"Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey."
Samson posed this riddle at a wedding feast, rooted in a personal encounter where he killed a lion and later found honey in its carcass. It's a glimpse into one of the Bible's most enigmatic and symbolic moments.
Discover how this mysterious event fits into Samson’s larger story of strength, vows, and downfall in the Book of Judges.
An angel of the Lord appears to Samson's parents, telling them their son will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
On the way to marry a Philistine woman, Samson kills a lion with his bare hands. Later, he finds a swarm of bees and honey inside the lion’s carcass and crafts a riddle: "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet."
After being betrayed by his own people, Samson strikes down 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, showing God’s power through him.
Samson falls for Delilah, who lures him into revealing the secret of his strength—his uncut hair. The Philistines capture and blind him after his hair is cut.
In captivity, Samson’s hair grows back. He prays for strength one final time and pulls down the temple pillars, destroying the Philistine rulers and sacrificing himself in the process.
Samson’s story is one of flawed strength and redemption. Despite his mistakes, God uses him to deliver Israel, reminding us that grace often works through broken vessels.