12 And Samson saith to them, 'Let me, I pray you, put forth to you a riddle; if ye certainly declare it to me 'in' the seven days of the banquet, and have found 'it' out, then I have given to you thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments; 13 and if ye are not able to declare 'it' to me, then ye have given to me thirty linen shirts, and thirty changes of garments.' And they say to him, 'Put forth thy riddle, and we hear it!' 14 And he saith to them: 'Out of the eater came forth meat, And out of the strong came forth sweetness;' and they were not able to declare the riddle 'in' three days. 15 And it cometh to pass, on the seventh day, that they say to Samson's wife, 'Entice thy husband, that he declare to us the riddle, lest we burn thee and the house of thy father with fire; to possess us have ye called for us? is it not?' 16 And Samson's wife weepeth for it, and saith, 'Thou hast only hated me, and hast not loved me; the riddle thou hast put forth to the sons of my people—and to me thou hast not declared it;' and he saith to her, 'Lo, to my father and to my mother I have not declared 'it'—and to thee I declare 'it'!' 17 And she weepeth for it the seven days 'in' which their banquet hath been, and it cometh to pass on the seventh day that he declareth 'it' to her, for she hath distressed him; and she declareth the riddle to the sons of her people. 18 And the men of the city say to him on the seventh day, before the sun goeth in:—'What 'is' sweeter than honey? And what stronger than a lion?' And he saith to them: 'Unless ye had ploughed with my heifer, Ye had not found out my riddle.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Judges 14:12-18
Commentary on Judges 14:10-20
(Read Judges 14:10-20)
Samson's riddle literally meant no more than that he had got honey, for food and for pleasure, from the lion, which in its strength and fury was ready to devour him. But the victory of Christ over Satan, by means of his humiliation, agonies, and death, and the exaltation that followed to him, with the glory thence to the Father, and spiritual advantages to his people, seem directly alluded to. And even death, that devouring monster, being robbed of his sting, and stripped of his horror, forwards the soul to the realms of bliss. In these and other senses, out of the eater comes forth meat, and out of the strong, sweetness. Samson's companions obliged his wife to get the explanation from him. A worldly wife, or a worldly friend, is to a godly man as an enemy in the camp, who will watch every opportunity to betray him. No union can be comfortable or lasting, where secrets cannot be intrusted, without danger of being divulged. Satan, in his temptations, could not do us the mischief he does, if he did not plough with the heifer of our corrupt nature. His chief advantage against us arises from his correspondence with our deceitful hearts and inbred lusts. This proved an occasion of weaning Samson from his new relations. It were well for us, if the unkindness we meet with from the world, and our disappointments in it, obliged us by faith and prayer to return to our heavenly Father's house, and to rest there. See how little confidence is to be put in man. Whatever pretence of friendship may be made, a real Philistine will soon be weary of a true Israelite.