And 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. Samson's marriage feast

10¶So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

11And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. His riddle by his wife is made known

12 Gen 45:22; Gen 29:27; Luk 14:7; Eze 17:2; 1 Kin 10:1 12And 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:

13But 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.

14And 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.

15 Jdg 15:6; Mic 7:6; Pro 6:26; Jdg 16:5; Gen 3:6 15And 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?

16 Jdg 16:15 16And 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?

17And 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.

18And 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. He strikes down thirty Philistines

19 1 Cor 12:11; 1 Cor 12:4; 1 Sam 11:6; 1 Sam 10:6; Jdg 13:25; Jdg 3:10 19And 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. His wife is married to another.

20 Jdg 15:2; Jdg 15:2 20But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

Study Tools

Use the tabs above to select the tool you need.

Introduction — Book introductions

Outline — Chapter and book outline

Interlinear Bible — the Interlinar Hebrew/Greek text. It can be displayed alongside the English text, and the keyed words will be matched by highlighting the corresponding keyed word.

Introductions and Outlines courtesy Grace to You. Used by permission)

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Title

The book bears the fitting name “Judges,” which refers to unique leaders God gave to His people for preservation against their enemies (Jdg 2:16-19). The Hebrew title means “deliverers” or “saviors,” as well as judges (cf. Deut 16:18; 17:9; 19:17). Twelve such judges arose before Samuel; then Eli and Samuel raised the count to 14. God Himself is the higher Judge (Jdg 11:27). Judges spans about 350 years from Joshua’s conquest (ca. 1398 B.C.) until Eli and Samuel judged prior to the establishment of the monarchy (ca. 1043B.C.).

Author and Date

No author is named in the book, but the Jewish Talmud identifies Samuel, a key prophet who lived at the time these events took place and could have personally summed up the era (cf. 1 Sam 10:25). The time was earlier than David’s capture of Jerusalem ca. 1004 B.C. (2 Sam 5:6, 7) since Jebusites still controlled the site (Judg 1:21). Also, the writer deals with a time before a king ruled (Jdg 17:6; 18:1; 21:25). Since Saul began his reign ca. 1043 B.C., a time shortly after his rule began is probably when Judges was written.

Background and Setting

Judges is a tragic sequel to Joshua. In Joshua, the people were obedient to God in conquering the Land. In Judges, they were disobedient, idolatrous, and often defeated. Judges 1:1-3:6 focuses on the closing days of the book of Joshua. Judges 2:6-9 gives a review of Joshua’s death (cf. Josh 24:28-31). The account describes 7 distinct cycles of Israel’s drifting away from the Lord starting even before Joshua’s death, with a full departure into apostasy afterward. Five basic reasons are evident for these cycles of Israel’s moral and spiritual decline: 1) disobedience in failing to drive the Canaanites out of the Land (Judg 1:19, 21, 35); 2) idolatry (Jdg 2:12); 3) intermarriage with wicked Canaanites (Jdg 3:5, 6); 4) not heeding judges (Jdg 2:17); and 5) turning away from God after the death of the judges (Jdg 2:19).

A four-part sequence repeatedly occurred in this phase of Israel’s history: 1) Israel’s departure from God; 2) God’s chastisement in permitting military defeat and subjugation; 3) Israel’s prayer pleading for deliverance; and 4) God raising up “judges,” either civil or sometimes local military champions who led in shaking off the oppressors. Fourteen judges arose, six of them military judges (Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson). Two men were of special significance for contrast in spiritual leadership: 1) Eli, judge and High-Priest (not a good example); and 2) Samuel, judge, priest, and prophet (a good example).

Historical and Theological Themes

Judges is thematic rather than chronological; foremost among its themes is God’s power and covenant mercy in graciously delivering the Israelites from the consequences of their failures, which were suffered for sinful compromise (cf. 2:18, 19; 21:25). In 7 periods of sin to salvation (cf. Introduction: Outline), God compassionately delivered His people throughout the different geographical areas of tribal inheritances which He had earlier given through Joshua (Josh 13-22). The apostasy covered the whole land, as indicated by the fact that each area is specifically identified: southern (Jdg 3:7-31); northern (Jdg 4:1-5:31); central (Jdg 6:1-10:5); eastern (Jdg 10:6-12:15); and western (Jdg 13:1-16:31). His power to faithfully rescue shines against the dark backdrop of pitiful human compromise and sometimes bizarre twists of sin, as in the final summary (Judg 17-21). The last verse (Jdg 21:25) sums up the account: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Interpretive Challenges

The most stimulating challenges are: 1) how to view men’s violent acts against enemies or fellow countrymen, whether with God’s approval or without it; 2) God’s use of leaders who at times do His will and at times follow their own sinful impulse (Gideon, Eli, Jephthah, Samson); 3) how to view Jephthah’s vow and offering of his daughter (Jdg 11:30-40); and 4) how to resolve God’s sovereign will with His providential working in spite of human sin (cf. 14:4).

The chronology of the various judges in different sectors of the Land raises questions about how much time passed and how the time totals can fit into the entire time span from the Exodus (ca. 1445B.C.) to Solomon’s fourth year, ca 967/966 B.C., which is said to be 480 years (1 Kin 6:1; see Judg 11:26 and note). A reasonable explanation is that the deliverances and years of rest under the judges in distinct parts of the Land included overlaps, so that some of them did not run consecutively but rather concurrently during the 480 years. Paul’s estimate of “about 450” years in Acts 13:20 is an approximation.

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

A. Incomplete Conquest over the Canaanites (Jdg 1:1-36)
B. The Decline and Judgment of Israel (Jdg 2:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

A. First Period: Othniel vs. Mesopotamians (Jdg 3:7-11)
B. Second Period: Ehud and Shamgar vs. Moabites (Jdg 3:12-31)
C. Third Period: Deborah vs. Canaanites (Jdg 4:1-5:31)
D. Fourth Period: Gideon vs. Midianites (Jdg 6:1-8:32)
E. Fifth Period : Tola and Jair vs. Abimelech’s Effects (Jdg 8:33-10:5)
F. Sixth Period: Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon vs. Philistines and Ammonites (Jdg 10:6-
12:15)
G. Seventh Period: Samson vs. Philistines (Jdg 13:1-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

A. The Idolatry of Micah and the Danites (Jdg 17:1-18:31)
B. The Crime at Gibeah and War Against Benjamin (Jdg 19:1-21:25)

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

The 1440 Agenda

Remembering Marcy

Study Bible

Introduction to Judgesby John MacArthur

Title

Author and Date

Background and Setting

Historical and Theological Themes

Interpretive Challenges

Outline of Judgesby John MacArthur

I. Introduction and Summary—The Disobedience of Israel (Jdg 1:1-3:6)

II. A Selected History of the Judges—The Deliverance of Israel (Jdg 3:7-16:31)

III. Epilogue—The Dereliction of Israel (Jdg 17:1-21:25)

Books of the Bible

Chapters in Judges

The 1440 Agenda

Introduction to Judges
by John MacArthur

Outline of Judges
by John MacArthur