Judges 14 15

Judges 14:15 kjv

And 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?

Judges 14:15 nkjv

But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?"

Judges 14:15 niv

On the fourth day, they said to Samson's wife, "Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father's household to death. Did you invite us here to steal our property?"

Judges 14:15 esv

On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?"

Judges 14:15 nlt

On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father's house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor?"

Judges 14 verses

Judges 14 15 Meaning

Judges 14:15 describes the Philistines' desperate and coercive tactics on the final day of Samson's wedding feast. Fearing the loss of a valuable wager, they threaten Samson's Philistine wife with death by fire, encompassing her and her entire household, unless she persuades Samson to reveal the answer to his riddle. Their accusation, "Have you invited us here to impoverish us?" reveals their deep-seated materialism and the extent of their desperation to avoid financial and social humiliation. This act of extreme intimidation forces her betrayal, setting the stage for subsequent conflicts.

Judges 14 15 Context

Judges chapter 14 sets the narrative of Samson's desire for a Philistine wife from Timnah, against the customary wisdom of his Israelite parents, yet ultimately fulfilling God's overarching purpose to confront the Philistines. During the journey, Samson kills a lion, later finding honey in its carcass. At the seven-day wedding feast, as part of the celebration and an ancient custom, Samson poses a riddle to his thirty Philistine companions, with a high wager of 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes. This particular verse, Judges 14:15, takes place on the climactic seventh and final day of the feast. The companions, unable to solve the riddle themselves, resort to desperate and violent threats against Samson's Philistine bride and her family. This act illustrates the inherent conflict between Israel and Philistia, the oppressive nature of Philistine rule, and Samson's emerging struggle to fulfill his divine mandate in a world characterized by moral decay, where even sacred occasions like weddings are marred by deceit and brutality.

Judges 14 15 Word analysis

• On the seventh day: Refers to the final day of the traditional seven-day wedding feast (Gen 29:27, Tob 8:20). This temporal detail highlights the rapidly approaching deadline for solving the riddle, intensifying the pressure on the Philistine companions and leading to their desperate measures.
• they said: Refers collectively to Samson's 30 Philistine companions, who were the participants in the riddle contest (Jdg 14:11). This indicates a concerted effort and collective mob mentality to intimidate and coerce.
• to Samson's wife: A Philistine woman from Timnah. She is presented as extremely vulnerable, caught between the expectation of loyalty to her new husband and the overwhelming, life-threatening demands of her own people, which exploit her precarious position.
• 'Entice' (Heb. pat-tî, from patah): This word signifies more than simple persuasion; it carries connotations of seduction, deception, or alluring one into a trap (Exod 22:16, Jer 20:7). Here, it implies using intimate wifely influence, potentially even sexual, or emotional manipulation, to betray a secret. It reflects the manipulative and dishonorable character of the Philistines.
• your husband: This directly instructs her to violate the trust and intimacy inherent in her new marital bond with Samson. It shows the Philistines' readiness to desecrate a newly formed union for their financial gain.
• to tell us the riddle: The immediate objective of their coercion. Their inability or unwillingness to solve it fairly leads them to resort to unethical and violent means to gain the answer and avoid the significant financial loss associated with the wager.
• lest we burn you: A direct and horrific death threat. Burning was an ancient Near Eastern method of severe execution and public humiliation, used for profound crimes (Lev 20:14, 21:9). It suggests complete and painful annihilation.
• and your father's house: The threat extends beyond the woman herself to include her entire extended family. This reflects the common practice of collective punishment in ancient societies, designed to maximize pressure by endangering the lives and property of the woman’s kin, exploiting the strong family ties prevalent in the culture.
• with fire: Reemphasizes the extremity and totality of the threatened destruction, implying swift, inescapable, and absolute annihilation. This terrifying image underscores the ruthless nature of the Philistines.
• 'Have you invited us here': A rhetorical question laden with accusation and sarcasm. It suggests Samson's intent in hosting them was to financially ruin them, turning the entertainment of the wedding feast into a scheme to impoverish them, thereby justifying their aggressive demands.
• to impoverish us?': (Heb. hôrīsh) To make poor, dispossess, or strip of possessions. This reveals the central motivation of the Philistines: their concern is overwhelmingly economic. The potential loss of 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes (a substantial sum) was viewed as a major financial setback and a blow to their social standing, which they prioritized above human life or integrity.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "On the seventh day they said to Samson's wife, 'Entice your husband'": This opening sequence quickly establishes the high-stakes temporal setting (deadline), identifies the perpetrators (the mob of 30 Philistine companions), the vulnerable target (Samson's new wife), and the method of proposed coercion (manipulative emotional and marital exploitation). It immediately highlights the Philistines' dishonorable character and their willingness to exploit marital trust.
• "to tell us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire.": This group clearly defines the desired outcome (solving the riddle) and the horrifying consequences for non-compliance. The severity of "burn... with fire" directed not just at her but her "father's house" vividly portrays the Philistines' brutality, their disregard for life, and their use of collective punishment to enforce their will, revealing their deep fear of loss and shame.
• "Have you invited us here to impoverish us?'": This rhetorical question succinctly exposes the Philistines' core motivation: deep-seated materialism and fear of financial ruin. They portray themselves as victims, rationalizing their threats of violence with an exaggerated concern over perceived monetary loss and suggesting Samson’s riddle was designed not for sport but for their economic detriment, showcasing their mercenary and self-serving nature.

Judges 14 15 Bonus section

• The severity of the Philistine threat in Judges 14:15 foreshadows an ironic and tragic fulfillment: in Judges 15:6, the Philistines themselves burn Samson’s wife and her father, proving that their threat was not idle, though the reason for that burning shifts.
• This episode reveals the strategic and psychological warfare employed by oppressors in the period of the Judges. The Philistines effectively exploit the domestic sphere to undermine Samson's position, illustrating the vulnerability of individuals, especially women, under tyrannical rule.
• The wedding feast, intended as a celebration of life and union, tragically devolves into a scene of blackmail and betrayal, highlighting the pervasive moral decay in Israel and its surrounding cultures during the time described in the book of Judges.
• The Philistines' obsession with being "impoverished" underscores their fear of humiliation and losing face in a society where status and wealth were paramount, revealing a pragmatic and often ruthless ethos.

Judges 14 15 Commentary

Judges 14:15 vividly portrays the Philistines’ character: cunning, ruthless, and driven by self-interest, particularly monetary gain. Unable to solve Samson's riddle, they resort to the ultimate ancient threat: burning alive the woman and her entire paternal household. This collective punishment was a real terror, designed to force compliance by endangering an individual’s closest kin. The pressure on Samson's wife was immense, placing her in an impossible bind between loyalty to her new husband and the primal instinct to save her family from total annihilation. Her subsequent betrayal, while tragic, is largely a result of this extreme duress. This verse also exposes the materialistic priorities of the Philistines; their primary concern is not honor or intellectual prowess, but the substantial financial loss the wager represents, leading them to violate sacred marital bonds and engage in barbaric threats. This event tragically underscores the escalating hostility between Israel and the Philistines, a conflict rooted not only in political power but in deep cultural and moral clashes, demonstrating how human weakness, fear, and avarice intertwine to complicate God’s broader plans.