The Skeptics Annotated Bible (243 page)

(14.17)
“She wept before him the seven days … and … on the seventh day … he told her … and she told the riddle to … her people.”

18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And
he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

(14.18) So Samson didn’t get his 30 sets of sheets and garments, and he was pissed off about it. He said if they hadn’t of “plowed with his heifer” they’d have never found out the riddle.

(14.18)
“If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.”

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.

(14.19)
The Spirit of the Lord comes upon Samson and he murders 30 men for their clothes
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and he killed 30 men at random, took their clothes, and gave it to the guys at the party as a prize for guessing his riddle. (Samson might have been a decent person if he could have kept the spirit of the Lord off him.)
God’s 53rd Killing

(14.19)
“The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men … and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle.”

20
But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

(14.20) Then after all that, Samson’s wife was given to the best man.

(14.20)
“But Samson’s wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.”

15
But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that
Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.

(15.1) After the spirit of the Lord came upon Samson and he murdered 30 men for their clothes, he went to his wife’s house for some sex. He even brought a young goat along to pay for her services.

(15.1a)
“Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber.”

(15.1b-2) Then Samson’s father-in-law had to tell him the bad news: he had given Samson’s wife to one of his Philistine friends because he thought Samson “hated” her. He suggested that Samson take his younger daughter instead, saying the younger one’s prettier anyway.