Глава 14

1–10. Samson's marriage. 11–18. The riddle of Samson and the image of its solution. 19–20. Payment for solving the riddle, Samson's anger and his wife's betrayal. Judges 14:1. And Samson went to Timnath and saw in Timnath a woman from the daughters of the Philistines [and he liked her]. Judges 14:2. He went and told his father and his mother and said, “I saw in Timnath a woman from the daughters of the Philistines; take her to be my wife. Judges 14:3. His father and mother said to him: Are there no women among the daughters of your brothers and among all my people, that you are going to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said to his father, Take her to me, for I liked her. Judges 14:4. His father and mother did not know that this was from the Lord, and that he was looking for an opportunity to take revenge on the Philistines. And at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel. Judges 14:5. And Samson went with his father and his mother to Timnath, and as they approached the vineyards of Timnath, behold, a young lion came roaring towards him. Judges 14:6. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he tore the lion to pieces like a kid; but he had nothing in his hand. And he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. Judges 14:7. And he came and spoke to the woman, and Samson liked her. Judges 14:8. A few days later, he went again to take her, and went to look at the lion’s corpse, and behold, a swarm of bees in the lion’s corpse and honey. Judges 14:9. He took it in his hands and went and ate on the way; and when he came to his father and his mother, he gave it to them, and they ate; but he did not tell them that he took this honey from the lion’s corpse. Judges 14:10. And his father came to the woman, and Samson held a [seven-day] feast there, as suitors are wont to do. While visiting Timnatha (the same as Opina, cf. Joshua 15:10, now Tibneh), a city that belonged to the tribe of Judah, but was occupied by the Philistines, Samson saw a Philistine woman whom he liked and with whom he, despite the objection of his parents, who considered it illegal for an Israelite to be related to the uncircumcised (cf. Exodus 34:16; Deut.7:3), married. Judges 14:11. And when they saw him there, they chose thirty marriage friends who would be with him. Judges 14:12. And Samson said to them: I will tell you a riddle; if you guess it for me during the seven days of the feast and guess it correctly, then I will give you thirty [sindons] 3 and thirty changes of clothing; Judges 14:13. If you cannot guess it for me, then give me thirty sindons and thirty changes of clothes. They said to him: tell me your riddle, let’s listen. Judges 14:14. And he said to them, “From the one who eats, there comes something that is poisonous, and from the one who is strong, there comes something sweet.” And they couldn’t solve the riddle in three days. Judges 14:15. On the seventh day they said to Samson’s wife: Persuade your husband to solve the riddle for us; Otherwise we will burn you and your father's house with fire; did you call us to rob us? Judges 14:16. And Samson’s wife wept before him and said: You hate me and do not love me; You have asked a riddle for the sons of my people, but you will not solve it for me. He said to her: My father and my mother did not understand it; and will I tell it to you? Judges 14:17. And she wept before him for seven days, during which their feast continued. Finally, on the seventh day, he revealed it to her, for she strenuously asked him. And she unraveled the riddle to the sons of her people. Judges 14:18. And on the seventh day before sunset the citizens said to him: what is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion! He said to them: if you had not screamed on my heifer, you would not have guessed my riddle. Judges 14:19. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went to Ascalon, and, having killed thirty people there, took off their clothes, and gave the changes of their clothes to those who had solved the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went to his father’s house. Judgment 14:20 . And Samsonov’s wife married his friend in marriage, who was his friend. During the wedding feast, Samson asked his wedding friends a riddle, for the solution of which he promised them 30 shirts of fine linen and 30 changes of clothes, and when they, having extracted the meaning of the riddle from his wife, told him its solution, he went to the Philistine city of Ascalon, killed 30 people here and, having taken off their clothes, gave them to the solvers, after which he angrily retired to his parents' house, and his wife left for one of her marriage friends, thus turning out to be treacherous regarding Samson. Fine linen shirt You might be interested in: