The Lion and the Riddle
Judges 14
Judges 14
Judges 14. Samson was the the first perpetual Nazareth in scripture, and as to his purpose he is a type of Christ, although he cannot really be said to be a type of Christ. Rather, it would seem that Samson is a type of the church here in this world as a representation of Christ, and called to be separate from the world in devotion to Him. Samson failed in his Nazariteship, just as the Church has failed in her separation from the world. There is a very noticeable moral progression in the chapter: Samson goes down to Timnah, he associates with the Philistines, he touches defilement secretly, his Nazariteship becomes compromised, natural relationships are used against him, and the chapter ends in division and anger. Nevertheless, Samson stands, a single man, against the Philistines. If the days of Gideon’s three hundred men were grim, this day is darker still.
Samson Goes Down to Timnath, Kills the Lion, Finds Honey (14:1-9)
CHAPTER 14
1 And Samson went down to Timnathah, and saw a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 And he went up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnathah of the daughters of the Philistines; and now take her for me as wife. 3 And his father and his mother said to him, Is there no woman among the daughters of thy brethren, and among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the Philistines, the uncircumcised? And Samson said to his father, Take her for me, for she pleases me well. 4 And his father and his mother did not know that it was of Jehovah, that he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel. DARBY
vv.1-4 Timnah and the Philistine Woman. It is a sorrowful discovery to find that Samson, the perpetual Nazarite, when come of age and free to make his own choices, first seeks a woman from a people who were the enemies of Israel, which was against the Word of God (Deut. 7:3-4). It says “Samson went down”, and so he did, not merely geographically down, but morally down too. He was intent on having this Philistine woman who “pleased him well” (vv.3,7). This was the first of three Philistine women that Samson was involved with (see also Judges 16:1,4. His parents protest, questioning whether he could not find a single woman in their tribe or nation not to his liking. He shows his self-will; “get her for me, for she pleases me well”. However, Samson was not merely driven by lust. Unbeknownst to his parents, he was seeking opportunity to strike against the Philistines. This was not of himself, but the prompting was of Jehovah, although Samson’s motives were muddled. We see in this God’s sovereignty.
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vv.5-9 The Lion and the Honey. As Samson was on his way down, a lion “roared against him”. In scripture, a lion often represents Satan, “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion” (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan not only presents himself as a serpent, which Jesus faced in the wilderness temptation, but also as a roaring lion, which met him in Gethsemane and at the cross (Psa. 22:13). If the devil cannot beguile us, he seeks to frighten us. We must therefore “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). He meets Christ in the believer: the One who has already defeated him! The Nazarite character is what is needed to face the enemy, though Samson was not in the good of it. Yet the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him. This is remarkable given the path of self-will the young man was on. After visiting the Philistine woman, who pleased Samson well, he took a second journey down to take the woman. On the second visit Samson found the swarm of bees and honey. This is a picture of the fruit of Christ’s victory on the cross. Honey speaks of natural sweetness, and Samson did not refrain from reaching into the dead carcass of the lion (forbidden to a Nazarite) and taking honey with both hands. He kept this fact secret, which was both a kind of dishonesty, but also served as the basis of his later riddle.
Samson’s Riddle and the Slaughter of Thirty Philistines (14:10-20)
10 And his father went down to the woman, and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 11 And it came to pass when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions, and they were with him. 12 And Samson said to them, Let me now propound a riddle to you; if ye clearly explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty shirts, and thirty changes of garments. 13 But if ye cannot explain it to me, then shall ye give me thirty shirts, and thirty changes of garments. And they said to him, Propound thy riddle, that we may hear it. 14 And he said to them, Out of the eater came forth food, And out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days explain the riddle. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, Persuade thy husband, that he may explain to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire. Have ye invited us to impoverish us, — is it not so? 16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not. Thou hast propounded the riddle to the children of my people, and hast not explained it to me. And he said to her, Behold, I have not explained it to my father nor my mother, and shall I explain it to thee? 17 And she wept before him the seven days, while they had the feast. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that he explained it to her, for she pressed him. And she explained the riddle to the children of her people. 18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey, And what stronger than a lion? And he said to them, If ye had not ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle. 19 And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew of them thirty men, and took their spoil, and gave the changes of garments unto them that explained the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. 20 And Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had made his friend. DARBY