| 18. Source Text: Hebrew (WLC) Judges 14:18:1 ⧉וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּvayomeruand they said Judges 14:18:2 ⧉לוֹ֩loto him Judges 14:18:3 ⧉אַנְשֵׁ֨יanshemen of Judges 14:18:4 ⧉הָעִ֜ירhairthe city Judges 14:18:5 ⧉בַּיּ֣וֹםbayomon the day Judges 14:18:6 ⧉הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗יhasheviithe seventh Judges 14:18:7 ⧉בְּטֶ֙רֶם֙beterembefore Judges 14:18:8 ⧉יָבֹ֣אyavocame or would come Judges 14:18:9 ⧉הַחַ֔רְסָהhakharsathe sun toward setting Judges 14:18:10 ⧉מַה־מָּת֣וֹקmamatokwhat is sweeter Judges 14:18:11 ⧉מִדְּבַ֔שׁmiddavashthan honey Judges 14:18:12 ⧉וּמֶ֥הumeand what Judges 14:18:13 ⧉עַ֖זazis strong Judges 14:18:14 ⧉מֵאֲרִ֑יmearithan a lion Judges 14:18:15 ⧉וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand he said Judges 14:18:16 ⧉לָהֶ֔םlahemto them Judges 14:18:17 ⧉לוּלֵא֙luleif not Judges 14:18:18 ⧉חֲרַשְׁתֶּ֣םkharashetemyou had plowed Judges 14:18:19 ⧉בְּעֶגְלָתִ֔יbeeglatiwith my heifer Judges 14:18:20 ⧉לֹ֥אlonot Judges 14:18:21 ⧉מְצָאתֶ֖םmetsatemyou would have found Judges 14:18:22 ⧉חִידָתִֽי׃khidatimy riddle |
| 18. Formal Translation Then the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before sunset, “What is sweeter than honey and what is stronger than a lion?” Samson answered them, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found my riddle.” |
| 18. Dynamic Translation Before the sun went down on the seventh day, the men of the town said to him, “What could be sweeter than honey and what could be stronger than a lion?” Samson replied, “If you had not plowed {kharashtem: plowed, used her to pry it out} with my heifer, you would not have solved my riddle.” |