Question 1

Who is Samson in this passage and what is happening in his life?

Accepted Answer

Samson is a man chosen by God to begin to save Israel from the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at this time. In this chapter he sees a Philistine woman in Timnath and decides he wants to marry her, even though this goes against Israel’s normal boundaries. On the way to arrange the marriage, God’s Spirit gives him power to kill a lion with his bare hands. Later he finds honey in the lion’s carcass, uses that to make a riddle at his wedding feast, and this leads to conflict and the death of thirty Philistines.

Question 2

Why did Samson want to marry a Philistine woman instead of an Israelite?

Accepted Answer

Samson saw a woman in Timnath and told his parents, “she pleaseth me well.” His choice was driven by what he liked and wanted, not by obedience to God’s commands about marrying within Israel. His parents objected and asked if there was no suitable woman among his own people. Even so, Samson pressed them to arrange the marriage. The passage then explains that, behind Samson’s stubborn choice, God had a plan to use this situation as a way to begin striking against the Philistines who ruled over Israel.

Question 3

What does it mean that Samson’s choice of wife was “of the Lord”?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says Samson’s parents did not know “that it was of the Lord,” it does not mean God approved of Samson’s wrong desire or that breaking marriage boundaries was good. It means that, over and through Samson’s flawed choice, God was working out His own plan. God intended to use this marriage situation as an opportunity to confront the Philistines who were oppressing Israel. This shows that God’s rule is bigger than human sin. He can turn even our bad decisions into part of His larger purpose, though we are still responsible for those choices.

Question 4

What is the meaning of Samson killing the lion by the Spirit of the Lord?

Accepted Answer

When the young lion attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnath, “the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him,” and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands, as easily as if it were a young goat. This shows that Samson’s strength was not just natural; it was a gift from God for his calling against Israel’s enemies. The lion pictures a fierce threat, like the way evil presses against God’s people. The story reminds readers that God can give power, by His Spirit, to face dangers that are far too strong for us on our own.

Question 5

Why is there honey in the lion’s carcass, and what does it picture?

Accepted Answer

Later, when Samson returns to marry the woman, he turns aside to look at the dead lion and finds a swarm of bees and honey in its carcass. He eats the honey and shares it with his parents, without telling them where it came from. On one level, this simply sets up his riddle. But it also shows how God can bring something sweet and life-giving out of something dead and frightening. From a place of danger and death comes food and sweetness. This fits the wider pattern of God using dark and painful things to bring help, strength, and blessing to His people.

Question 6

What is Samson’s riddle, and what does “out of the eater came forth meat” mean?

Accepted Answer

Samson’s riddle at the wedding feast is, “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.” He is secretly talking about the lion (the eater and the strong one) and the honey (meat and sweetness) that he found in its carcass. The Philistines could not solve it because they did not know this story. The riddle points to the strange way God had brought food and sweetness from something dangerous and dead. It pictures how God can bring good, even nourishment, out of hard and fearful situations that seem only harmful at first.

Question 7

Why did Samson’s wife betray him and tell the Philistines the riddle?

Accepted Answer

Samson’s wife was caught between her new husband and her own people. The men of the city threatened her, saying they would burn her and her father’s house if she did not get the answer. Out of fear and pressure, she wept and pleaded with Samson for the secret through the whole feast, saying he hated her and did not love her. At last, worn down, Samson told her, and she passed the answer to her people. Her actions show how fear and divided loyalties can lead someone to break trust, and how fragile this marriage was from the start.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s sovereignty and human choices?

Accepted Answer

The story shows both Samson’s weakness and God’s rule at the same time. Samson follows his own eyes and desires in choosing a Philistine wife, ignores his parents’ wise concern, hides things, and responds with anger and revenge. Yet the passage clearly says God was using this situation as a way to seek an occasion against the Philistines who ruled Israel. Human choices are real and often sinful, but they do not block God’s plans. God weaves even our failures into His purposes, while still holding people responsible for what they decide and do.

Question 9

How can Samson’s story about the lion and the riddle apply to my life today?

Accepted Answer

This passage reminds you that your choices, especially in relationships, matter. Like Samson, it is easy to follow what looks good without asking if it fits with God’s ways. It also shows that God can bring sweetness out of painful or threatening situations, like honey from a lion. Even when you have acted foolishly, God is not finished. He can still work through the mess. At the same time, Samson’s broken marriage and rising anger warn you to listen to wise counsel, guard your heart, keep your word, and rely on God’s Spirit rather than your own strength.

Judges 14:1

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

Samson’s Marriage

Samson’s Riddle

Samson’s Marriage

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Judges 14:1

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

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