Judges 14 10

Judges 14:10 kjv

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

Judges 14:10 nkjv

So his father went down to the woman. And Samson gave a feast there, for young men used to do so.

Judges 14:10 niv

Now his father went down to see the woman. And there Samson held a feast, as was customary for young men.

Judges 14:10 esv

His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do.

Judges 14:10 nlt

As his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, Samson threw a party at Timnah, as was the custom for elite young men.

Judges 14 verses

Judges 14 10 Meaning

Judges 14:10 describes the formal progression towards Samson's marriage to the Philistine woman from Timnah. It details his father accompanying him to the Philistine town for the wedding arrangements and Samson himself hosting a customary banquet, common practice for young men during such celebrations. This verse sets the stage for the dramatic events and challenges that unfold during the feast, highlighting the cultural context of the time.

Judges 14 10 Context

Judges 14 focuses on Samson's pursuit of a Philistine wife in Timnah. The narrative opens with Samson expressing his desire for this woman, much to his parents' dismay (v. 1-3). However, verse 4 reveals God's underlying purpose in these seemingly rebellious actions, indicating that the Lord was using Samson's choices to bring about conflict with the Philistines, Israel's oppressors. Preceding verse 10, Samson had already exhibited extraordinary strength by tearing apart a lion with his bare hands (v. 5-6) and later, returning to marry, he found honey in the lion's carcass and ate it, also offering some to his parents (v. 8-9), implicitly violating a Nazirite vow against touching a dead body. Verse 10 specifically describes the social custom of the wedding preparation, setting the stage for the formal ceremony and the significant feast during which Samson presents his riddle, escalating the conflict with the Philistines. Historically, this period reflects Israel's repeated backsliding and Philistine dominance, with Samson operating largely as an individual agent.

Judges 14 10 Word Analysis

• So Samson’s father: Refers to Manoah (Judg 13:2), who, despite his initial disapproval (Judg 14:3), now accompanies Samson, fulfilling his parental role in the marriage negotiation process. This highlights the father's conventional authority and involvement.

• went down: From Zorah, where Samson lived, to Timnah, which was geographically lower. The Hebrew word is יָרַד ( yarad), meaning "to descend." It also symbolically represents entering Philistine territory and conforming to their customs.

• to the woman: The Philistine woman from Timnah, the object of Samson's desire. Her identity remains generic, emphasizing her Philistine origin over individual character.

• and Samson made there a feast: The Hebrew word for "feast" is מִשְׁתֶּה ( mishteh), which often refers to a "drinking feast" or "banquet." This is significant for Samson, a Nazirite, who was explicitly forbidden from wine (Num 6:2-4). While it does not explicitly state Samson drank, he initiated and hosted an event centered around such consumption, placing him in an ambiguous moral position concerning his vow.

• for so used the young men to do: The Hebrew phrase כִּי כֵּן יַעֲשׂוּ הַבַּחוּרִים (ki ken ya'asu habachurim) literally means "for thus the young men do." This explains Samson's action as adhering to Philistine marriage custom, particularly the groom's duty to host a multi-day celebratory banquet for male companions. It highlights cultural assimilation.

• Samson's father... to the woman: Shows the necessary parental involvement in arranging the marriage, even for someone as individualistic as Samson, conforming to ancient Near Eastern social norms.

• Samson made... a feast, for so used the young men to do: This phrase group emphasizes the customary nature of the event, establishing the context for Samson's later actions and the assembly of the "thirty companions" mentioned in the next verse. It subtly underscores Samson's integration into Philistine customs.

Judges 14 10 Bonus section

• The customary length of a wedding feast, often lasting seven days (Judg 14:12), would provide ample opportunity for the events of Samson's riddle and its aftermath to unfold.
• This verse underscores the paradox of Samson's life: divinely chosen and endowed with supernatural strength for God's purposes (Judg 13:5), yet repeatedly engaging in activities that challenge his sacred vow and embrace foreign customs, seemingly blurring the lines between Israelite and Philistine life.
• The absence of specific Israelite marriage traditions (like seeking a woman from among his own people, Gen 24) reinforces the spiritual decline of the period of the Judges, where individuals "did what was right in their own eyes."

Judges 14 10 Commentary

Judges 14:10 marks a pivotal moment in the unfolding drama of Samson. While his desire for a Philistine woman defied conventional Israelite standards (Deut 7:3-4), his parents, here represented by his father, eventually comply with the traditional procedures of marriage arrangement, accompanying him to Timnah. The verse highlights Samson's personal initiative in making the "feast," or mishteh—a drinking banquet. This act, described as customary for young men, places Samson, a divinely consecrated Nazirite, squarely within a potentially compromising cultural context. Although the text doesn't explicitly state Samson partook of forbidden beverages, his role as host of such an event inherently tests the boundaries of his Nazirite vow. This scene serves as a crucial backdrop for the riddle he poses, which becomes the immediate catalyst for conflict and subsequent divine action (Judg 14:4), ultimately revealing how God works even through human choices and societal customs to accomplish His larger redemptive purposes.