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Chapter 14 records the story of Samson and a Philistine maid. Samson went down to Timnah, a region in the "hill country" of Judah. He saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. He came home and told his father and mother, "Go get her for me." Remember that at this time the Philistines had domination over the Israelites. Being good parents, they try to steer him straight. "Is there not a woman among the daughters of Israel that would please you?" "No", Samson said, "Get her for me."
Well, they go down to Timnah and on the way they go into a vineyard where Samson chances upon a lion. He proceeds to tare the lion to pieces. Samson must have been very large, very strong, very impatient and very demanding, but the Lord wasn't through with him yet. They find the girl and Samson has a bachelor party with 30 of his companions. During the party, Samson tells them a riddle. "Out of the eater, came something to eat, out of the strong came something sweet." The party was to last 7 days and if any of his companions could solve the riddle, he would give them 30 linen garments and 30 festive garments. If they could not, they would give him 30 linen garments and 30 festive garments.
Now to be able to answer the riddle, you would have to know that Samson had killed a lion and that after he killed the lion he went back and found that bees had taken over the carcass and filled it with honey. "Out of the eater (the lion) came something to eat (honey), out of the strong, (The lion) came something to eat (honey)." Samson had scraped the honey out of the lion and ate it and he also gave some to his father and mother.
On the fourth day, the companions get Samson's wife aside and threaten to burn her father's possessions if she does not find out the answer to the riddle for them. For the next three days, she uses all her womanly wiles to get Samson to tell her the answer to the riddle. Finally on the seventh day, he does. She them tells the companions and they appear to have solved the riddle but, Samson knows that no one but his wife knew the answer and says to them, (verse 18) "If you had not 'plowed' with my 'heifer', you would not have found out my riddle." Samson was so angry that he went down to the town of Ashkelon and killed 30 men and took their garments and gave them to his companions. Then he gave his wife to his "best man".
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