How does Judges 14:11 connect with Proverbs 13:20 on companionship?

The scene in Judges 14:11

“When the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to stay with him.”

• Samson is in Timnah for his wedding to a Philistine woman.

• Because he is a stranger, thirty Philistine men are assigned to be his groomsmen—companions he did not choose.

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Wisdom’s warning in Proverbs 13:20

“He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”

• Companionship shapes destiny.

• Walking with the wise brings growth; walking with fools brings ruin.

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How the two passages connect

• Samson is literally surrounded by men who do not share his covenant with God.

• Their presence seems harmless, yet they soon coax him into a wager (Judges 14:12-14) and later threaten his bride (v. 15) and murder her and her father (15:6).

• The outcome illustrates Proverbs 13:20—the companion of fools indeed “will be destroyed,” and Samson’s marriage, celebration, and potential peace are all ruined.

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Lessons on companionship

• Choice matters: Samson did not select these men; their pagan values clashed with his Nazarite calling (Judges 13:5).

• Hidden danger: Foolish companions look festive at first, yet their hearts are set on deception (14:15-18).

• Inevitable fallout: Foolishness spreads; Samson’s anger escalates to violence (14:19; 15:7-8), confirming 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Bad company corrupts good character.”

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Practical takeaways for today

• Evaluate the inner circle: Are those closest to you drawing you toward Christlike wisdom or toward compromise?

• Set godly boundaries: Psalm 1:1-2 reminds us blessing rests on the one who “does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.”

• Seek wise companions: Hebrews 10:24-25 urges believers to spur one another toward love and good deeds; choose friends who do that.

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Summing up

Judges 14:11 provides a narrative picture of Proverbs 13:20 in action: Samson’s forced fellowship with foolish men ends in destruction, underscoring God’s timeless counsel—walk with the wise, or bear the cost of foolish company.