Judges 14 · Verse 20

Judges 14:20

But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
Judges 14:20, King James Version

Judges 14:20 in other translations

BSBand his wife was given to one of the men who had accompanied him.
WEBBut Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his friend.
ASVBut Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
YLTand Samson's wife becometh his companion's, who is his friend.
DARBYAnd Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had made his friend.
BBEBut Samson's wife was given to the friend who had been his best man.
WebsterBut Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

What does Judges 14:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 14:19-20

19-20. went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them--This town was about twenty-four miles west by southwest from Timnah; and his selection of this place, which was dictated by the Divine Spirit, was probably owing to its bitter hostility to Israel. took their spoil--The custom of stripping a slain enemy was unknown in Hebrew warfare.

Read the full comment on Judges 14:19-20 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 But Samson's wife was given to his companion - This was the same kind of person who is called the friend of the bridegroom, Joh 3:29. And it is very likely that she loved this person better than she loved her husband, and went to him as soon as Samson had gone to his father's house at Zorah. She might, however, have thought herself abandoned by him, and therefore took another; this appears to have been the persuasion of her father, Jdg 15:2. But her betraying his secret and his interests to his enemies was a full proof he was not very dear to her; though, to persuade him to the contrary, she shed many crocodile tears; see Jdg 14:16. He could not keep his own secret, and he was fool enough to suppose that another would be more faithful to him than he was to himself. Multitudes complain of the treachery of friends betraying their secrets, etc., never considering that they themselves have been their first betrayers, in confiding to others what they pretend to wish should be a secret to the whole world! If a man never let his secret out of his own bosom, it is impossible that he should ever be betrayed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 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…

Read the full comment on Judges 14:10-20 →

Judges 14:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַתְּהִ֖יva.te.Hiand she belongedH1961
אֵ֣שֶׁת'E.shet[the] wife ofH802
שִׁמְשׁ֑וֹןshim.ShonSamsonH8123
לְמֵ֣רֵעֵ֔הוּle.Me.re.'E.huto companion hisH4828
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhoH834
רֵעָ֖הre.'Ahhe was a special friendH7462
לֽוֹ\׃loto <the> him

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 14:20

  • Judges 15:2

    And 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 3:29

    He 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 13:18

    I 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.

  • Micah 7:5

    Trust 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.

  • Psalms 55:12-13

    For 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: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

  • Jeremiah 9:5

    And 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.

  • Judges 15:6

    Then 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.

  • Matthew 26:49-50

    And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
given to.
15:2
his friend.
Ps 55:12,13; Jer 9:5; Mic 7:5; Mt 26:49,50; Joh 3:29; 13:18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 14:19

    And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.

  • Judges 14:20

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

Read all of Judges 14

Judges 14:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el espíritu de Jehová cayó sobre él, y descendió á Ascalón, é hirió treinta hombres de ellos; y tomando sus despojos, dió las mudas de vestidos á los que habían explicado el enigma: y encendido en enojo fuése á casa de su padre. Y la mujer de Samsón fué dada á su compañero, con el cual él antes se acompañaba.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la femme de Samson fut donnée à son compagnon, dont il avait fait son ami.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und das Weib Simsons wurde einem seiner Gesellen gegeben, den er sich zugesellt hatte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		uxor autem ejus accepit maritum unum de amicis ejus et pronubis.