Judges 14: Happily Never After

I've officiated some rough weddings in my time, but none of them compares to the disaster of Samson's nuptials with the Philistine woman from Timnah!

Things started off on the wrong foot with a mixed marriage that his parents disapproved of.  Imagine Manoah and his wife trying to make sense of the fact that their special Jewish son, "the chosen one," had himself chosen to marry one of the despised Philistines!  They tried to talk him out of it, but they were unsuccessful because God was pulling the strings behind the scenes.  God knew that He was going to use this situation to begin delivering the Israelites from the hand of the Philistines.

En route to the woman's family to make preparations, Samson is jumped by a lion, and he kills it bare-handed.  Later, on a return trip, he stops by to visit the carcass.  Samson discovers that bees had taken up residence in the body and there was honey inside.  As Samson enjoys his sweet treat, he comes up with an idea to pose a riddle to the Philistine wedding guests about his little adventure with the lion and the honey.  He decides to place a wager alongside the riddle as well.

Because the guests cannot figure out the meaning to his riddle ("Out of the eater came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet!"), they pressure his fiancee.  "Tell us the answer to the riddle or we'll burn down your house!"  Nice friends.

The girl mopes before Samson, trying to get him to divulge the answer to the riddle.  She tells him that if he really loved her, he would tell her.  He refuses for most of the week, putting up with her nastiness and moodiness.  Finally, she wears him down (that always seems to be Samson's fatal flaw) and he tells her the answer.

Immediately the guests have the answer as well.  We then hear the famous line, "If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle" (vs. 18).  In a rage, Samson pays off his wager (with the festal garments of 30 Philistine men that he goes and kills).  He then leaves in a huff and returns to his town.

Seeing Samson gone, the girl's father marries her off instead to the best man.  Probably a decision that he will regret...