Topic
Riddle
9 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Judges 14:12–18Easton · Nave Used as a test of wit: at Samson' s feast
¶ And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments: But if ye cannot declare it me,…
- Judges 14:14–19Smith
And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson’s wife, Entice thy husband, that he…
- 1 Kings 10:1Smith
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
- 2 Chronicles 9:1Smith
And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she…
- Proverbs 30:15Nave By Agur
The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
- Proverbs 30:16Nave By Agur
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
- Proverbs 30:18–31Nave By Agur
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. Such is the way of an…
- Ezekiel 17:2–18Easton
Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the…
- 1 Corinthians 13:12Easton
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 3 references
(Heb. hodah). The oldest and, strictly speaking, the only example of a riddle was that propounded by Samson (Judg. 14:12-18). The parabolic prophecy in Ezek. 17:2-18 is there called a “riddle.” It was rather, however, an allegory. The word “darkly” in 1 Cor. 13:12 is the rendering of the Greek enigma; marg., “in a riddle.”
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 3 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 0 references
rid'-'-l (chidhah; ainigma).
See GAMES.
In the topical indexes
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.