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17 She wept before him the seven days of their feast; and it happened, because she nagged him, on the seventh day he explained it to her, and she told the riddle to her people.[a] 18 The men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,

“What is sweeter than honey?
    What is stronger than a lion?”

And he said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
    you would not have found out my riddle.”

19 And the Spirit of Yahweh rushed on him, and he went down to Ashkelon. He killed thirty men from them, and he took their belongings, and he gave festal garments to the ones that explained the riddle. He was angry,[b] and he went up to his father’s house.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 14:17 Literally “the sons/children of her people”
  2. Judges 14:19 Literally “his nose was hot”

17 She cried the whole seven days(A) of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.

18 Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?
    What is stronger than a lion?”(B)

Samson said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
    you would not have solved my riddle.”

19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.(C) He went down to Ashkelon,(D) struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger,(E) he returned to his father’s home.

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