Commentary - Judges 14:5-9

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent narrative, we see the central themes of the book of Judges distilled into one memorable episode. Samson, God's chosen deliverer, is a man driven by his own appetites and whims, yet God's sovereign purpose moves inexorably through him. The story operates on two levels. On the surface, it is about a headstrong young man, already entangled in a foolish and disobedient pursuit of a Philistine wife, who is confronted by a lion. But underneath, the Holy Spirit is orchestrating events to display God's power, to prepare for conflict with Israel's oppressors, and to paint a vivid, albeit messy, picture of the gospel. This is not a simple morality tale about a strongman; it is a demonstration of how God brings strength out of weakness, sweetness out of death, and deliverance through the most unlikely and compromised of vessels. The incident with the lion and the honey becomes the basis for Samson's famous riddle, but before it is a riddle for the Philistines, it is a theological riddle for us, the answer to which is Christ.

We see the raw power of God's Spirit equipping a man for a specific, violent task. We see the beginning of Samson's pattern of secrecy and disregard for his Nazirite vows. And most strikingly, we see a profound type of the gospel: the devouring lion is killed, and out of its dead carcass comes honey. The great enemy is slain, and from that victory flows sweetness and nourishment for God's people. This is the story of Christ in miniature, who crushed the head of the roaring lion, Satan, and from His death and resurrection provides the sweet honey of salvation.

Outline

Context In Judges

This passage occurs at the very beginning of Samson's public career. The stage has been set by the angelic announcement of his birth and his Nazirite calling in chapter 13. Chapter 14 opens with Samson, now a young man, demanding his parents arrange a marriage for him with a Philistine woman from Timnah. This is a direct violation of God's law against intermarriage with pagan nations (Deut 7:3). His parents rightly object, but Samson is driven by what he sees: "she is right in my eyes." The narrator, however, gives us the divine perspective: "his father and mother did not know that it was from Yahweh, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines" (Judges 14:4). This is crucial. God is not endorsing Samson's sinful desires, but He is sovereignly using them to accomplish His own purposes. The confrontation with the lion, therefore, is not a random event. It happens as Samson is on his way down to pursue this unholy union, and it serves as the first sign that God's power will work through him, despite his personal failings, to begin the deliverance of Israel.

Key Issues

The Gospel in the Guts of a Lion

The central image of this text is honey in the carcass of a lion. This is not just a strange biological anomaly; it is a theological statement written in bone and honeycomb. The world is full of things that roar and seek to devour. Satan, our adversary, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). Death is a lion. Sin is a lion. And the story of the world, outside of Christ, is the story of men being devoured by these lions. But here, God's deliverer confronts the lion and, by a strength not his own, rips it apart. The threat is neutralized. The eater is eaten by death.

But the story doesn't end there. When Samson returns, the place of death has become a place of life and sweetness. A swarm of bees, a sign of a living colony, has made a home in the skeleton, and the fruit of their labor is honey. This is a picture of resurrection life. Out of the jaws of the devourer comes something to eat. Out of the strong one's defeat comes sweetness. This is what Christ did. He met the lion of death and sin head on. He was, for a time, devoured by it. But in being devoured, He tore it apart from the inside out. And from His victory over the grave, from the carcass of death itself, He now offers us the honey of eternal life. The sweetest things of our salvation come from the bitterest place of Christ's death.

Verse by Verse Commentary

5 Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and they came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him.

Samson is on a disobedient errand, dragging his reluctant parents along with him. He is going down to Timnah, both geographically and, we might say, morally. He is headed for the vineyards, a place of fruitfulness and pleasure, but also a place forbidden to him as a Nazirite (Num 6:3-4). It is here, on the edge of a place of temptation, that a greater, more immediate threat appears. A young lion, full of strength and ferocity, comes roaring. This is a divinely appointed obstacle. God is not going to let Samson's first foray into enemy territory go untested. Before he can tangle with the Philistines, he must first prove what kind of power is at work in him. This is a test, not just of Samson's strength, but of God's faithfulness to His chosen instrument.

6 And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him mightily, so that he tore it as one tears a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand; but he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Here we see the nature of the Spirit's work in the Old Covenant. It is not the indwelling, sanctifying presence promised to all believers in the New. Rather, the Spirit comes upon certain individuals, at specific times, for specific tasks. The Spirit rushes upon Samson mightily, empowering him for holy war. The result is supernatural strength. He tears the lion apart with his bare hands as easily as a man would tear apart a young goat. This is not Samson's power; it is God's power flowing through him. The victory is total and decisive. Yet, Samson's character immediately complicates the picture. He keeps it a secret. This is not humility. It is the beginning of a pattern of Samson acting as a lone agent, disconnected from his family and his people. He is a private contractor for God, not a captain of the Lord's army. This secrecy is a character flaw, a sign of his individualistic and ultimately self-serving nature.

7 So he went down and spoke to the woman; and she was right in the eyes of Samson.

Having just experienced a miraculous deliverance and empowerment by God's Spirit, what does Samson do? He doesn't pause to pray or give thanks. He doesn't reconsider his foolish quest. No, he gets right back to it. He goes down and speaks to the Philistine woman. The divine encounter has not changed his carnal objective. The verdict remains the same: "she was right in the eyes of Samson." His standard is his sight, his appetite. This is a stark reminder that spiritual gifts and miraculous experiences do not automatically produce personal holiness. God can use a man mightily without that man being inwardly transformed at that moment. Samson is a tool in God's hand, but he is still a deeply flawed tool.

8 Then he returned later to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the body of the lion.

Some time has passed, and Samson is now on his way back to claim his bride. He is still on the same foolish path. But he detours to see what became of his enemy. And what he finds is a marvel, a divine sign. The bones are picked clean, likely by scavengers, and the sun has dried the skeleton. In this hollowed-out vessel of death, a new colony of life has taken root. Bees are making honey inside the lion's body. This is a picture of God's economy. He takes the very thing that was meant for destruction and makes it a source of sweetness and life. He brings order out of chaos, food out of the eater. This is not just a curiosity; it is a sermon in a skeleton, a truth that will form the basis of Samson's riddle and, more importantly, a type of the work of Christ.

9 So he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went. Then he went to his father and mother, and he gave some to them, and they ate it; but he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey out of the body of the lion.

Samson's response is telling. He sees the honey and he takes it. He eats it as he walks, a picture of casual enjoyment. But in doing so, he likely violates his Nazirite vow. The vow forbade contact with any dead body (Num 6:6), and while the text doesn't say he touched the bones, it's hard to imagine him scraping honey out of a carcass without doing so. He is careless with his consecration. Then, he shares the fruit of this compromised victory with his parents. They eat the honey, enjoying the sweetness, but he conceals the source. Why? Because to tell them would be to reveal his own defilement. He gives them the blessing but hides the messy, compromised story behind it. He offers them the sweetness of grace, but without the full story of the death that produced it. It is a picture of a compromised gospel, a sweet message that papers over the hard truths of sin and defilement.

Application

The story of Samson is a story for a church that is often tempted to think that God can only work through polished and perfect vessels. God's man here is a mess. He is driven by lust, acts impulsively, and plays fast and loose with his vows. And yet, the Spirit of God rushes upon him and uses him to accomplish glorious things. This should be a profound encouragement to us. God's purposes are not thwarted by our weaknesses. He has determined to save His people, and He will do it, using crooked sticks to draw straight lines.

But this is also a warning. Samson's strength was not his own, and his personal character flaws eventually led to his ruin. We are called to be more than just blunt instruments in God's hands; we are called to be holy. We must not confuse God's use of our gifts with His approval of our character. God's grace in using us is not a license for carelessness in our walk with Him.

Finally, we must learn to see the gospel in the guts of a lion. We must look for Christ everywhere in Scripture, even in the strangest places. Our greatest enemy, death, has been defeated by our Champion. And from that fierce battle, from the carcass of that dead lion, our Lord now brings forth the sweetness of salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life. When life brings you roaring lions, look to the one who tore the lion apart. And when you taste the sweetness of grace, remember the death from which it came. The riddle is still true: out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet. This is the logic of the cross.