Judges 14:11

And when the Philistines saw him, they selected thirty men to accompany him.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator reports that the Philistines chose thirty companions for Samson during his wedding feast. This moment closes the banquet preparations and immediately precedes Samson's proposal of a riddle.

The words — The verb וַ/יִּקְחוּ (va/i.yik.Chu) carries the literal sense "and they took," marking the Philistines' active decision. It is coupled with מֵֽרֵעִ֔ים (me.re.'Im), meaning "companions," to specify the exact number and role of the men selected.

The thread — The gathering of attendants around a central figure parallels the people assembled around Saul in 1 Samuel 10:23 and the group present when Samuel encounters Eliab in 1 Samuel 16:6. This motif of accompanied leadership resurfaces in John 3:29, where the bridegroom's friend stands to witness his arrival.

Why it lands — The verse states a factual arrangement: thirty men are assigned to accompany Samson. A reader must recognize this as the structural setup for the riddle contest, where proximity and pressure will determine the outcome.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְהִ֖יva/y.Hiand/ it was כִּרְאוֹתָ֣םki/r.'o.Ta/mwhen/ saw/ they אוֹת֑וֹ'o.T/o<obj.>/ him וַיִּקְחוּ֙va/i.yik.Chuand/ they took שְׁלֹשִׁ֣יםshe.lo.Shimthirty מֵֽרֵעִ֔יםme.re.'Imcompanions וַיִּהְי֖וּva/i.yih.Yuand/ they were אִתּֽוֹ׃'i.T/owith/ him

King James Version

And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

Cross-references

John 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
1 Samuel 10:23 So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.
1 Samuel 16:6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”
Matthew 9:15 Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.