Teks -- Judges 14:12 (NET)

14:12 Samson said to them, “I will give you a riddle. If you really can solve it during the seven days the party lasts, I will give you thirty linen robes and thirty sets of clothes.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Jdg 14:12 - Seven days

For so long marriage - feasts lasted.

Wesley: Jdg 14:12 - Sheets

Fine linen - clothes, which were used for many purposes in those parts.

Wesley: Jdg 14:12 - Changes

Suits of apparel.

JFB: Jdg 14:12-18 - I will now put forth a riddle

Riddles are a favorite Oriental amusement at festive entertainments of this nature, and rewards are offered to those who give the solution. Samson's riddle related to honey in the lion's carcass. The prize he offered was thirty sindinim, or shirts, and thirty changes of garments, probably woolen. Three days were passed in vain attempts to unravel the enigma. The festive week was fast drawing to a close when they secretly enlisted the services of the newly married wife, who having got the secret, revealed it to her friends.

Clarke: Jdg 14:12 - I will now put forth a riddle

I will now put forth a riddle - Probably this was one part of the amusements at a marriage-feast; each in his turn proposing a riddle, to be solved by any of the rest on a particular forfeit; the proposer forfeiting, if solved, the same which the company must forfeit if they could not solve it

Clarke: Jdg 14:12 - Thirty sheets

Thirty sheets - I have no doubt that the Arab hayk , or hake , is here meant; a dress in which the natives of the East wrap themselves, as a Scottish Highlander does in his plaid. In Asiatic countries the dress scarcely ever changes; being nearly the same now that it was 2000 years ago. Mr. Jackson, in his account of the Empire of Morocco, thus mentions the Moorish dress: "It resembles,"says he, "that of the ancient patriarchs, as represented in paintings; (but the paintings are taken from Asiatic models); that of the men consists of a red cap and turban, a (kumja ) shirt, which hangs outside of the drawers, and comes down below the knee; a (caftan ) coat, which buttons close before, and down to the bottom, with large open sleeves; over which, when they go out of doors, they throw carelessly, and sometimes elegantly, a hayk , or garment of white cotton, silk, or wool, five or six yards long, and five feet wide. The Arabs often dispense with the caftan, and even with the shirt, wearing nothing but the hayk ."When an Arab does not choose to wrap himself in the hayk , he throws it over his left shoulder, where it hangs till the weather, etc., obliges him to wrap it round him. The hayk is either mean or elegant, according to the quality of the cloth, and of the person who wears it. I have myself seen the natives of Fez, with hayks , or hykes , both elegant and costly. By the changes of garments, it is very likely that the kumja and caftan are meant, or at least the caftan; but most likely both: for the Hebrew has חליפות בגדים chaliphoth begadim , changes or succession of garments. Samson, therefore, engaged to give or receive thirty hayks , and thirty kumjas and caftans, on the issue of the interpretation or non-interpretation of his riddle: these were complete suits.

TSK: Jdg 14:12 - a riddle // the seven // sheets // change

a riddle : 1Ki 10:1; Psa 49:4; Pro 1:6; Eze 17:2, Eze 20:49; Mat 13:13, Mat 13:34; Luk 14:7; Joh 16:29; 1Co 13:12 *marg.

the seven : Gen 29:27, Gen 29:28; 2Ch 7:8

sheets : or, shirts. This will receive illustration from Mr. Jackson’ s description of the Moorish dress:

i720 ""It resembles that of the ancient patriarchs, as represented in paintings (but the paintings are taken from Asiatic models); that of the men consists of a red cap and turban, a (kumja ) shirt, which hangs outside of the drawers, and comes below the knee; a (caftan ) coat, which buttons close before, and down to the bottom with large open sleeves; over which, when they go out of doors, they throw carelessly, and sometimes elegantly, a hayk , or garment of white cotton, silk, or wool, five or six yards long, and five feet wide. The Arabs often dispense with the caftan , and even with the shirt, wearing nothing but the hayk . "

Mat 27:28; Mar 14:51, Mar 14:52

change : Gen 45:22; 2Ki 5:5, 2Ki 5:22; Mat 6:19; Jam 5:2

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Jdg 14:12 - A riddle // The seven days of the feast // Thirty sheets // Thirty change of garments

A riddle i.e. an obscure sentence for you to resolve and explain.

The seven days of the feast for so long marriage-feasts lasted. See Gen 29:27 .

Thirty sheets fine linen clothes, which were used for many purposes in those parts. See Mat 27:59 Mar 14:51 .

Thirty change of garments i.e. changeable suits of apparel, as below, Jud 14:19 Gen 45:22 .

Haydock: Jdg 14:12 - Riddle // Shirts // Coats

Riddle. Such obscure and ingenious questions were much liked in the East, 3 Kings x. 1. The Egyptians concealed the mysteries of their religion, and Pythagoras his choicest maxims under them. (Clement of Alexandria, strom. 5.) The Greeks proposed the Greek: griphous at feasts, determining some reward or punishment to those who succeeded or failed to explain them. Athenæus (x. 22,) relates that Simonides proposed this to his companions, after he had seen a blacksmith asleep, with a skin of win and a craw-fish beside him. "The father of the kid, which eateth all sorts of herbs, and the miserable fish knocked their heads against each other, and he who has received upon his eye-lids the son of the night, would not feed the minister, who kills the oxen of king Bacchus." He could not get his ax mended. The ancients kept their wine in skins of kids, &c., whence he alludes to the bottle of wine, near the miserable craw-fish or lobster. ---

Shirts. Hebrew sedinim, "sindons," the garment which was worn next the skin, Mark xiv. 51. It was used also by women, (Isaias iii. 23,) and is probably the same which is called a tunic. (Calmet) ---

Coats. Hebrew, "change of garments." Some understand new and splendid garments. But Samson complied with his promise, by giving such as he found upon the 30 men, whom he slew, ver. 19. (Haydock) ---

The custom of making presents of garments has long prevailed in the East. The Turkish emperor still receives and makes such presents to ambassadors. (Calmet) ---

Their long robes may easily be made to fit any person. (Haydock)

Gill: Jdg 14:12 - And Samson said unto them // I will now put forth a riddle to you // if you can certainly declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast // then I will give you thirty sheets, and thirty change of garments

And Samson said unto them,.... His thirty companions, very likely on the first day of the feast:

I will now put forth a riddle to you: a secret, hidden, abstruse thing, not easy to be understood; a dark saying, wrapped up in figurative terms; and this he proposed as an amusement to them, to exercise their wits, which it seems was usual to entertain guests with, and might be both pleasing and profitable:

if you can certainly declare it unto me within the seven days of the feast; for so long the nuptial feast was usually kept, see Gen 29:27. If they could find it out; and with clearness and certainty explain the riddle to him within that period of time, which was giving them time enough to do it in:

then I will give you thirty sheets, and thirty change of garments: that is, every man one of each. By "sheets" he means, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it, a covering of the body in the night next to the flesh, in which a man lies, and was made of linen; meaning either what we call shirts, or bed sheet, and by change of raiment, a suit of clothes worn in the daytime.