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In the Hebrew version of Judges, the townsmen answer Samson’s riddle on the seventh day before the sun sets. The Greek Septuagint reads the rare Hebrew word for sun differently and has them answer before the sun rose, moving the scene from dusk to dawn.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Judges 14:18
Hebrew Bible
17 She cried on his shoulder until the party was almost over. Finally, on the seventh day, he told her because she had nagged him so much. Then she told the young men the solution to the riddle. 18 On the seventh day, before the sun set, the men of the city said to him,“What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”He said to them,“If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle!” 19 The Lord’s Spirit empowered him. He went down to Ashkelon and killed 30 men. He took their clothes and gave them to the men who had solved the riddle. He was furious as he went back home.
LXX Judges 14:18
Septuagint
17 So she wept before him for the seven days that the banquet was for them. Then it came to pass on the seventh day that he explained the riddle to her because she had annoyed him. And she explained it to the sons of her people. 18 Then the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the rising of the sun, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” And Samson said to them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have learned my riddle.” 19 Then the Spirit of the Lord leapt upon him; he went down to Ashkelon and struck from them thirty men, and he took their garments and gave the clothes to the ones explaining the riddle. And Samson was angered with wrath and went up to the house of his father.
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Notes and References
... The phrase בְּטֶרֶם יָבֹא הַחַרְסָה, “before the sun went down”, is uncommon (which may explain the translation in the Septuagint [B] with “before the sun rose”). Especially the use of חֶרֶם designating the sun is remarkable. Many commentators (following Stade 1884, 253–254; compare also BHS and HAL) propose to replace it by הַחַדְרָה, “her room”, which is also mentioned in 15:1. This would make things even more dramatic: just before Samson would consummate the marriage the men would have spoiled the party. One can also think, however, of good reasons why the author would have used this word. It may have been inspired by the reference to the town of Mount Heres, which was mentioned in 1:35 as part of the Danite territory. Even more interesting is assonance with the verb שׁרח, “to plough”, used by Samson in his reaction to the given solution ...
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