But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
Parallel translations
- WEB But Samson’s wife was given to his companion who had been his friend.
- BSB and his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.
- NKJV And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.
- NASB But Samson’s wife was given to his companion who had been his friend.
- NLT So his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson’s best man at the wedding.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Samson's wife is given to his best man. This betrayal sets up the next round of conflict.
Overview
The giving away of Samson's wife to his companion is a fresh provocation that will spark further retaliation in the chapter that follows. The broken marriage reflects the treachery surrounding Samson's life among the Philistines. Even this offense becomes part of God's providential design to stir Samson against Israel's oppressors.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Judg 15:2And 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.
- John 3:29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
- John 13:18I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
- Mic 7:5Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.
- Ps 55:12–13For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
- Jer 9:5And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
- Matt 26:49–50And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
- Judg 15:6Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 14:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.