Adolescent Samson: Causes and Drives; Riddles and Signs

שופטים פרק יד

א וַיֵּרֶד שִׁמְשׁוֹן, תִּמְנָתָה; וַיַּרְא אִשָּׁה בְּתִמְנָתָה, מִבְּנוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים.  ב וַיַּעַל, וַיַּגֵּד לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ, וַיֹּאמֶר אִשָּׁה רָאִיתִי בְתִמְנָתָה, מִבְּנוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים; וְעַתָּה, קְחוּ-אוֹתָהּ לִי לְאִשָּׁה.  ג וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, הַאֵין בִּבְנוֹת אַחֶיךָ וּבְכָל-עַמִּי אִשָּׁה–כִּי-אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ לָקַחַת אִשָּׁה, מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים הָעֲרֵלִים; וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶל-אָבִיו אוֹתָהּ קַח-לִי, כִּי-הִיא יָשְׁרָה בְעֵינָי.  ד וְאָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ לֹא יָדְעוּ, כִּי מֵיְ’ הִיא–כִּי-תֹאֲנָה הוּא-מְבַקֵּשׁ, מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים; וּבָעֵת הַהִיא, פְּלִשְׁתִּים מֹשְׁלִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.  ה וַיֵּרֶד שִׁמְשׁוֹן וְאָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, תִּמְנָתָה; וַיָּבֹאוּ, עַד-כַּרְמֵי תִמְנָתָה, וְהִנֵּה כְּפִיר אֲרָיוֹת, שֹׁאֵג לִקְרָאתוֹ.  ו וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ יְ’, וַיְשַׁסְּעֵהוּ כְּשַׁסַּע הַגְּדִי, וּמְאוּמָה, אֵין בְּיָדוֹ; וְלֹא הִגִּיד לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ, אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה.  ז וַיֵּרֶד, וַיְדַבֵּר לָאִשָּׁה; וַתִּישַׁר, בְּעֵינֵי שִׁמְשׁוֹן.  ח וַיָּשָׁב מִיָּמִים, לְקַחְתָּהּ, וַיָּסַר לִרְאוֹת, אֵת מַפֶּלֶת הָאַרְיֵה; וְהִנֵּה עֲדַת דְּבוֹרִים בִּגְוִיַּת הָאַרְיֵה, וּדְבָשׁ.  ט וַיִּרְדֵּהוּ אֶל-כַּפָּיו, וַיֵּלֶךְ הָלוֹךְ וְאָכֹל, וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל-אָבִיו וְאֶל-אִמּוֹ, וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם וַיֹּאכֵלוּ; וְלֹא-הִגִּיד לָהֶם, כִּי מִגְּוִיַּת הָאַרְיֵה רָדָה הַדְּבָשׁ.  י וַיֵּרֶד אָבִיהוּ, אֶל-הָאִשָּׁה; וַיַּעַשׂ שָׁם שִׁמְשׁוֹן מִשְׁתֶּה, כִּי כֵּן יַעֲשׂוּ הַבַּחוּרִים.  יא וַיְהִי, כִּרְאוֹתָם אוֹתוֹ; וַיִּקְחוּ שְׁלֹשִׁים מֵרֵעִים, וַיִּהְיוּ אִתּוֹ.  יב וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְשׁוֹן, אָחוּדָה-נָּא לָכֶם חִידָה:  אִם-הַגֵּד תַּגִּידוּ אוֹתָהּ לִי שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, וּמְצָאתֶם–וְנָתַתִּי לָכֶם שְׁלֹשִׁים סְדִינִים, וּשְׁלֹשִׁים חֲלִפֹת בְּגָדִים.  יג וְאִם-לֹא תוּכְלוּ, לְהַגִּיד לִי–וּנְתַתֶּם אַתֶּם לִי שְׁלֹשִׁים סְדִינִים, וּשְׁלֹשִׁים חֲלִיפוֹת בְּגָדִים; וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ–חוּדָה חִידָתְךָ, וְנִשְׁמָעֶנָּה.  יד וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, מֵהָאֹכֵל יָצָא מַאֲכָל, וּמֵעַז, יָצָא מָתוֹק; וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהַגִּיד הַחִידָה, שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים.  טו וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְאֵשֶׁת-שִׁמְשׁוֹן פַּתִּי אֶת-אִישֵׁךְ וְיַגֶּד-לָנוּ אֶת-הַחִידָה–פֶּן-נִשְׂרֹף אוֹתָךְ וְאֶת-בֵּית אָבִיךְ, בָּאֵשׁ; הַלְיָרְשֵׁנוּ, קְרָאתֶם לָנוּ הֲלֹא.  טז וַתֵּבְךְּ אֵשֶׁת שִׁמְשׁוֹן עָלָיו, וַתֹּאמֶר רַק-שְׂנֵאתַנִי וְלֹא אֲהַבְתָּנִי–הַחִידָה חַדְתָּ לִבְנֵי עַמִּי, וְלִי לֹא הִגַּדְתָּה; וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ, הִנֵּה לְאָבִי וּלְאִמִּי לֹא הִגַּדְתִּי–וְלָךְ אַגִּיד.  יז וַתֵּבְךְּ עָלָיו שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים, אֲשֶׁר-הָיָה לָהֶם הַמִּשְׁתֶּה; וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וַיַּגֶּד-לָהּ כִּי הֱצִיקַתְהוּ, וַתַּגֵּד הַחִידָה, לִבְנֵי עַמָּהּ.  יח וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, בְּטֶרֶם יָבֹא הַחַרְסָה, מַה-מָּתוֹק מִדְּבַשׁ, וּמֶה עַז מֵאֲרִי; וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם–לוּלֵא חֲרַשְׁתֶּם בְּעֶגְלָתִי, לֹא מְצָאתֶם חִידָתִי.  יט וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ יְ’, וַיֵּרֶד אַשְׁקְלוֹן וַיַּךְ מֵהֶם שְׁלֹשִׁים אִישׁ וַיִּקַּח אֶת-חֲלִיצוֹתָם, וַיִּתֵּן הַחֲלִיפוֹת, לְמַגִּידֵי הַחִידָה; וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ, וַיַּעַל בֵּית אָבִיהוּ.  כ וַתְּהִי, אֵשֶׁת שִׁמְשׁוֹן, לְמֵרֵעֵהוּ, אֲשֶׁר רֵעָה לוֹ.  {פ}

שופטים פרק טו

א וַיְהִי מִיָּמִים בִּימֵי קְצִיר-חִטִּים, וַיִּפְקֹד שִׁמְשׁוֹן אֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ בִּגְדִי עִזִּים, וַיֹּאמֶר, אָבֹאָה אֶל-אִשְׁתִּי הֶחָדְרָה; וְלֹא-נְתָנוֹ אָבִיהָ, לָבוֹא.  ב וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִיהָ, אָמֹר אָמַרְתִּי כִּי-שָׂנֹא שְׂנֵאתָהּ, וָאֶתְּנֶנָּה, לְמֵרֵעֶךָ; הֲלֹא אֲחוֹתָהּ הַקְּטַנָּה טוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה, תְּהִי-נָא לְךָ תַּחְתֶּיהָ.  ג וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְשׁוֹן, נִקֵּיתִי הַפַּעַם מִפְּלִשְׁתִּים:  כִּי-עֹשֶׂה אֲנִי עִמָּם, רָעָה.  ד וַיֵּלֶךְ שִׁמְשׁוֹן, וַיִּלְכֹּד שְׁלֹשׁ-מֵאוֹת שׁוּעָלִים; וַיִּקַּח לַפִּדִים, וַיֶּפֶן זָנָב אֶל-זָנָב, וַיָּשֶׂם לַפִּיד אֶחָד בֵּין-שְׁנֵי הַזְּנָבוֹת, בַּתָּוֶךְ.  ה וַיַּבְעֶר-אֵשׁ בַּלַּפִּידִים, וַיְשַׁלַּח בְּקָמוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים; וַיַּבְעֵר מִגָּדִישׁ וְעַד-קָמָה, וְעַד-כֶּרֶם זָיִת.  ו וַיֹּאמְרוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים, מִי עָשָׂה זֹאת, וַיֹּאמְרוּ שִׁמְשׁוֹן חֲתַן הַתִּמְנִי, כִּי לָקַח אֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ וַיִּתְּנָהּ לְמֵרֵעֵהוּ; וַיַּעֲלוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים, וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ אוֹתָהּ וְאֶת-אָבִיהָ בָּאֵשׁ.  ז וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְשׁוֹן, אִם-תַּעֲשׂוּן כָּזֹאת:  כִּי אִם-נִקַּמְתִּי בָכֶם, וְאַחַר אֶחְדָּל.  ח וַיַּךְ אוֹתָם שׁוֹק עַל-יָרֵךְ, מַכָּה גְדוֹלָה; וַיֵּרֶד וַיֵּשֶׁב, בִּסְעִיף סֶלַע עֵיטָם.  {פ}
ט וַיַּעֲלוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים, וַיַּחֲנוּ בִּיהוּדָה; וַיִּנָּטְשׁוּ, בַּלֶּחִי.  י וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ יְהוּדָה, לָמָה עֲלִיתֶם עָלֵינוּ; וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לֶאֱסוֹר אֶת-שִׁמְשׁוֹן עָלִינוּ, לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לָנוּ.  יא וַיֵּרְדוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ מִיהוּדָה, אֶל-סְעִיף סֶלַע עֵיטָם, וַיֹּאמְרוּ לְשִׁמְשׁוֹן הֲלֹא יָדַעְתָּ כִּי-מֹשְׁלִים בָּנוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וּמַה-זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לָּנוּ; וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם–כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לִי, כֵּן עָשִׂיתִי לָהֶם.  יב וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֶאֱסָרְךָ יָרַדְנוּ, לְתִתְּךָ בְּיַד-פְּלִשְׁתִּים; וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, שִׁמְשׁוֹן, הִשָּׁבְעוּ לִי, פֶּן-תִּפְגְּעוּן בִּי אַתֶּם.  יג וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֵאמֹר, לֹא כִּי-אָסֹר נֶאֱסָרְךָ וּנְתַנּוּךָ בְיָדָם, וְהָמֵת, לֹא נְמִיתֶךָ; וַיַּאַסְרֻהוּ, בִּשְׁנַיִם עֲבֹתִים חֲדָשִׁים, וַיַּעֲלוּהוּ, מִן-הַסָּלַע.  יד הוּא-בָא עַד-לֶחִי, וּפְלִשְׁתִּים הֵרִיעוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ; וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ יְהוָה, וַתִּהְיֶינָה הָעֲבֹתִים אֲשֶׁר עַל-זְרוֹעוֹתָיו כַּפִּשְׁתִּים אֲשֶׁר בָּעֲרוּ בָאֵשׁ, וַיִּמַּסּוּ אֱסוּרָיו, מֵעַל יָדָיו.  טו וַיִּמְצָא לְחִי-חֲמוֹר, טְרִיָּה; וַיִּשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וַיִּקָּחֶהָ, וַיַּךְ-בָּהּ אֶלֶף אִישׁ.  טז וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְשׁוֹן–בִּלְחִי הַחֲמוֹר, חֲמוֹר חֲמֹרָתָיִם; בִּלְחִי הַחֲמוֹר, הִכֵּיתִי אֶלֶף אִישׁ.  יז וַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר, וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ הַלְּחִי מִיָּדוֹ; וַיִּקְרָא לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, רָמַת לֶחִי.  יח וַיִּצְמָא, מְאֹד, וַיִּקְרָא אֶל-יְ’ וַיֹּאמַר, אַתָּה נָתַתָּ בְיַד-עַבְדְּךָ אֶת-הַתְּשׁוּעָה הַגְּדֹלָה הַזֹּאת; וְעַתָּה אָמוּת בַּצָּמָא, וְנָפַלְתִּי בְּיַד הָעֲרֵלִים.  יט וַיִּבְקַע אֱלֹקים אֶת-הַמַּכְתֵּשׁ אֲשֶׁר-בַּלֶּחִי, וַיֵּצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מַיִם וַיֵּשְׁתְּ, וַתָּשָׁב רוּחוֹ, וַיֶּחִי; עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ, עֵין הַקּוֹרֵא אֲשֶׁר בַּלֶּחִי, עַד, הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.  כ וַיִּשְׁפֹּט אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּימֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים, עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה.  {פ}

Judges Chapter 14

1 And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said: ‘I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore get her for me to wife.’ 3 Then his father and his mother said unto him: ‘Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?’ And Samson said unto his father: ‘Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.’ 4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel. 5 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6 And the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as one would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but he told not his father or his mother what he had done. 7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well. 8 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. 9 And he scraped it out into his hands, and went on, eating as he went, and he came to his father and mother, and gave unto them, and they did eat; but he told them not that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion. 10 And his father went down unto the woman; and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do. 11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 And Samson said unto them: ‘Let me now put forth a riddle unto you; if ye can declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment; 13 but if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of raiment.’ And they said unto him: ‘Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.’ 14 And he said unto them: Out of the eater came forth food, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days declare the riddle. 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife: ‘Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father’s house with fire; have ye called us hither to impoverish us?’ 16 And Samson’s wife wept before him, and said: ‘Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not; thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and wilt thou not tell it me?’ And he said unto her: ‘Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell thee?’ 17 And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted; and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she pressed him sore; and she told the riddle to the children of her people. 18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down: What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them: If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle. 19 And the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and smote thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes of raiment unto them that declared the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house. 20 But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had had for his friend. {P}

Chapter 15

1 But it came to pass after a while, 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. 2 And her father said: ‘I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion; is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.’ 3 And Samson said unto them: ‘This time shall I be quits with the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.’ 4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the midst between every two tails. 5 And when he had set the torches on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks and the standing corn, and also the oliveyards. 6 Then the Philistines said: ‘Who hath done this?’ And they said: ‘Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he hath taken his wife, and given her to his companion.’ And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. 7 And Samson said unto them: ‘If ye do after this manner, surely I will be avenged of you, and after that I will cease.’ 8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; and he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam. {P}

9 Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves against Lehi. 10 And the men of Judah said: ‘Why are ye come up against us?’ And they said: ‘To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.’ 11 Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson: ‘Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what then is this that thou hast done unto us?’ And he said unto them: ‘As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.’ 12 And they said unto him: ‘We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines.’ And Samson said unto them: ‘Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.’ 13 And they spoke unto him, saying: ‘No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand; but surely we will not kill thee.’ And they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock. 14 When he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the ropes that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands. 15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and smote a thousand men therewith. 16 And Samson said: With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men. 17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand; and that place was called Ramath-lehi. 18 And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said: ‘Thou hast given this great deliverance by the hand of Thy servant; and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?’ 19 But God cleaved the hollow place that is in Lehi, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came back, and he revived; wherefore the name thereof was called En-hakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day. 20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.