וַיֵּרֶד שִׁמְשׁוֹן תִּמְנָתָה וַיַּרְא אִשָּׁה בְּתִמְנָתָה מִבְּנוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים

Samson went down to the Philistine city of Timna, and he saw a young woman in Timna, who was from the daughters of the Philistines.

וַיַּעַל וַיַּגֵּד לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אִשָּׁה רָאִיתִי בְתִמְנָתָה מִבְּנוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים וְעַתָּה קְחוּ אוֹתָהּ לִי לְאִשָּׁה

He went up, told his father and his mother, and said: I saw a woman in Timna from the daughters of the Philistines. I have decided to marry her, now I need you to take her for me as a wife, following the customary practice that the groom’s parents approached the parents of the prospective bride to negotiate a marriage.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ הַאֵין בִּבְנוֹת אַחֶיךָ וּבְכָל עַמִּי אִשָּׁה כִּי אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ לָקַחַת אִשָּׁה מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים הָעֲרֵלִים! וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶל אָבִיו אוֹתָהּ קַח לִי כִּי הִיא יָשְׁרָה בְעֵינָי

His father and his mother said to him: Is there not a woman suitable for you among the daughters of your brethren, your own tribe, or among all my people, from any of the other tribes of Israel, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? Samson said to his father: Take her for me, as she is the one who is fitting in my eyes.

וְאָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ לֹא יָדְעוּ כִּי מֵה' הִיא כִּי תֹאֲנָה הוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים וּבָעֵת הַהִיא פְּלִשְׁתִּים מֹשְׁלִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל

This marks the beginning of Samson’s many entanglements with women, which will eventually cause him considerable trouble. His father and his mother did not know that it was from the Lord. This does not mean that God commanded Samson to marry that woman, but simply that Samson’s desire for the Philistine woman was a tool of divine providence. As He, God, or he, Samson, was seeking a pretext to fight against the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines ruled over Israel, a dominion that was manifested primarily through taxes that the Israelites were compelled to pay the Philistines. The Philistines were militarily very powerful and were therefore able to enforce their rule even over a large tribe such as Judah. Certainly, the tribe of Dan, which was very small at that time, was unable to exert any resistance.

וַיֵּרֶד שִׁמְשׁוֹן וְאָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ תִּמְנָתָה וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד כַּרְמֵי תִמְנָתָה וְהִנֵּה כְּפִיר אֲרָיוֹת שֹׁאֵג לִקְרָאתוֹ

Samson, his father, and his mother went down to Timna, and they came to the vineyards of Timna, at which point Samson apparently took a different route into the city than his parents. He may have done so because he was a nazirite, and therefore it was forbidden for him to enter a vineyard. And behold, when Samson was alone, a young lion was roaring toward him.

וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ ה'וַיְשַׁסְּעֵהוּ כְּשַׁסַּע הַגְּדִי וּמְאוּמָה אֵין בְּיָדוֹ וְלֹא הִגִּיד לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה

The spirit of the Lord, which at times imbued Samson with uncommon strength, rested upon him, and he tore it, the lion, apart as one would tear apart a tender kid, and he had nothing that could be used as a weapon in his hand. He did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. Samson kept his feat of strength to himself, a detail which will be significant later in the narrative.

וַיֵּרֶד וַיְדַבֵּר לָאִשָּׁה וַתִּישַׁר בְּעֵינֵי שִׁמְשׁוֹן

He went down and spoke with the woman to propose marriage, and after the negotiations had been completed, she was still fitting in the eyes of Samson.

וַיָּשָׁב מִיָּמִים לְקַחְתָּהּ וַיָּסַר לִרְאוֹת אֵת מַפֶּלֶת הָאַרְיֵה וְהִנֵּה עֲדַת דְּבוֹרִים בִּגְוִיַּת הָאַרְיֵה וּדְבָשׁ

After a year or so, he returned with his parents to take her as his wife, since the two parties had agreed to the marriage. And he again turned aside, by the same route he had taken on his previous visit, to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, he discovered that there was a swarm of bees in the carcass of the lion, and honey.

וַיִּרְדֵּהוּ אֶל כַּפָּיו וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְאָכֹל וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל אָבִיו וְאֶל אִמּוֹ וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם וַיֹּאכֵלוּ וְלֹא הִגִּיד לָהֶם כִּי מִגְּוִיַּת הָאַרְיֵה רָדָה הַדְּבָשׁ

He, Samson, scraped it out into his hands and went on his way, eating as he went. He went to his father and mother and gave some honey to them, and they also ate; but he did not tell them that it was from the carcass of the lion that he had scraped the honey. Samson extracted the honey by removing the honeycomb from the hive and crushing it by hand until the liquid flowed out. This was the standard method of extracting honey at the time.

וַיֵּרֶד אָבִיהוּ אֶל הָאִשָּׁה וַיַּעַשׂ שָׁם שִׁמְשׁוֹן מִשְׁתֶּה כִּי כֵּן יַעֲשׂוּ הַבַּחוּרִים

Samson and his mother and father proceeded along their respective ways, with his parents taking a level road; a more respectable, albeit lengthier route. His father went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there, for so would the young men do. It was customary for the groom to arrange or pay for a feast, at which he would dine with the other young men after the ceremony.

וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹתָם אוֹתוֹ וַיִּקְחוּ שְׁלֹשִׁים מֵרֵעִים וַיִּהְיוּ אִתּוֹ

It was when they, his Philistine in-laws, saw him, that they took thirty young companions and they were with him as groomsmen, to accompany Samson and participate in his celebration.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְשׁוֹן אָחוּדָה נָּא לָכֶם חִידָה אִם הַגֵּד תַּגִּידוּ אוֹתָהּ לִי שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה וּמְצָאתֶם וְנָתַתִּי לָכֶם שְׁלֹשִׁים סְדִינִים וּשְׁלֹשִׁים חֲלִפֹת בְּגָדִים

Samson, who was extremely merry during the wedding celebration, despite the fact that he was not allowed to drink any wine, suggested a wager to enhance the festivities. He said to them: Let me now pose a riddle to you. If you tell it, the solution, to me during the seven days of feasting and solve it, find the solution to the riddle, I will give you thirty sheets and thirty suits of clothing. Each of the thirty companions would receive a sheet and a change of clothing at Samson’s expense.

וְאִם לֹא תוּכְלוּ לְהַגִּיד לִי וּנְתַתֶּם אַתֶּם לִי שְׁלֹשִׁים סְדִינִים וּשְׁלֹשִׁים חֲלִיפוֹת בְּגָדִים וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ חוּדָה חִידָתְךָ וְנִשְׁמָעֶנָּה

But if you cannot tell me the solution, you shall give me thirty sheets and thirty suits of clothing. They said to him: We consent; pose your riddle and let us hear it.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם מֵהָאֹכֵל יָצָא מַאֲכָל וּמֵעַז יָצָא מָתוֹק וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהַגִּיד הַחִידָה שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים

Samson formulated his riddle based on his unusual experience on the way to Timna. He said to them: From the eater, the predator that typically eats others, emerged food, and from the strong emerged sweetness. Of course, Samson was referring to the sweet honey that he had scraped from the carcass of the strong lion. They could not disclose the riddle for three days.None of the groomsmen could solve the puzzle, as Samson had not repeated an ancient riddle that offered some universal truth or common human experience, but had based his saying on a specific incident that was unknown to them.

וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְאֵשֶׁת שִׁמְשׁוֹן פַּתִּי אֶת אִישֵׁךְ וְיַגֶּד לָנוּ אֶת הַחִידָה פֶּן נִשְׂרֹף אוֹתָךְ וְאֶת בֵּית אָבִיךְ בָּאֵשׁ הַלְיָרְשֵׁנוּ קְרָאתֶם לָנוּ הֲלֹא !

After several days, the Philistines despaired of solving the riddle, and they resorted to dishonest and unscrupulous methods. As will become clear later in the narrative, the type of aggressive persuasion employed here was characteristic of the Philistines. It was on the seventh day, and they said to Samson’s wife: Entice your husband, and he will disclose the riddle to us. He will reveal it to you, his wife, but he will thereby unwittingly reveal it to us as well, since you will then inform us of the solution. You had best cooperate with our demand, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Did you invite us here, to your celebration, merely to impoverish us?

וַתֵּבְךְּ אֵשֶׁת שִׁמְשׁוֹן עָלָיו וַתֹּאמֶר רַק שְׂנֵאתַנִי וְלֹא אֲהַבְתָּנִי הַחִידָה חַדְתָּ לִבְנֵי עַמִּי וְלִי לֹא הִגַּדְתָּה וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הִנֵּה לְאָבִי וּלְאִמִּי לֹא הִגַּדְתִּי וְלָךְ אַגִּיד!

The threat accomplished its objective. Although the woman was undoubtedly involved in a romantic relationship with Samson, she evidently did not have a profound sense of loyalty to him. Samson’s wife wept to him and said: You only hate me and do not love me. Are you keeping secrets from me? Didn’t you pose a riddle to the members of my people, and you did not disclose it, the solution to the riddle, to me? He said to her: Behold, I did not disclose it to anyone, not even to my father or my mother; shall I disclose it to you?

וַתֵּבְךְּ עָלָיו שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה לָהֶם הַמִּשְׁתֶּה וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיַּגֶּד לָהּ כִּי הֱצִיקַתְהוּ וַתַּגֵּד הַחִידָה לִבְנֵי עַמָּהּ

She wept before him continuously for the seven days during which they had the feast. The young bride was weeping over his lack of love for her, but she was also crying in fear of the potential consequences should she fail to convince him. It was on the seventh day, and he disclosed it to her because she pestered him. Ultimately, Samson was unable to resist her persistent crying, manipulations, and pressure. He revealed the secret, and she immediately disclosed the solution of the riddle to the members of her people.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּטֶרֶם יָבֹא הַחַרְסָה מַה מָּתוֹק מִדְּבַשׁ וּמֶה עַז מֵאֲרִי! וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לוּלֵא חֲרַשְׁתֶּם בְּעֶגְלָתִי לֹא מְצָאתֶם חִידָתִי

The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun set, at the end of the seven days of feasting: What is sweeter than honey, and what is stronger than a lion? As befitting an exchange of this type, they formulated their answer in poetic style, corresponding to the original riddle: The strong and sweet in the riddle refer to the lion and the honey that emerged from it. Samson knew that they could not have discovered the answer on their own, and therefore, also employing flowery language, he said to them: If you had not plowed with my calf, if you had not used my wife, you would not have solved my riddle. He reprimanded them for their dishonest conduct, but as they had discovered the solution to the riddle, he was obligated to pay them.

וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ ה'וַיֵּרֶד אַשְׁקְלוֹן וַיַּךְ מֵהֶם שְׁלֹשִׁים אִישׁ וַיִּקַּח אֶת חֲלִיצוֹתָם וַיִּתֵּן הַחֲלִיפוֹת לְמַגִּידֵי הַחִידָה וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ וַיַּעַל בֵּית אָבִיהוּ

The spirit of the Lord, a spirit of great strength, once again rested upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, one of the major Philistine cities; he smote thirty of their men; he either killed or disabled them, took their outer garments, and gave the suits to the disclosers of the riddle. Instead of purchasing garments to pay his debt, he obtained them in his own special fashion. His wrath was enflamed at his wife for having betrayed his trust by revealing the secret of the riddle, as she was the only one who knew the answer. Therefore, he left her and he went up to his father’s house.

וַתְּהִי אֵשֶׁת שִׁמְשׁוֹן לְמֵרֵעֵהוּ אֲשֶׁר רֵעָה לוֹ

After some time had passed without his return, Samson’s wife became that of his companion, one of those groomsmen whom he had befriended.