Judges 14 16

Judges 14:16 kjv

And 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?

Judges 14:16 nkjv

Then Samson's wife wept on him, and said, "You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me." And he said to her, "Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so should I explain it to you?"

Judges 14:16 niv

Then Samson's wife threw herself on him, sobbing, "You hate me! You don't really love me. You've given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer." "I haven't even explained it to my father or mother," he replied, "so why should I explain it to you?"

Judges 14:16 esv

And Samson's wife wept over him and said, "You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is." And he said to her, "Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?"

Judges 14:16 nlt

So Samson's wife came to him in tears and said, "You don't love me; you hate me! You have given my people a riddle, but you haven't told me the answer." "I haven't even given the answer to my father or mother," he replied. "Why should I tell you?"

Judges 14 verses

Judges 14 16 Meaning

This verse details the Philistine wife's intense emotional manipulation of Samson, accusing him of hatred and a lack of love because he would not reveal his riddle's solution to her. She uses tears and false accusations as a strategy to extract the secret, motivated by fear for her family's financial ruin if the wager was lost. This highlights a marital relationship characterized by convenience and tribal loyalty rather than genuine affection or trust.

Judges 14 16 Context

Judges chapter 14 describes Samson's choice to marry a Philistine woman from Timnah, an act that went against the customary separation between Israelites and the Philistine enemy. This marriage, though from Samson's perspective a personal choice, was sovereignly allowed by God to instigate conflict with the Philistines. During the traditional seven-day wedding feast, Samson posed a riddle with a significant wager to thirty Philistine companions. This verse occurs on the seventh day of the feast, after the Philistines have been unable to solve the riddle and have threatened Samson's wife and her family. Desperate, Samson's wife then resorts to severe emotional manipulation to extract the secret. This entire narrative unfolds within the broader context of the Philistines' oppression of Israel, highlighting the complex and often compromising position of Samson as Israel's appointed deliverer.

Judges 14 16 Word analysis

• And Samson's wife: Introduces the Philistine woman directly involved in the conflict. Her identity is solely tied to Samson, yet her loyalties are deeply divided, reflecting the challenges of their unequal union.
• wept (וַתִּבְךְּ – va-ttivkh, from בכה - bākhāh): The Hebrew verb means "to cry" or "to lament." While genuine sorrow can prompt tears, here it's presented as a strategic emotional tactic designed to wear down Samson and induce compliance.
• before him: Indicates a direct, proximate, and intense display of emotion, aiming for maximum impact on Samson's immediate presence and conscience.
• and said: Precedes her verbal accusation, marking the escalation from silent tears to direct verbal assault.
• 'You hate me; you do not love me. (שָׂנֵאתָנִי וְלֹא אֲהַבְתָּנִי – śānēʾtā-nî wĕlōʾ ʾăhavtā-nî):
  • hate (שָׂנֵא – śānēʾ): A strong Hebrew verb signifying deep animosity or opposition. Her accusation is extreme, designed to provoke guilt and defensive action from Samson.
  • love (אָהֵב – ʾāhēb): To show affection, care, and devotion. By stating he "does not love me," she negates the core requirement for marital fidelity and commitment.
  • Words-group: This powerful parallel accusation—hate juxtaposed with absence of love—is a manipulative rhetorical tool. It attempts to shame Samson, presenting his refusal as absolute proof of personal contempt, putting him in a no-win emotional situation.
• You have told the riddle to the people of my family, but you have not told it to me.' (לִבְנֵי עַמִּי הִגַּדְתָּ אֶת הַחִידָה וְלִי לֹא הִגַּדְתָּ – livnê ʿammî higgadtā ʾet haḥîdâ wĕlî lōʾ higgadtā):
  • riddle (חִידָה – chîdâh): An enigma, a puzzling question, often used for intellectual amusement or challenging a listener's intellect. Here, it is the tangible point of contention carrying severe consequences due to the wager.
  • people of my family (bene ʿammî): Literally "sons of my people," referring to her fellow Philistines, her tribal kin. This phrase highlights that her primary allegiance and concern are with her family and ethnic group, rather than exclusively with Samson as her husband. She implies he shared it with them already, an untruth meant to reinforce her perceived grievance and amplify her demands.
  • but you have not told it to me: This clause articulates her specific demand and frames Samson's loyalty, forcing him to choose between honoring his wager and appeasing his wife's manufactured emotional distress. It reveals that her underlying motive is to acquire information for the benefit of her kin and prevent their financial loss.
  • Words-group: This complete statement underscores the manipulative tactic: she falsely claims Samson has shared the secret with her kin, making his continued withholding from her appear an egregious act of disloyalty and hatred towards his own wife, thereby escalating the emotional pressure for her to gain the vital answer for her Philistine kinsmen.

Judges 14 16 Bonus section

• The high financial stakes of the wager (thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes, Jdg 14:12-13) explain the intense pressure the Philistine companions exerted on Samson's wife, driving her desperation and manipulative tactics.
• The seven-day duration of the wedding feast implies a period of sustained pressure on Samson. His yielding on the seventh day suggests his inability to withstand prolonged emotional assault, pointing to a lack of steadfastness or spiritual fortitude in moments of intense temptation.
• This scene offers a prelude to the dramatic account with Delilah in Judges chapter 16, where remarkably similar manipulative language ("How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me?" Jdg 16:15) is used. This repetition emphasizes Samson's recurring vulnerability and tragic inability to learn from his previous encounters with female manipulation.
• The situation indirectly underscores the biblical warnings against being "unequally yoked" (2 Cor 6:14) with those outside the covenant, as such relationships often introduce compromised loyalties and severe spiritual temptations, placing individuals like Samson in compromising positions.

Judges 14 16 Commentary

Judges 14:16 starkly exposes Samson's fundamental flaw: a vulnerability to manipulative female influence rooted in his carnal desires and disregard for God's boundaries. His Philistine wife employs a classic emotional blackmail strategy, leveraging tears and false accusations of hatred and lack of love to pressure him into revealing the riddle's secret. Her ultimate loyalty lies with her family and their financial well-being over the marital bond. This desperate attempt to gain information for her kinsmen, fearing their threat of violence against her and her father’s household (implied from earlier threats by the Philistine men), demonstrates the precarious and spiritually dangerous nature of Samson's intermarriage. This event not only weakens Samson's resolve but foreshadows his repeated susceptibility to such tactics, most notably with Delilah, highlighting a pattern of spiritual compromise leading to personal downfall.