Samson's public proposal of a riddle to the thirty companions—with stakes of thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes for the winner—introduces the intellectual competition that will dominate the remainder of chapter 14. The substantial stakes suggest serious commitment to the wager and the importance Samson places on the riddle contest. The offer of valuable clothing as prizes establishes the competition's significance and suggests that Samson either possesses substantial wealth or has confidence that he will not need to pay the stakes. The gathering of thirty companions as the audience and participants in the riddle suggests a formal public competition rather than private entertainment.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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