Judges 14:9-10 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 14:1-9

Here, I. Samson, under the extraordinary guidance of Providence, seeks an occasion of quarrelling with the Philistines, by joining in affinity with them?a strange method, but the truth is Samson was himself a riddle, a paradox of a man, did that which was really great and good, by that which was seemingly weak and evil, because he was designed not to be a pattern to us (who must walk by rule, not by example), but a type of him who, though he knew no sin, was made sin for us, and appeared in... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Judges 14:10-20

We have here an account of Samson's wedding feast and the occasion it gave him to fall foul upon the Philistines. I. Samson conformed to the custom of the country in making a festival of his nuptial solemnities, which continued seven days, Jdg. 13:10. Though he was a Nazarite, he did not affect, in a thing of this nature, to be singular, but did as the young men used to do upon such occasions. It is no part of religion to go contrary to the innocent usages of the places where we live: nay, it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 14:9

And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating ,.... Josephus F11 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 5. c. 8. sect. 6.) says he took three honeycombs, he means three pieces of the honeycomb, and ate the honey as he went along to Timnath; which he might do without touching the carcass of the lion, and defiling himself thereby, which, as a Nazarite, he was more especially to be careful of: and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat ; who went down with him to the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Judges 14:10

So his father went down unto the woman ,.... At Timnath, whom Samson had espoused; the Targum is,"about the business of the woman;'about the consummation of the marriage with her; they all three went, the father, the mother, and the son, as appears from the preceding verse: for Samson made a feast, for so used the young men to do ; at the time of marriage; this was the nuptial feast common in all nations; but it seems the custom now and here was for the bridegroom to make it; whereas... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Judges 14:10

Samson made there a feast - The marriage feast, when he went to marry his espoused wife. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Judges 14:10

Made a feast ... - This was the wedding-feast, protracted in this instance seven days, in that of Tobias (Tobit 8:19) fourteen days. It was an essential part of the marriage ceremony Genesis 29:22; Esther 2:18; Matthew 22:2-4; Revelation 19:7, Revelation 19:9. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Judges 14:8-9

Judges 14:8-9. After a time Hebrew, after days; that is, either after some days, or rather, after a year, as that word often signifies; when the flesh of the lion (which, by its strong smell, is offensive to bees) was wholly consumed, and nothing was left but the bones. Bees Settling themselves there, as they have sometimes done in a man’s scull, or in a sepulchre. Came to his father and mother From whom he had turned aside for a season, Judges 14:8. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Judges 14:1-20

Samson’s exploits (14:1-16:31)So dominant were the Philistines in Israel, that the Israelites had decided to live with them peacefully rather than try to rise up in armed rebellion. Samson had other ideas. He thought that his marriage to a Philistine woman would give him the opportunity to do some harm to the enemy (14:1-4).In spite of Samson’s desire to help Israel, he had little respect for either his Nazirite vow or the Israelite law. He handled a dead lion, married a Philistine woman and... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Judges 14:10

THE MARRIAGE; THE WEDDING FEAST; AND THE RIDDLE"And his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. And it came to pass when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. And Samson said unto them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment; but if ye cannot declare it unto... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Judges 14:10

Judges 14:10. And Samson made there a feast— Nuptial feasts of this kind were usual in all countries. And, no doubt, Samson's riddle was proposed by him in accommodation to the customs of these feasts, as the thirty companions were brought by his wife's friends, as a kind of bridemen to honour his nuptials. See Lowth. Praelect. Poet. p. 392. 8vo. read more