Topical Bible: Samson: Wife of, Estranged

◄ Samson: Wife of, Estranged ►

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Samson, a judge of Israel renowned for his extraordinary strength, is a prominent figure in the Book of Judges. His life is marked by a series of tumultuous relationships, including his marriage to a Philistine woman, which ultimately becomes estranged. This relationship is significant in understanding the narrative of Samson's life and the broader context of Israel's struggles with the Philistines.

Marriage to a Philistine Woman

Samson's marriage to a Philistine woman is recorded in Judges 14. Despite the Israelites' ongoing conflict with the Philistines, Samson desires a woman from Timnah, a Philistine city. His parents express concern, asking, "Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives or among all our people, that you must go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?" (Judges 14:3). However, Samson insists, driven by his own desires, which unbeknownst to him, align with God's plan to confront the Philistines.

The Wedding Feast and Riddle

The marriage is marked by a seven-day feast, during which Samson poses a riddle to thirty Philistine companions. The riddle, "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet," (Judges 14:14) is based on his earlier encounter with a lion. Unable to solve it, the companions coerce Samson's wife to extract the answer from him. She weeps and pleads with Samson, eventually persuading him to reveal the solution. Her betrayal leads to a violent response from Samson, who kills thirty Philistines to settle the wager.

Estrangement and Consequences

Following the incident, Samson's relationship with his wife deteriorates. In his anger, he returns to his father's house, leaving his wife behind. During his absence, her father gives her to one of Samson's companions. When Samson returns to visit her, he is denied access, and her father offers her younger sister instead, saying, "I really thought you hated her intensely, so I gave her to your companion" (Judges 15:2).

This estrangement fuels further conflict between Samson and the Philistines. In retaliation, Samson captures three hundred foxes, ties their tails together with torches, and releases them into the Philistines' grain fields, vineyards, and olive groves, causing widespread destruction (Judges 15:4-5). The Philistines, in turn, burn his wife and her father, escalating the cycle of vengeance.

Theological and Moral Implications

Samson's estranged marriage serves as a narrative device illustrating the consequences of personal desires conflicting with divine mandates. His choice to marry a Philistine woman, contrary to Israelite customs, sets off a chain of events that highlight the tension between Israel and the Philistines. The estrangement underscores themes of betrayal, vengeance, and the complexities of human relationships within the framework of divine providence.

Samson's account, including his estranged marriage, is a testament to the intricate interplay between human agency and divine sovereignty. It reflects the broader narrative of Israel's struggle for identity and survival amidst external threats and internal disobedience.

Nave's Topical Index

Judges 14:20
But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
Nave's Topical Index

Judges 15:1,2
But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

A Book for Boys and Girls Or, Temporal Things Spritualized.
... I by them bring some good thing to pass, As Samson, with the ... their nature changed,
They are not, from their lusts, by grace estranged. ... OF MOSES AND HIS WIFE. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a book for boys and.htm

Chapter xxxiv
... For as the story of Samson (Jud 14:2) also ... Jacob consent to have Dinah be Shechem's
wife because "he ... the death of their father the once estranged brothers are ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... "And God blessed them; and God said unto them, [that is, to the man and his wife]
Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it," &c. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... and condemnation I should tremble; and in No.15, The father of his wife having left ...
when we meet them at first, are as the lion that roared upon Samson; but if ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
... now. A nest of bees and honey did Samson find, even in the belly of that
lion that roared upon him. And is all this no good? or ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/seasonable counsel or advice to.htm

The Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgment:
... bars of the grave are now carried away on our shoulders, as Samson carried away ...
bed-chamber (2 Kings 6:12); Ahijah could know by this, Jeroboam's wife, so soon ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the resurrection of the dead.htm