Thematic Bible: Riddle
Thematic Bible
Riddle » By agur
The leech has two daughters: Give, Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough!": Sheol; a barren womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!"
Three things are beyond me; four I can't understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a young woman. This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I've done nothing wrong." read more.
The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four: a servant when he becomes king, a fool when he is stuffed with food, an unloved woman when she marries, and a serving girl when she ousts her lady. Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces. Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk: a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn't retreat before anything, a strutting rooster, a goat, and a king at the head of his army.
The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four: a servant when he becomes king, a fool when he is stuffed with food, an unloved woman when she marries, and a serving girl when she ousts her lady. Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces. Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk: a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn't retreat before anything, a strutting rooster, a goat, and a king at the head of his army.
Riddle » Used as a test of wit: at samson's feast
"Let me tell you a riddle," Samson said to them. "If you can explain it to me during the seven days of the feast and figure it out, I will give you 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes. But if you can't explain it to me, you must give me 30 linen garments and 30 changes of clothes." "Tell us your riddle," they replied. "Let's hear it." So he said to them: Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet. After three days, they were unable to explain the riddle. read more.
On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Persuade your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father's household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?" So Samson's wife came to him, weeping, and said, "You hate me and don't love me! You told my people the riddle, but haven't explained it to me." "Look," he said, "I haven't even explained it to my father or mother, so [why] should I explain it to you?" She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and at last, on the seventh day, he explained it to her, because she had nagged him so much. Then she explained it to her people. On the seventh day before sunset, the men of the city said to him: What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? So he said to them: If you hadn't plowed with my young cow, you wouldn't know my riddle now!
On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Persuade your husband to explain the riddle to us, or we will burn you and your father's household to death. Did you invite us here to rob us?" So Samson's wife came to him, weeping, and said, "You hate me and don't love me! You told my people the riddle, but haven't explained it to me." "Look," he said, "I haven't even explained it to my father or mother, so [why] should I explain it to you?" She wept the whole seven days of the feast, and at last, on the seventh day, he explained it to her, because she had nagged him so much. Then she explained it to her people. On the seventh day before sunset, the men of the city said to him: What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? So he said to them: If you hadn't plowed with my young cow, you wouldn't know my riddle now!