KJV King James Version
And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find [it] out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Judges 14:12
And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find [it] out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them. “If you can solve it for me within the seven days of the feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.
WEB World English Bible
Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle now. If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;
ASV American Standard Version
And Samson said unto them, Let me now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment;
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
And Samson saith to them, ‘Let me, I pray you, put forth to you a riddle; if ye certainly declare it to me in the seven days of the banquet, and have found it out, then I have given to you thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments;
Surrounding context — Judges 14
9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find [it] out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
13 But if ye cannot declare [it] me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
15 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]?
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרH559 · a.marto sayלָהֶם֙H9038 · hemthemשִׁמְשׁ֔וֹןH8123 · shim.shonSamsonאָחֽוּדָה־H2330 · chudto riddleנָּ֥אH4994 · napleaseלָכֶ֖םH9036 · khemyouחִידָ֑הH2420 · chi.dahriddleאִם־H518 · imifהַגֵּ֣דH5046 · na.gadto tellתַּגִּידוּ֩H5046 · na.gadto tellאוֹתָ֨הּH853 · et[Obj.]לִ֜יH9030 · nimeשִׁבְעַ֨תH7651 · she.vasevenיְמֵ֤יH3117 · yomdayהַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙H4960 · mish.tehfeastוּמְצָאתֶ֔םH4672 · ma.tsato findוְנָתַתִּ֤יH5414 · na.tanto give: giveלָכֶם֙H9036 · khemyouשְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםH7970 · she.lo.shimthirtyסְדִינִ֔יםH5466 · sa.dinlinenוּשְׁלֹשִׁ֖יםH7970 · she.lo.shimthirtyחֲלִפֹ֥תH2487 · cha.li.phahchangeבְּגָדִֽים׃H899 · be.gedtreachery
Cross-references
1 Kings 10:1And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.Ezekiel 17:2Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;Genesis 45:22To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred [pieces] of silver, and five changes of raiment.Proverbs 1:6To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.2 Kings 5:5And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of raiment.2 Kings 5:22And he said, All [is] well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.James 5:2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.Matthew 13:34All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:Matthew 6:19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:1 Corinthians 13:12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.Ezekiel 20:49Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?John 16:29His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.Matthew 13:13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.Psalm 49:4I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.Matthew 27:28And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.Mark 14:51-52And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about [his] naked [body]; and the young men laid hold on him:2 Chronicles 7:8Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.Genesis 29:27-28Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Judges 14:12
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →