Judges 14:12 - 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;
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What does "Judges 14:12" mean?
This verse from Judges 14:12 is the setup for a wager that Samson makes with thirty Philistine men at his wedding feast. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"Samson said to them...": This identifies the speaker as Samson, the Israelite judge known for his great strength.
"Let me tell you a riddle now...": Samson proposes a challenge in the form of a riddle. Riddles were often used as entertainment and tests of wit in ancient times.
"If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out...": This sets the conditions of the wager. The Philistine men have seven days (the duration of the wedding feast) to solve the riddle. It emphasizes that they must not only guess the answer, but also understand its meaning and explain it.
"then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;": This is Samson's offer - the prize for solving the riddle. Thirty sets of linen garments and clothing were a valuable reward, indicating the high stakes of the challenge.
In essence, Samson is making a bet. He believes his riddle is so difficult that the Philistines won't be able to solve it within the week of festivities. This serves as a literary device to set up a conflict and foreshadows the deceitful and violent events that will unfold as the Philistines try to win the wager.
Judges 14:12 - 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;
What does "Judges 14:12" mean?
This verse from Judges 14:12 is the setup for a wager that Samson makes with thirty Philistine men at his wedding feast. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"Samson said to them...": This identifies the speaker as Samson, the Israelite judge known for his great strength.
"Let me tell you a riddle now...": Samson proposes a challenge in the form of a riddle. Riddles were often used as entertainment and tests of wit in ancient times.
"If you can declare it to me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out...": This sets the conditions of the wager. The Philistine men have seven days (the duration of the wedding feast) to solve the riddle. It emphasizes that they must not only guess the answer, but also understand its meaning and explain it.
"then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing;": This is Samson's offer - the prize for solving the riddle. Thirty sets of linen garments and clothing were a valuable reward, indicating the high stakes of the challenge.
In essence, Samson is making a bet. He believes his riddle is so difficult that the Philistines won't be able to solve it within the week of festivities. This serves as a literary device to set up a conflict and foreshadows the deceitful and violent events that will unfold as the Philistines try to win the wager.