Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 14:18
And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What [is] sweeter than honey? and what [is] stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
18. before the sun went down ] lit. went in. But the word for sun ( eres) is rare and poetical, and it has the accus. ending which denotes motion towards. A slight correction proposed by Stade gives the right sense: before he went into the chamber, the same word as in Jdg 15:1. They wait till the last moment before the wedding was completed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They try to give the answer in a way to make it appear that they had guessed it. Samson saw at once that she had betrayed him. He lets them know in a speech, which was of the nature of a riddle, that he had discovered the treachery.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. If ye had not ploughed with my heifer] If my wife had not been unfaithful to my bed, she would not have been unfaithful to my secret; and, you being her paramours, your interest was more precious to her than that of her husband. She has betrayed me through her attachment to you.
Calmet has properly remarked, in quoting the Septuagint, that to plough with one’s heifer, or to plough in another man’s ground, are delicate turns of expression used both by the Greeks and Latins, as well as the Hebrews, to point out a wife’s infidelities.
Thus Theognis, Gnom. v. 581: –
, .
‘ .
“I detest a woman who gads about, and also a libidinous man, who wishes to plough in another man’s ground.”
Fundum alienium arat, incultum familiarem deserit.
PLAUTUS.
“He ploughs another’s farm, and leaves his own heritage uncultivated.”
Milo domi non est, perepre at Milone profecto
Arva vacant, uxor non minus inde parit.
MARTIAL.
“Milo is not at home, and Milo being from home, his field lies uncultivated; his wife, nevertheless, continues to breed, and brings forth children.”
There is the same metaphor in the following lines of Virgil: –
Hoc faciunt, nimo ne luxu obtusior usus,
Sit genitali arvo, sulcosque oblimet inertes.
Geor. l. iii., v. 135.
In this sense Samson’s words were understood by the Septuagint, by the Syriac, and by Rabbi Levi. See BOCHART, Hierozoic. p. 1., lib. ii., cap. 41., col. 406.
The metaphor was a common one, and we need seek for no other interpretation of the words of Samson.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
If you had not employed my wife to find it out, as men plough up the ground with a heifer, thereby discovering its hidden parts: he calls her
heifer, either because he now suspected her wantonness and too much familiarity with that friend which she afterwards married; or because she was joined with him in the same yoke; or rather, because they used such in ploughing.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. If ye had not plowed with myheifer, ye had not found out my riddlea metaphor borrowed fromagricultural pursuits, in which not only oxen but cows and heiferswere, and continue to be, employed in dragging the plough. Divestedof metaphor, the meaning is taken by some in a criminal sense, butprobably means no more than that they had resorted to the aid of hiswifean unworthy expedient, which might have been deemed by a manof less noble spirit and generosity as releasing him from theobligation to fulfil his bargain.
Jdg 14:19;Jdg 14:20. HESLAYS THIRTYPHILISTINES.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the men of the city said unto him, on the seventh day, before the sun went down,…. And so soon, enough to free them from the obligation they otherwise would have been under, to have given him the sheets and changes of raiment agreed unto:
what is sweeter than honey? nothing, at least that was known, sugar not being invented. Julian the emperor n, in commendation of figs, shows, from various authors, that nothing is sweeter than they, excepting honey:
and what is stronger than a lion? no creature is, it is the strongest among beasts, Pr 30:30. Homer o gives the epithet of strong to a lion:
and he said unto them, if ye had not ploughed with my heifer; meaning his wife, whom he compares to an heifer, young, wanton, and unaccustomed to the yoke p; and by “ploughing” with her, he alludes to such creatures being employed therein, making use of her to get the secret out of him, and then plying her closely to obtain it from her; and this diligent application and search of theirs, by this means to inform themselves, was like ploughing up ground; they got a discovery of that which before lay hid, and without which they could never have had the knowledge of, as he adds:
ye had not found out my riddle; the explanation of it. Ben Gersome and Abarbinel interpret ploughing of committing adultery with her; in which sense the phrase is used by Greek and Latin writers q; but the first sense is best, for it is not said, “ploughed my heifer”, but with her.
n Opera, par. 9. epist. 24. o Odyss. 4. ver. 336. p Vid. Horat. Carmin, l. 2. ode 5. Graja. “Juvenca venit”. Ovid. ep. 5. ver. 117. q Vid. Bochart. Hierozoic par. 1. l. 2. c. 41. col. 406.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(18) What is sweeter than honey?Their answer is given in the same rhythmical form as the riddle itself.
If ye had not plowed with my heifer.Many commentators, following Rabbi Levi Ben Gershom, read in this proverbial phrase an implication that Samson suspected his wife of adultery; but there is no sufficient reason for this view.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. Men of the city The thirty companions mentioned in Jdg 14:11.
Before the sun went down Just in time to save themselves the mulct.
What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?
They answer thus sententiously, and by a distich similar to that in which he propounded the riddle. It was not necessary that they utter particulars, but only say so much as to assure him that they knew his riddle. Their triumph had been gained at such pains that they seem to have sought to make their answer poignant, in order to irritate Samson.
Ploughed with my heifer A proverbial expression implying the illegal use of that which was not their own. The expression was, indeed, not a delicate or chaste one, but does not charge, as some have thought, lewd and criminal intercourse between Samson’s wife and his thirty companions.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jdg 14:18 a
‘And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day, before the sun went down, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” ’
Late on the last day they provided the answer to his riddle, and we can hear in their answer their mocking tones, but neither would doubt where the answer had really come from. Samson now saw his hope of added status (compare Gen 45:22; 2Ki 5:23) disappear and himself soon to be greatly in debt. As with many riddles once the answer was given it was obvious. See Psa 19:10; Psa 119:103; Pro 30:30.
“The men of the city.” These were his companions, who were Philistine inhabitants of Timnah (or had possibly been brought from Ashkelon?), although others may have joined with them to enjoy his discomfiture. The riddle had probably become a talking point in the town. Not all would have known of the threats offered to the girl.
“Before the sun went down.” There may be intended to be a hint here that the sun was going down in more ways than one, that things would soon become very dark for Samson, the sun boy, although the word for sun here is not shemesh, but a rarer word, possibly with the aim of avoiding being too obvious). But the main point was that the riddle was solved just in time. (The alteration to the text to read ‘before he went into the (bridal) chamber’ is unnecessary and misses the point, although it would stress the point that he in fact never did so).
Jdg 14:18 b
‘And he said to them, “If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.” ’
Samson’s answer was abrupt and very vivid. They had put the yoke on his woman to plough up the secret. It indicated both the unfair pressure they had exercised and the foulness of their behaviour. In his view this was both an insult to him, and an act of aggression which justified him in retaliation.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jdg 14:18. If ye had not plowed with my heifer A proverbial expression; which signifies no more, than that without the assistance of his wife the Philistines could not have found out his riddle.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jdg 14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What [is] sweeter than honey? and what [is] stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
Ver. 18. If ye had not ploughed with my heifer. ] His wife he calleth his heifer, propter mulierum insolentiam, saith Lyra. Some think that these words intimate some sign of suspicion of some secret and unchaste dealing with his wife, that iuvenca petalca, which kindled a “jealousy” in him, which is, saith Solomon, “the rage of a man.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
What. ? Figure of speech Anteisagoge. App-6.
If. Figure of speech Paroemia. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Reciprocal: 2Sa 1:23 – stronger Psa 81:16 – honey Pro 30:30 – General Eze 1:10 – the face of a lion
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jdg 14:18-19. If ye had not, &c. If you had not employed my wife to find it out, as men plough up the ground with a heifer, thereby discovering its hidden parts; he calls her heifer, because she was joined with him in the same yoke. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him Though he had constant strength and courage, yet that was exceedingly increased upon special occasions, by the extraordinary influences of Gods Spirit. To Ashkelon Either to the territory, or to the city itself, where he had both strength and courage enough to attempt what follows; and upon the doing hereof they were doubtless struck with such terror, that every one sought only to preserve himself, and none durst pursue him. This action of Samson could neither be commended nor justified, had he not been actuated by a divine impulse, in order to punish the Philistines, according to Gods intention. God made use of him, as the judge does of the executioner, to punish those that merit and are condemned to suffer punishment. And took their spoil This plainly shows the thirty sheets, and thirty changes of raiment, mentioned Jdg 14:13, mean only thirty suits of apparel, such as men commonly wore. His anger was kindled For the treachery of his wife and companions; and he went up to his fathers house Without his wife. It would be well for us, if the unkindnesses we meet with from the world, and our disappointments therein, had this good effect upon us, to oblige us to return by faith and prayer to our heavenly Fathers house.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
14:18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What [is] sweeter than honey? and what [is] stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, {k} If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
(k) If you had not used the help of my wife.