Bible Strands

Judges 14:6

and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him, and he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as one would tear a young goat. But he did not tell his father or mother what he had done.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator describes Samson at the vineyards of Timnah, positioned between the initial lion attack in Judges 14:5 and his subsequent approach to the woman in Judges 14:7. The account places him mid-journey with his parents nearby before he proceeds alone.

The words — The Hebrew verb וַתּצליח (vattizlaḥ) literally means "it rushed" or "came powerfully upon," describing the Spirit of Yahweh (רוּחַ יְהוָה, rûaḥ YHWH) acting on Samson. The verb וישסעהוּ (wayyissaʿehû) means "he tore apart," explicitly comparing his physical act to tearing a young goat (גְּדִי, gədî).

The thread — This pattern of the Spirit of the Lord coming upon a leader recurs in Judges 3:10 with Othniel and Judges 13:25 with Samson’s initial calling, while Zechariah 4:6 later abstracts the mechanism as divine empowerment independent of human might. The textual thread consistently links Yahweh’s sudden agency to leadership and deliverance.

Why it lands — The text records that supernatural force precedes and enables physical action, while Samson’s concealment of the deed from his parents marks his autonomous path. A reader must note that the narrative presents divine intervention as unmediated by human instruction or moral justification.

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

וַתִּצְלַ֨חva./titz.Lachand/ it rushedעָלָ֜יו'a.La/von/ himר֣וּחַRu.ach[the] spirit ofיְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehוַֽיְשַׁסְּעֵ֙הוּ֙va/y.sha.se.'E./huand/ he tore apart/ itכְּשַׁסַּ֣עke./sha.Sa'as/ tears apartהַגְּדִ֔יha./ge.Di<the>/ kidוּמְא֖וּמָהu./me.'U.mahand/ [was] anythingאֵ֣ין'einthere notבְּיָד֑וֹbe./ya.D/oin/ hand/ hisוְלֹ֤אve./Lo'and/ notהִגִּיד֙hi.Gidhe toldלְאָבִ֣יוle./'a.Vi/vto/ father/ hisוּלְאִמּ֔וֹu./le./'i.M/oand/ to/ mother/ hisאֵ֖ת'et<obj.>אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sher[that] whichעָשָֽׂה׃'a.Sahhe had done

King James Version

And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

Cross-references