Samson's Riddle

By Mary Vee
Judges 14

Samson's Thoughts

A few days after I killed the lion (you can read the story here. )  I went back to see the lion's body.


A swarm of bees had buried their hive deep between the bones. Rich, golden honey had dripped out. I grabbed a branch from a tree and waved it over the hive. The bees zapped from their home and swarmed to a flowering bush. While they were gone, I dipped my hand inside and scooped out honey. 

Fresh, warm honey.  Gooey. Delicious.

I gave some to my parents, but I didn't tell them about killing the lion.

A few days later I married a girl from a nearby village. Following the wedding, I gave a banquet for her family and the rest of her village. All the Philistine men came. Yes, the girl was a Philistine.


On the first night of the banquet I wanted to have some fun. I asked the Philistine men, "Do you want to hear a riddle? If you can correctly solve and explain it to me before the seventh day of this banquet ends, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes. but, if you can't explain the riddle to me, you'll have to give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes."

The Philistine men looked at each other and whispered then turned to me. "Okay, tell us your riddle."


This is the riddle I told:  

Out of the eater came something to eat,
and out of the strong cam something sweet.

They scratched their beards and whispered to each other. No one knew the answer.

For seven days I watched the Philistines work on the riddle. but couldn't find the answer. Each night after our wedding, my wife came to me and cried. "You don't love me. You told the men from my family a riddle yet you didn't tell me the answer!" 

I laughed."Dear wife, I haven't told my parents the answer either." She cried and cried. I couldn't get any sleep. After several days I couldn't stand the noise any longer. I told her the answer to the riddle.


That night I went to the banquet. It was the seventh night. I looked at the Philistine men and smiled. "So, do you have the answer to my riddle?"


The nodded and smiled back. "Yes.  What is sweet____. Honey is the answer.  What is strong___. Lion is the answer."


Those tricky Philistine men. They must have found out the answer from my wife. Anger boiled from my toes to my head.  The great strength God gave me for the lion flowed into my muscles. I went to Ashkelon and killed thirty Philistines, took their clothing, and gave it to the men who answered the riddle.

I didn't want to be around those Philistines any more so I went back to my parent's house.  My wife stayed with her Philistine family.
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1.  What did Samson find in the lion's body?
2.  Why did Samson have a banquet?  Who came?
3.  What did Samson tell his guests?
4.  What did Samson want them to give him?
5.  Why did Samson tell his wife the answer?  
Samson didn't know the men from the village talked to his wife and promised to burn her family's house if she didn't tell them answer.
6. What did Samson do when he heard the Philistine men's correct answer?

God gave Samson the strength to conquer the Philistines