Judges 14:20

Judges 14:20

ESV: And Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

KJV: But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

NIV: And Samson's wife was given to one of his companions who had attended him at the feast.

NKJV: And Samson's wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

NLT: So his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson's best man at the wedding.

Meaning

Judges 14:20 signifies a grave violation of Samson's marital rights and a profound act of betrayal. While Samson had temporarily left his Timnite wife due to her treachery and his subsequent rage (stemming from the riddle incident), her father presumed Samson had entirely abandoned her. Consequently, the father gave Samson's wife to a Philistine companion who had served as Samson's closest associate, perhaps even the best man, during the wedding feast. This act, deeply offensive under both Israelite and Philistine customs concerning marriage and alliance, serves as a direct catalyst for Samson's further escalated conflict with the Philistines.

Cross References

Context

Judges chapter 14 describes Samson's choice of a Philistine wife against his parents' counsel, an act revealed by God to be part of His divine plan against the Philistines. The narrative leads to Samson's wedding feast in Timnah, where he poses a riddle to 30 Philistine companions. Unable to solve it, they threaten his wife with death and burning unless she coaxes the answer from Samson. Out of fear and badgering, Samson's wife eventually betrays the riddle's solution to her Philistine kinsmen. Enraged by their deceit and her betrayal, Samson pays the debt from their citizens and returns to his father's house (Jdg 14:19). The father-in-law, perceiving Samson's departure as a full rejection and permanent abandonment of his daughter, takes the initiative to sever the marital tie by giving her to a Philistine companion, thereby dishonoring Samson and escalating the conflict. This immediate context directly triggers Samson's furious retaliation described in Judges 15. The broader context of Judges illustrates Israel's cyclical disobedience, foreign oppression, and God raising up imperfect deliverers like Samson, whose personal failings often intertwine with divine purpose.

Word analysis

• But Samson’s wife (וַאֵשֶׁת שִׁמְשֹׁון - wa’ēšeṯ Šimšôn):

  • But: Connects this new development directly to Samson’s prior actions of leaving in anger. It introduces a turning point.
  • Samson’s wife: Specifies ownership and the established, albeit short-lived, marital bond. Legally, she was his.
  • אֵשֶׁת (’ēšeṯ): "Wife," "woman." Highlights her marital status and Samson’s rightful claim, which is being violated.

• was given (נִתְּנָה - nittĕnāh):

  • Passive voice: Emphasizes that this act was done to her, by her father's decision, not by her own choice or Samson's permission.
  • Implies an annulment or transfer without legal dissolution, an act of significant disrespect to Samson. This transfer was considered deeply insulting and a violation of conjugal rights in ancient Near Eastern society.

• to his companion (לְמֵרֵעֵהוּ - ləmêrēʿēhû):

  • מֵרֵעֵהוּ (mêrēʿēhû): Means "his companion," "his friend." This is not just any man but specifically one who was closely associated with Samson during the wedding feast. This person may have been a "best man" or a close male guest, heightening the treachery and betrayal.
  • The choice of this specific person amplifies the insult; it makes the betrayal more intimate and personal.

• whom he had used as his friend (אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לֹו רֵעַ - ’ăšer ‘āśâ lô rēaʿ):

  • רֵעַ (rēaʿ): "Friend," "neighbor," "fellow." Indicates a trusted, close associate, someone one would rely on.
  • This phrase clarifies and strengthens the identity of the "companion" as a familiar and trusted person from Samson's immediate wedding circle, making the betrayal particularly galling. It implies Samson had extended hospitality and companionship to this individual.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "But Samson’s wife was given": This phrase directly announces the violation of Samson's marital covenant. It highlights the agency of the father-in-law in disrupting the established union, treating the wife as property to be transferred rather than respecting the bond with Samson.
• "to his companion, whom he had used as his friend": This group identifies the recipient of the wife, intensifying the offense. It points to a profound act of social betrayal by someone Samson had invited into his circle of trust and camaraderie at the most intimate social event of his life—his wedding. The friend's acceptance of the woman constitutes a deep violation of loyalty to Samson.

Commentary

Judges 14:20 is a pivotal verse in the narrative of Samson, transforming what began as a personal romantic venture into a nationalistic conflict driven by righteous indignation. The father-in-law’s act of giving Samson’s wife to another man was not just a domestic dispute but a profound societal transgression. In ancient cultures, such a unilateral "re-gifting" of a man’s wife, especially to one of his wedding companions, constituted a deep dishonor, suggesting that Samson had lost his rights or standing, effectively declaring the marriage null and void without due process. This act compounded the initial betrayal by the wife and the Philistines concerning the riddle. Samson's prior retreat was merely an angry cooling-off period, not an abandonment; the father-in-law's misjudgment of Samson's intent fueled the next devastating wave of Samson's God-empowered vengeance. This seemingly private betrayal is skillfully used by God to advance His purpose of delivering Israel from the Philistines.

• Example 1: The verse sets up a dramatic and personal reason for Samson's subsequent destructive actions in Jdg 15, rather than a mere arbitrary act of vengeance.
• Example 2: It illustrates the high cost of Samson's compromising choices (marrying outside God's people) as it ultimately led to deep personal pain and betrayal, which God nonetheless uses.

Bonus section

The betrayal in Judges 14:20 carries layers of irony that are often overlooked. Samson, the Nazarite consecrated to God, repeatedly seeks connection with Philistine women, a direct contradiction to Israelite separation from pagan influences. Yet, it is these very Philistines, through their treachery and, specifically here, the Philistine father-in-law and the Philistine 'friend,' who inflict profound betrayal upon Samson. This personal suffering fuels Samson's rage, driving him to actions that paradoxically fulfill his divine commission to begin delivering Israel from the Philistines. The divine irony is that Samson's personal failures and compromises, even as they led to this painful betrayal, are incorporated into God's sovereign plan for redemption. The "friend" here represents a broken trust similar to the broken trust in many covenants throughout biblical history, emphasizing the theme that betrayal, especially by those close, causes deep wounds but can be sovereignly utilized by God for His purposes.

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