Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 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.
17. she pressed him sore ] lit. reduced him to straits by her importunity; again in Jdg 16:16.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 17. And she wept before him] Not through any love to him, for it appears she had none, but to oblige her paramours; and of this he soon had ample proof.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The seven days, while their feast lasted, i.e. on the residue of the seven days, to wit, after the third day. It is a familiar synecdoche. Or, on the seventh of the days on which the feast was; and then the following clause, on the seventh day, is only the noun repeated for the pronoun, on that day; as is most frequent, as 1Ki 8:1, Solomon assembledunto Solomon, i.e. unto himself.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And she wept before him the seven days, while the feast lasted,…. Those that remained of the seven days, from the fourth to this time, as Kimchi seems rightly to interpret it; though some think she began to beseech him with tears, on the first day of the feast, to impart the secret to her for her own satisfaction; and then, after the men had urged her on the fourth day to persuade her husband to it, she continued pressing him more earnestly with tears unto the seventh day. Some, as Abarbinel observes, and to whom he seems to incline, think there were fourteen days, seven days before the festival began, on the last of which they importuned her to try to get the secret from him, Jud 14:15, and that she continued pressing all the second seven days; but it seems quite clear that it was at the beginning of the seven days of the feast that the riddle was put, which was to be explained within that time, Jud 14:12
and it came to pass on the seven day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him; pressed him most earnestly with her entreaties, cries, and tears:
and she told the riddle to the children of her people; though she knew it would be to her husband’s detriment, and that he must be obliged to give them thirty sheets of linen, and as many suits of apparel, and though it is probable she had promised not to tell them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(17) The seven days.The margin suggests that it may mean the rest of the seven days. If not, it can only imply that mere feminine curiosity had induced Samsons wife to weary her husband to tell her the secret from the first.
On the seventh day.Perhaps he hoped that he might prevent her from finding an opportunity to betray his secret.
He told her.Keep the door of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom (Mic. 7:5).
She lay sore upon himi.e., she grievously troubled him (LXX., Vulg.).
She told the riddle.Perhaps she might have done so in any case, but she now had the excuse of violent menaces.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. She wept the seven days That is, the rest of the seven days after he put forth the riddle, and while their feast lasted. See notes on Jdg 14:14-15. “Samson’s wife was a weak and wicked woman, who had no real love for her husband, and this is certainly common enough at the present day. Wives are procured now as then by the intervention of parents, and without any of that personal attachment between the parties which we deem essential. They are also very often ready to enter into any treacherous conspiracy against their husbands by which they can gain some desired advantage for themselves or their friends. Indeed, there are very many husbands in this country who neither will nor dare trust their wives. And yet these distrusted but cunning wives have wonderful power over their husbands. “By their arts and their importunity they carry their points, often to the utter and obvious ruin of their husbands. It is not at all contrary to present experience, therefore, that Samson’s wife should conspire against him in the matter of the riddle, nor that she should succeed in teasing him out of the secret.” Thomson.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 14:17 a
‘And she wept before him the seven days, while the feast lasted.’
These were the days of the actual marriage feast itself, a time of feasting and merriment probably enjoyed by the whole town. But it was not pleasant for the fearful girl, and it was spoiling it for Samson. It seemed she would just not let go. No doubt constant veiled threats were passed on to her throughout the days of the feast
(As an alternative to fourteen days of celebration, seven with the men alone and seven of the actual marriage feast, some interpret the whole as but seven days. This involves translating Jdg 14:15 with the versions (LXX and Syriac) as ‘on the fourth day’. Then the idea in this verse would then be that ‘the seven days’ means ‘the remainder of the seven days’ during which she pestered him for the answer).
Jdg 14:17 b
‘And so it was that on the seventh day he told her, because she put great pressure on him, and she told the riddle to the children of her people.’
In the end Samson gave way. He did not want the last day of the feast and the final consummating of the marriage to be spoiled by his wife’s weeping. And greatly relieved she passed on the solution to the men in order to save her family.
The story is summarised. He had no doubt warned her not to tell them for it would be a costly affair. However one question that is difficult to answer is whether the marriage was finalised. Samson clearly thought it was (Jdg 15:1). The fact that she was given to his ‘companion’, possibly to save her from being disgraced, suggests that the father did not think so (Jdg 14:20; Jdg 15:2), although he may have seen Samson’s anger and walking out as an instant divorce from an unconsummated marriage. The Philistines as a whole appear to have considered the marriage valid (Jdg 15:6). Certainly the whole of the seven day ceremony was over, apart from the consummation, for the Philistine men approached him not long before sunset (Jdg 14:18). We know nothing certain from elsewhere about the marriage or divorce customs of the Philistines.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 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.
Ver. 17. And she wept before him the seven days. ] Or, Unto the seventh day; this was no less unseasonable and absurd than music in mourning.
He told her, because she lay sore upon him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the seven: or, the rest of the seven days
she lay: Jdg 16:6, Jdg 16:13, Jdg 16:16, Gen 3:6, Job 2:9, Pro 7:21, Luk 11:8, Luk 18:4, Luk 18:5
and she told: Pro 2:16, Pro 2:17
Reciprocal: Jdg 14:15 – on the seventh day
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 14:17. She wept before him, the seven days Or rather, the rest of the seven days; that is, either after the third day, (Jdg 14:14,) or all the seventh day, from the time her countrymen came and threatened her till she persuaded Samson to tell her the riddle.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
14:17 And she wept before him the {i} 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.
(i) Or, to the seventh day beginning at the fourth.