Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. New Living Translation Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass. English Standard Version After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. Berean Standard Bible When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey. King James Bible And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. New King James Version After some time, when he returned to get her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion. And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. New American Standard Bible When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. NASB 1995 When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. NASB 1977 When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to look at the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. Legacy Standard Bible Then he returned later to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. Amplified Bible When he returned later to take her, he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion. Christian Standard Bible After some time, when he returned to marry her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and there was a swarm of bees with honey in the carcass. Holman Christian Standard Bible After some time, when he returned to get her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and there was a swarm of bees with honey in the carcass. American Standard Version And after a while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. Contemporary English Version Later, Samson returned to Timnah for the wedding. And when he came near the place where the lion had attacked, he left the road to see what was left of the lion. He was surprised to see that bees were living in the lion's skeleton, and that they had made some honey. English Revised Version And after a while he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. GOD'S WORD® Translation Later he went back to marry her. [On his way] he left the road to look at the lion he had killed. He saw a swarm of bees and some honey in the lion's dead body. Good News Translation A few days later Samson went back to marry her. On the way he left the road to look at the lion he had killed, and he was surprised to find a swarm of bees and some honey inside the dead body. International Standard Version When he came back later to marry her, he turned aside to observe the lion's carcass. Amazingly, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, complete with honey. Majority Standard Bible When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion?s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey. NET Bible Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to see the lion's remains. He saw a swarm of bees in the lion's carcass, as well as some honey. New Heart English Bible After a while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and look, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. Webster's Bible Translation And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion. World English Bible After a while he returned to take her, and he went over to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand he turns back after [some] days to take her, and turns aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees [are] in the body of the lion—and honey. Young's Literal Translation and he turneth back after some days to take her, and turneth aside to see the carcase of the lion, and lo, a company of bees are in the body of the lion -- and honey. Smith's Literal Translation And he will turn back after days to take her, and he will turn aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, an assembly of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd after some days returning to take her, he went aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold there was a swarm of bees in the mouth of the lion and a honeycomb. Catholic Public Domain Version And after some days, returning to marry her, he turned aside so that he might see the carcass of the lion. And behold, there was a swarm of bees in the mouth of the lion, with a honeycomb. New American Bible Later, when he came back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the remains of the lion, and there was a swarm of bees in the lion’s carcass, and honey. New Revised Standard Version After a while he returned to marry her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the carcass of the lion, and the honey ran out on his hands as he walked. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And he returned from after days to take her and departed to see the skeleton of the lion, and behold, a swarm of bees was in the corpse of the lion, and the honey ran over his hands and he was walking OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And after a while he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. Brenton Septuagint Translation And after some time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees, and honey were in the mouth of the lion. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Samson's Riddle8When Samson returned later to take her, he left the road to see the lion’s carcass, and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey. 9So he scooped some honey into his hands and ate it as he went along. And when he returned to his father and mother, he gave some to them and they ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass.… Cross References 1 Samuel 17:34-37 David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, / I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it. / Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” ... 1 Kings 13:24-28 As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. / And there were men passing by who saw the body lying in the road with the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported this in the city where the old prophet lived. / When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard this, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, and it has mauled him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to him.” ... Proverbs 25:16 If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up. Psalm 19:10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth! Matthew 3:4 John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Matthew 12:39-40 Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. / For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Luke 11:29-30 As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. / For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. Mark 1:6 John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. Revelation 10:9-10 And I went to the angel and said, “Give me the small scroll.” “Take it and eat it,” he said. “It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” / So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach turned bitter. 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Genesis 49:9 Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? Numbers 6:6-7 Throughout the days of his separation to the LORD, he must not go near a dead body. / Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the symbol of consecration to his God is upon his head. Deuteronomy 7:25-26 You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God. / And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction. Treasury of Scripture And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion. to take her Genesis 29:21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. a swarm. Jump to Previous Bees Body Carcase Carcass Company Dead Honey Lion Marry Road Swarm Time Turned Turneth TurningJump to Next Bees Body Carcase Carcass Company Dead Honey Lion Marry Road Swarm Time Turned Turneth TurningJudges 14 1. Samson desires a wife of the Philistines.6. In his journey he kills a lion 8. In a second journey he finds honey in the carcass 10. Samson's marriage feast 12. His riddle by his wife is made known 19. He strikes down thirty Philistines 20. His wife is married to another. When Samson returned later to take her This phrase indicates a passage of time since Samson's initial encounter with the Philistine woman in Timnah. The act of "taking her" refers to the marriage customs of the time, where a man would formally take a woman as his wife. This reflects the cultural practice of arranged marriages and the importance of family alliances. Samson's return signifies his commitment to the marriage, despite the potential conflict with his Nazirite vow and Israelite identity. he left the road to see the lion’s carcass and in it was a swarm of bees, along with their honey Persons / Places / Events 1. SamsonA judge of Israel known for his extraordinary strength, which was a gift from God. He was a Nazirite from birth, dedicated to God, and his life is a series of victories and failures. 2. Lion The animal that Samson encounters and kills with his bare hands. Later, he finds a swarm of bees and honey in its carcass, which is unusual and significant in the account. 3. Timnah A Philistine town where Samson went to find a wife. This location is significant as it represents the tension between the Israelites and the Philistines. 4. Bees and Honey Found in the carcass of the lion, this event is symbolic and later becomes the basis for Samson's riddle at his wedding feast. 5. Philistines The ruling people over Israel at the time, representing the oppression and challenges faced by the Israelites. Teaching Points God's Strength in UsJust as Samson was empowered by God to defeat the lion, believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome challenges in their lives. Unexpected Blessings The honey in the lion's carcass symbolizes how God can bring unexpected blessings and sweetness out of difficult situations. Consequences of Choices Samson's journey to Timnah and his interactions with the Philistines highlight the importance of making choices that align with God's will. Symbolism of the Lion The lion can represent the challenges and adversaries we face, and the victory over it symbolizes triumph through God's power. Faithfulness to Vows Samson's life is a reminder of the importance of faithfulness to our commitments to God, as his Nazirite vow was central to his identity and strength.(8) After a time.--There is nothing to show how long this time was. A betrothal might last a year. In Judges 11:4 the same phrase ("after days ") is used of many years. To take her.--To lead her to his own home after the bridal feast. A swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.--This incident has been questioned, because it is truly said that bees hate all putrescence and decomposition, and that the notion of bees being generated in the rotting bodies of oxen (which we find in Virgil, Georgic 4, &c.) is a vulgar error. But it is overlooked that the word "carcase" here means (as the Syriac renders it) "skeleton." The fierce sun of the East dries up all the animal moisture of a dead body, and reduces it to a skeleton with extreme rapidity, and bees have no dislike to dried bones as a place in which to swarm. Thus Herodotus tells us (v. 114) that when the Amathusians cut off the head of Onesilus, because he besieged them, and hung it over their gates, a swarm of bees filled the skull with their combs and honey. Rosenmller also quotes the authority of the physician Aldrovand for the story that swarms of bees built their combs between the skeletons of two sisters who were buried in the Church of Santa Croce, at Verona, in 1566. (Comp. Plin. H. N., xi. 24; Varro, R. R., 3:16.) Verse 8. - He returned to take her. All the preliminaries being settled between the parents, he returned to Timnath to take his bride by the same road which he and his parents had travelled by before, and, remembering his feat in killing the lion, very naturally turned aside to see what had become of the carcase. And, behold, there was a swarm of bees, etc. This has been objected to as improbable, because bees are very dainty, and would not approach a putrefying body. But as a considerable time had elapsed, it is very possible that either the mere skeleton was left, or that the heat of the sun had dried up the body and reduced it to the state of a mummy without decomposition, as is said to happen often in the desert of Arabia.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew When [Samson] returnedוַיָּ֤שָׁב (way·yā·šāḇ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again later מִיָּמִים֙ (mî·yā·mîm) Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 3117: A day to take her, לְקַחְתָּ֔הּ (lə·qaḥ·tāh) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 3947: To take he left וַיָּ֣סַר (way·yā·sar) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5493: To turn aside the road to see לִרְא֔וֹת (lir·’ō·wṯ) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 7200: To see the lion’s הָאַרְיֵ֑ה (hā·’ar·yêh) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 738: A lion carcass, מַפֶּ֣לֶת (map·pe·leṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 4658: Fall, decadence, a ruin, a carcase and in [it] בִּגְוִיַּ֥ת (biḡ·wî·yaṯ) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 1472: A body, corpse was וְהִנֵּ֨ה (wə·hin·nêh) Conjunctive waw | Interjection Strong's 2009: Lo! behold! a swarm עֲדַ֧ת (‘ă·ḏaṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 5712: A stated assemblage of bees, דְּבוֹרִ֛ים (də·ḇō·w·rîm) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 1682: The bee along with their honey. וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (ū·ḏə·ḇāš) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1706: Honey, syrup Links Judges 14:8 NIVJudges 14:8 NLT Judges 14:8 ESV Judges 14:8 NASB Judges 14:8 KJV Judges 14:8 BibleApps.com Judges 14:8 Biblia Paralela Judges 14:8 Chinese Bible Judges 14:8 French Bible Judges 14:8 Catholic Bible OT History: Judges 14:8 After a while he returned to take (Jd Judg. 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