Judges 14 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Judges 14 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• Most scholars place the period of the Judges between 1450 B.C. and 1000 B.C.

• The precise dates are still debated.

CHARACTERS:

• Samson – The 13th judge of Israel. His birth was announced by the angel of the Lord. He was a Nazarite from birth (Num 6).

• Manoah and His Wife – Samson’s parents.

• Samson’s wife – A Philistine woman from the town of Timnah.

• 30 Philistine Men – These men were guests at Samson’s wedding who he challenged with a riddle.

WHERE:

• Samson’s parents lived in Zorah, a city in the territory of Dan.

• Samson married a woman from the town of Timnah.

• Samson killed 30 Philistine men in Ashkelon.

OUTLINE:

• SAMSON FINDS A WIFE (14:1-9):

  • When Samson grew up, he went to Timnah and met a Philistine girl he wanted to marry.

  • His parents initially objected to the marriage because they wanted Samson to marry an Israelite woman, but he insisted.

  • Although Samson’s parents didn’t realize it, God was going to use Samson’s marriage to the Philistine woman as part of His plan to free Israel from Philistine oppression.

  • On his way back to Timnah to get to know the woman he wanted to marry, a young lion approached Samson on the road.

  • The Spirit of God rushed on Samson, and he killed the lion barehanded.

  • He later returned to the lion’s carcass and found a smarm of bees making honey inside.

  • He ate some of the honey and gave some to his parents.

• SAMSON’S RIDDLE (14:10-20):

  • Samson had a 7-day wedding feast and 30 Philistine men attended.

  • Samson challenged the men with a riddle. He promised to give each of them a linen garment and a change of clothes if they solved the riddle by the end of the feast, but they had to give him 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes if they failed.

  • They agreed and Samson told them the riddle, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.”

  • After 4 days, the men didn’t know the answer to the riddle so they threatened Samson’s new wife with death if she couldn’t extract the answer from him.

  • She harassed Samson so much that, on the 7th day of the feast, he finally told her the answer.

  • The 30 Philistine men gave Samson the answer before the sun set on the 7th day.

  • Samson was furious, he went to Ashkelon, killed 30 Philistine men, and brought back their clothes to give to the 30 wedding guests.

  • Samson left his wife and returned to his father’s house. His new wife was given to another man in his absence.  

APPLICATION:

• How often are we like Samson’s wife.

• She was married to the most powerful man in the world, but she allowed the threats of lesser men scare her into betraying him.

• Samson killed 30 men like it was nothing, just to take their clothes.

• Later in his life, he killed 1,000 men with nothing but a primitive weapon.

• Samson’s wife was either ignorant of her husband’s power or she forgot how formidable he was.

• We have a special relationship with the most powerful force in existence, God.

• God is our ally, but we often give in to the temptations and threats of mere men.

• In our moments of trial, we need to remind ourselves the power is with us, and the forces that threaten us are pathetic in comparison to the God who protects us.