Judges 14

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Judges 14
  chapter 13
chapter 15  
Leningrad-codex-07-judges.pdf
The pages containing the Book of Judges in Leningrad Codex (1008 CE).
Book Book of Judges
Hebrew Bible part Nevi'im
Order in the Hebrew part2
Category Former Prophets
Christian Bible part Old Testament (Heptateuch)
Order in the Christian part7

Judges 14 is the fourteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. [1] According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, [2] [3] but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. [3] [4] This chapter records the activities of judges Samson. [5] belonging to a section comprising Judges 13 to 16 and Judges 6:1 to 16:31. [6]

Contents

Text

This chapter was originally written in the Hebrew language. It is divided into 20 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). [7]

Extant ancient manuscripts of a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint (originally was made in the last few centuries BCE) include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century) and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century). [8] [lower-alpha 1]

Analysis

Two panels

A linguistic study by Chisholm reveals that the central part in the Book of Judges (Judges 3:7–16:31) can be divided into two panels based on the six refrains that state that the Israelites did evil in Yahweh's eyes: [10]

Panel One

A 3:7 ויעשו בני ישראל את הרע בעיני יהוה
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD (KJV) [11]
B 3:12 ויספו בני ישראל לעשות הרע בעיני יהוה
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD
B 4:1 ויספו בני ישראל לעשות הרע בעיני יהוה
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD

Panel Two

A 6:1 ויעשו בני ישראל הרע בעיני יהוה
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD
B 10:6 ויספו בני ישראל לעשות הרע בעיני יהוה
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD
B 13:1 ויספו בני ישראל לעשות הרע בעיני יהוה
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD

Furthermore, from the linguistic evidence, the verbs used to describe the Lord's response to Israel's sin have chiastic patterns and can be grouped to fit the division above: [12]

Panel One

3:8 וימכרם, "and he sold them," from the root מָכַר, makar
3:12 ויחזק, "and he strengthened," from the root חָזַק, khazaq
4:2 וימכרם, "and he sold them," from the root מָכַר, makar

Panel Two

6:1 ויתנם, "and he gave them," from the root נָתַן, nathan
10:7 וימכרם, "and he sold them," from the root מָכַר, makar
13:1 ויתנם, "and he gave them," from the root נָתַן, nathan

The Samson Narrative

Chapters 13–16 contains the "Samson Narrative" or "Samson Cycle", a highly structured poetic composition with an 'almost architectonic tightness' from a literary point-of-view. [13] The entire section consists of 3 cantos and 10 subcantos and 30 canticles, as follows: [13]

The distribution of the 10 subcantos into 3 cantos is a regular 2 + 4 + 4, with the number of canticles per subcanto as follows: [13]

The number of strophes per canticle in each canto is quite uniform with numerical patterns in Canto II showing a 'concentric symmetry': [13]

The structure regularity within the whole section classifies this composition as a 'narrative poetry' or 'poetic narrative'. [14]

Besides the thematic symmetry, parts of the narrative shows an observable structure with chapter 13 balances chapter 16 (each consisting of three sub-sections with a fourfold asking and answer discourse at the center) whereas chapters 14 and 15 show a parallelism in form and content. [15] [16]

Structure of chapter 14

Chapter 14 has the following structure: [15] [16]

A. Samson went down to Timnah (14:1-4)
1. speech between Samson and parents/father
2. parental objection
3. Samson's rejection of the possibility of another woman.
B. Samson went down to Timnah (14:5-6)
1. action involving an animal (lion).
C. And he went down and spoke to the woman (14:7-9)
1. action involving honey, a gracious act
D. His father went down to the woman (14:10-20)
1. speech between Samson, Philistines and the Timnite;
2. Philistines threaten third party to beat Samson
3. Spirit of YHWH and Samson's victory.

Samson wants to marry a Philistine woman (14:1–4)

The power struggles between Samson and the Philistines stem from the incident recorded in verses 1–4 of this chapter that starts with Samson "going down" to Timnah and "seeing" an attractive Philistine woman. [17] [18] Themes of Israelite status and the otherness of the Philistines ( 'us' versus 'them') are displayed in a tale of trickery and counter-trickery as God uses Samson to challenge the Philistines who 'rule over Israel at this time' (14:4). [17] These themes are shown in the parental disapproving words to Samson concerning his chosen match (14:3; cf. Genesis 34:14—15) and in the ethnic way Samson describing the woman. [17]

Verse 1

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. [19]

Samson's wedding and riddle (14:5–20)

"Samson's Fight with the Lion"by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1525). Lucas Cranach d.A. - Simson bezwingt den Lowen.jpg
"Samson's Fight with the Lion"by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1525).

The killing of the lion with bare hands (verse 5) was kept secret (cf. verse 9) and led to the hidden answer to the riddle that follows (verse 14). This episode gives a portrayal Samson with a superpower which is followed superhuman feats against the Philistines (cf. 15:1,4; 16:1,3; 16:4, 9,12,14). [17] The honey in the lion's carcass acts as a source of nourishment for a warrior (verse 8; cf. honey and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14:27–29). [17] The seven-day wedding feast between Samson and the Timnite woman becomes an occasion for trickery, as a possible union between opposing groups turned to resentment and destruction (ultimately God's plan for the Philistines, oppressors of Israel), where Samson is clearly an outsider surrounded by Philistines, and either side plays fair. [17] In this chapter forward, the pattern of knowledge, deception, sexuality, and power intertwine in the Samson Narrative. Samson paid the loss of his riddling bet by killing thirty Philistines from another Philistine city, Ascalon, and gave the clothes to his riddle opponents in Timnath, but he immediately went back to his own people and did not consummate his marriage, so his father-in-law gave Samson's bride to another man, which becomes a set up for the fissure between Samson and the Philistines. [17]

The center section of the riddle (verses 14–17) has a concentric symmetry highlighted by the words "tell" and "riddle" as follows: [21]

A. Report
1. They could not "tell" the "riddle" for three days
2. On the seventh day, they approached the wife
B. The Philistines' speech
"Entice your husband to "tell" the "riddle"
X. Speech of Samson's bride
"You hate me, you do not love me,
You possed the "riddle" to my people
to me you did not "tell"
B'. Samson's speech
"I did not "tell" my father and mother
Shall I "tell" you?
A.' Report
2'. She wept for seven days
1'. On the seventh day, he "told" her
and she "told" the "riddle" to her people

The riddle itself was given with a high artistry of word play (verse 14), taking the three possible meaning of the root "'ry" (to "eat", "lion", or "honey") that the correct answer to the riddle would be ""ari mē ari" ("honey from lion"). [22] However, the Philistines avoided to give that answer which would betray their source of knowledge, and instead gave a counter-riddle as an answer: "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?" that the answer would be "love". [22]

Archeology

A circular stone seal, approximately 15 mm (0.59 in) in diameter, was found by the archaeologists from Tel Aviv University (announced in August 2012) on the floor of a house at Beth Shemesh and appears to depict a long-haired man slaying a lion, which may or may not depict the biblical Samson. The 12th-century-BCE seal was discovered in the geographical proximity to the area where Samson lived, and the time period of the seal indicates that a story was being told at the time of a hero who fought a lion, and that the story eventually found its way into the biblical text and onto the seal. [23]

See also

Notes

  1. The whole book of Judges is missing from the extant Codex Sinaiticus. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samson</span> Figure in the Book of Judges

Samson was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution of the monarchy. He is sometimes considered as an Israelite version of the popular Near Eastern folk hero also embodied by the Sumerian Gilgamesh and Enkidu, as well as the Greek Heracles. Samson was given superhuman powers by God in the form of extreme strength.

Timna, Timnah or Timnath may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timnah</span>

Timnath or Timnah was a Philistine city in Canaan that is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Judges 14 and in connection with Samson. Modern archaeologists identify the ancient site with a tell lying on a flat, alluvial plain, located in the Sorek Valley ca. 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north-west of Beit Shemesh, near moshav Tal Shahar in Israel, known in Hebrew as Tel Batash or Teluliot Batashi (plural), and in Arabic as Tell Butashi or Teleilat Batashi (plural). The site is not to be confused with either the as yet unidentified Timna from the hill country of Judah, nor with the southern copper-smelting site of Timna in the Arabah near Eilat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samson's riddle</span> Narrative in the biblical Book of Judges

Samson's riddle is found in the biblical Book of Judges, where it is incorporated into a larger narrative about Samson, the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites. The riddle, with which Samson challenges his thirty wedding guests, is as follows: "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet."

Isaiah 11 is the eleventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains prophesies attributed to the prophet Isaiah. This chapter can be divided into two main parts, verses 1–9 and verses 11–16, with verse 10 as a connecting statement between them. The New International Version entitles the chapter "The Branch from Jesse".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 20</span> Book of Judges chapter

Judges 20 is the twentieth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other eleven tribes of Israel, belonging to a section comprising Judges 17 to 21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 2</span> Book of Judges, chapter 2

Judges 2 is the second chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter focuses on the military failure and apostasy of the Israelites following the introduction in the first chapter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 3</span> Book of Judges, chapter 3

Judges 3 is the third chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of the first three judges, Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar, belonging to a section comprising Judges 3:1 to 5:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 4</span> Book of Judges, chapter 4

Judges 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Deborah, belonging to a section comprising Judges 3:1 to 5:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 5</span> Book of Judges, chapter 5

Judges 5 is the fifth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy through Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in the 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Deborah, belonging to a section comprising Judges 3:1 to 5:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 6</span> Book of Judges, chapter 6

Judges 6 is the sixth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Gideon, belonging to a section comprising Judges 6 to 9 and a bigger section of Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 7</span> Book of Judges, chapter 7

Judges 7 is the seventh chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Gideon, belonging to a section comprising Judges 6 to 9 and a bigger section of Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 8</span> Book of Judges, chapter 8

Judges 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Gideon, belonging to a section comprising Judges 6 to 9 and a bigger section of Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 9</span> Book of Judges chapter

Judges 9 is the ninth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Gideon's son, Abimelech, belonging to a section comprising Judges 6 to 9 and a bigger section of Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 10</span> Book of Judges, chapter 10

Judges 10 is the tenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Tola and Jair. belonging to a section comprising Judges 6 to 9 and a bigger section of Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 11</span> Book of Judges, chapter 11

Judges 11 is the eleventh chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judge Jephthah. belonging to a section comprising Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 12</span> Book of Judges, chapter 12

Judges 12 is the twelfth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judges Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. belonging to a section comprising Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 13</span> Book of Judges, chapter 13

Judges 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judges Samson. belonging to a section comprising Judges 13 to 16 and Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 15</span> Book of Judges, chapter 15

Judges 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judges Samson. belonging to a section comprising Judges 13 to 16 and Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judges 16</span> Chapter of the Bible

Judges 16 is the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans in the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records the activities of judges Samson. belonging to a section comprising Judges 13 to 16 and Judges 6:1 to 16:31.

References

  1. Halley 1965, p. 173.
  2. Talmud, Baba Bathra 14b-15a)
  3. 1 2 Gilad, Elon. Who Really Wrote the Biblical Books of Kings and the Prophets? Haaretz, June 25, 2015. Summary: The paean to King Josiah and exalted descriptions of the ancient Israelite empires beg the thought that he and his scribes lie behind the Deuteronomistic History.
  4. Niditch 2007, p. 177.
  5. Niditch 2007, p. 185.
  6. Chisholm 2009, pp. 251–252.
  7. Würthwein 1995, pp. 35–37.
  8. Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.
  9. Wikisource-logo.svg This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Codex Sinaiticus". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  10. Chisholm 2009, p. 251.
  11. Judges 3:7 Hebrew Text Analysis. Biblehub
  12. Chisholm 2009, p. 252.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Kim 1993, p. 424.
  14. Kim 1993, pp. 424, 426.
  15. 1 2 Exum, J. Cheryl (1980). Literary Patterns in the Samson Saga: An Investigation of Rhetorical Style in Biblical Prose. University Microfilms. pp. 68–69.
  16. 1 2 Kim 1993, p. 103.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Niditch 2007, p. 186.
  18. Younger 2002, p. 299.
  19. Judges 14:1 KJV
  20. 1 2 Webb 2012, p. 364.
  21. Kim 1993, p. 256.
  22. 1 2 Kim 1993, p. 427.
  23. Hasson, Nir (Jul 30, 2012). "National Seal found by Israeli archeologists may give substance to Samson legend". Haaretz . Retrieved 3 September 2013.

Sources