Judges 14:15
New International Version
On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to steal our property?”

New Living Translation
On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father’s house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor?”

English Standard Version
On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?”

Berean Standard Bible
So on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”

King James Bible
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?

New King James Version
But it came to pass on the seventh day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?

New American Standard Bible
Then it came about on the fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?

NASB 1995
Then it came about on the fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?”

NASB 1977
Then it came about on the fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may tell us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then it happened on the fourth day that they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, so that he will tell us the riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us to impoverish us? Is this not so?”

Amplified Bible
Then on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Persuade your husband to tell us [through you] the [answer to the] riddle, or we will burn you and your father’s household with fire. Have you invited us to make us poor? Is this not true?

Christian Standard Bible
On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Persuade your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s family to death. Did you invite us here to rob us? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Persuade your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?”

American Standard Version
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to impoverish us? is it not so?

Contemporary English Version
Finally, on the seventh day of the party they went to Samson's bride and said, "You had better trick your husband into telling you the answer to his riddle. Have you invited us here just to rob us? If you don't find out the answer, we will burn you and your family to death."

English Revised Version
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to impoverish us? is it not so?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Trick your husband into solving the riddle for us. If you don't, we'll burn you and your family to death. Did the two of you invite us [just to make us poor]?"

Good News Translation
On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Trick your husband into telling us what the riddle means. If you don't, we'll set fire to your father's house and burn you with it. You two invited us so that you could rob us, didn't you?"

International Standard Version
The next day, they told Samson's wife, "Coax your husband to explain the riddle or we'll set fire to your father's house—with you in it! You've invited us here to make us paupers, haven't you?"

Majority Standard Bible
So on the fourth day they said to Samson?s wife, ?Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father?s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us??

NET Bible
On the fourth day they said to Samson's bride, "Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. If you refuse, we will burn up you and your father's family. Did you invite us here to make us poor?"

New Heart English Bible
And it happened on the fourth day, that they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband, that he may tell us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Did you invite us here to impoverish us?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take what we possess? is it not so?

World English Bible
On the seventh day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you called us to impoverish us? Isn’t that so?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband, that he declare the riddle to us, lest we burn you and the house of your father with fire; have you not called for us [here] to rob us?”

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson's wife, 'Entice thy husband, that he declare to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and the house of thy father with fire; to possess us have ye called for us? is it not?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be in the seventh day, and they will say to Samson's wife, Persuade thy man and he shall announce to us the enigma, lest we shall burn thee and thy father's house with fire: did ye not call to us to possess us?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the seventh day came, they said to the wife of Samson: Soothe thy husband, and persuade him to tell thee what the riddle meaneth. But if thou wilt not do it, we will burn thee, and thy father's house. Have you called us to the wedding on purpose to strip us?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when the seventh day had arrived, they said to the wife of Samson: “Coax your husband, and persuade him to reveal to you what the proposition means. But if you are not willing to do so, we will burn you and your father’s house. Or have you called us to the wedding in order to despoil us?”

New American Bible
and on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Trick your husband into solving the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your family. Did you invite us here to reduce us to poverty?”

New Revised Standard Version
On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But on the fourth day, they said to Samson's wife, Entice your husband, that he may declare to us his riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire and take over his possessions.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And on the fourth day they said to the wife of Samson: “Entice your husband to inform us of his riddle, lest we burn you and the house of your father in fire, and we shall possess his inheritance!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife: 'Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire; have ye called us hither to impoverish us?'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they said to the wife of Sampson, Deceive now thy husband, and let him tell thee the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: did ye invite us to do us violence?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samson's Riddle
14So he said to them: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they were unable to explain the riddle. 15So on the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?” 16Then Samson’s wife came to him, weeping, and said, “You hate me! You do not really love me! You have posed to my people a riddle, but have not explained it to me.” “Look,” he said, “I have not even explained it to my father or mother, so why should I explain it to you?”…

Cross References
Proverbs 1:10-14
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them. / If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause, / let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. ...

Proverbs 7:21-23
With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him. / He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap, / until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.

Proverbs 16:29
A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.

Proverbs 17:23
A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.

Proverbs 29:5
A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

Micah 7:5-6
Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms. / For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

Matthew 10:36
A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

Matthew 26:14-16
Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests / and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. / So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Mark 14:10-11
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. / They were delighted to hear this, and they promised to give him money. So Judas began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Luke 22:3-6
Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. / And Judas went to discuss with the chief priests and temple officers how he might betray Jesus to them. / They were delighted and agreed to give him money. ...

John 13:2
The evening meal was underway, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

John 13:27-30
And when Judas had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” / But no one at the table knew why Jesus had said this to him. / Since Judas kept the money bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor. ...

Acts 5:1-3
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. / With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet. / Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?

Acts 6:11-13
Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” / So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin, / where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.

Romans 1:29-32
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. / They are senseless, faithless, heartless, merciless. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said to Samson's wife, Entice your husband, that he may declare to us the riddle, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire: have you called us to take that we have? is it not so?

on the seventh day.

Judges 14:17
And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

Judges 16:5
And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

Genesis 3:1-6
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? …

lest we burn

Judges 12:1
And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.

Judges 15:6
Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

take that we have.

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Judges 14
1. Samson desires a wife of the Philistines.
6. In his journey he kills a lion
8. In a second journey he finds honey in the carcass
10. Samson's marriage feast
12. His riddle by his wife is made known
19. He strikes down thirty Philistines
20. His wife is married to another.














So on the fourth day
The phrase "on the fourth day" indicates a specific time frame within the seven-day wedding feast, a customary celebration in ancient Israelite culture. The number four in biblical numerology often symbolizes completeness or universality. This timing suggests a culmination of tension and impatience among the Philistine guests, who were unable to solve Samson's riddle. Historically, the wedding feast was a time of joy and celebration, but here it becomes a setting for conflict and manipulation.

they said to Samson’s wife
The Philistines addressing Samson's wife highlights the cultural and social dynamics of the time. Women often held a position where they could be easily manipulated or coerced, reflecting the patriarchal society of ancient Israel. Samson's wife, a Philistine, is caught between her loyalty to her people and her new husband. This phrase underscores the tension between the Israelites and the Philistines, as well as the personal conflict faced by Samson's wife.

Entice your husband
The word "entice" suggests seduction or persuasion, often with a negative connotation. In Hebrew, the root word can imply deception or leading someone astray. This reflects the moral and ethical challenges present in the narrative, as Samson's wife is pressured to betray her husband. The use of this word highlights the theme of manipulation and deceit that runs throughout the account of Samson.

to explain the riddle to us
The riddle posed by Samson is central to the narrative, symbolizing the mystery and strength of Samson himself. In ancient cultures, riddles were a form of entertainment and intellectual challenge, but here it becomes a source of conflict. The demand for an explanation reveals the Philistines' desperation and their inability to match Samson's wit, further emphasizing the cultural and spiritual divide between the Israelites and the Philistines.

or we will burn you and your father’s household to death
This threat of violence reveals the brutal and oppressive nature of the Philistines. Fire, often a symbol of judgment and destruction in the Bible, underscores the severity of the threat. Historically, such acts of violence were not uncommon in ancient times, reflecting the harsh realities of life in the ancient Near East. This phrase highlights the stakes involved and the lengths to which the Philistines are willing to go to maintain their pride and avoid humiliation.

Did you invite us here to rob us?
The accusation of being "robbed" suggests a perceived betrayal and loss of honor. In the context of the wedding feast, the guests feel deceived by the unsolvable riddle, which they see as a trick to take their possessions. This reflects the cultural importance of honor and reputation in ancient societies. The rhetorical question implies a breach of hospitality and trust, further intensifying the conflict between Samson and the Philistines.

(15) On the seventh day.--When they were in despair.

Lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire.--As, indeed, they ultimately did (Judges 15:6). If Samson appears in no very favourable light in this chapter, the Philistines show themselves to be most mean, treacherous, and brutal.

To take that we have.--The Hebrew expression is stronger--"to spoil us," or "make us paupers." The "is it not so?" is added to show the vehemence of the question.

Verse 15. - On the seventh day. There is some apparent difficulty in understanding how to reconcile this statement with what was said in ver. 14, that they could not in three days expound the riddle; and also with what is said in vers. 16 and 17, that Samson's wife wept before him the seven days of the feast. And several different readings have arisen from this difficulty: viz., in this verse, the reading of the fourth day for the seventh, and the omission of the words, And it came to pass on the seventh day; and, in the latter part of ver. 14, seven days for three days. But all difficulty will disappear if we bear in mind the peculiarity of Hebrew narrative noticed in note to section vers. 1-6 of ch. 2, when we come to consider ver. 16. Entice thy husband. Cf. Judges 16:5. That he may declare unto us. If the text is sound, they must mean to say, declare it unto you, that you may declare it unto us, i.e. declare it unto us through you. But it is simpler either to read with the Septuagint, that he may declare unto you, etc., or to read, and declare unto us, in the imperative mood. Burn with fire. See ch. 12:1, and Judges 15:6. Have ye called us, etc., i.e. Did you invite us to this feast in order to impoverish us, to plunder us of our property? We shall conclude that you did so if you do not disclose to us the riddle.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

on the fourth
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י (haš·šə·ḇî·‘î)
Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular
Strong's 7637: Seventh (an ordinal number)

day
בַּיּ֣וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

they said
וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to Samson’s
שִׁמְשׁוֹן֙ (šim·šō·wn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8123: Samson -- a deliverer of Israel

wife,
לְאֵֽשֶׁת־ (lə·’ê·šeṯ-)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

“Entice
פַּתִּ֣י (pat·tî)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - feminine singular
Strong's 6601: To open, be, roomy, to be, simple, delude

your husband
אִישֵׁ֗ךְ (’î·šêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

to explain
וְיַגֶּד־ (wə·yag·geḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

the riddle to us,
הַ֣חִידָ֔ה (ha·ḥî·ḏāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2420: A riddle, an enigmatic, perplexing saying or question

or
פֶּן־ (pen-)
Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

we will burn
נִשְׂרֹ֥ף (niś·rōp̄)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 8313: To be, on fire

you
אוֹתָ֛ךְ (’ō·w·ṯāḵ)
Direct object marker | second person feminine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

and your father’s
אָבִ֖יךְ (’ā·ḇîḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 1: Father

household
בֵּ֥ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

to death.
בָּאֵ֑שׁ (bā·’êš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

Did you invite
קְרָאתֶ֥ם (qə·rā·ṯem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

us here
לָ֖נוּ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

to rob us?”
הַלְיָרְשֵׁ֕נוּ (hal·yā·rə·šê·nū)
Preposition | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | first person common plural
Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin


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OT History: Judges 14:15 It happened on the seventh day that (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 14:14
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