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Judges 14:17
ESV She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people.
NIV She cried the whole seven days of the feast. So on the seventh day he finally told her, because she continued to press him. She in turn explained the riddle to her people.
NASB However she wept before him for seven days while their feast lasted. And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard. She then told the riddle to the sons of her people.
CSB 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.
NLT So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men.
KJV And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

What does Judges 14:17 mean?

The Philistine woman to whom Samson is betrothed finally breaks him down, convincing him to share his secret. Samson's thirty Philistine groomsmen accepted his wager to solve his "riddle," not knowing at first that it was no riddle at all, but an impossible secret (Judges 14:11–16). After three days, they seemed to realize it was a trick, and so the men decided to play dirty. They threatened to kill the woman and her family if she did not get the answer out of Samson. Rather than telling Samson about the danger, she works to get the solution from him.

Samson resisted her tearful, emotional manipulation for several days. Winning the bet depended on keeping his secret. He did not give up the answer even when she accused him of hating her. Either her consistent nagging wore Samson down, or she applied exceptional pressure on the seventh day. This statement indicates that she applied tremendous emotional manipulation—a tactic to which Samson will always be vulnerable (Judges 16:16).

As soon as he submits to her demand, she gives the answer to the thirty groomsmen.
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