Riddles were a type of word puzzle widely used in ancient times, both for entertainment and to test wisdom. The riddles allowed the speaker to obscure valuable information from the undeserving and at the same time reveal a vital truth to worthy listeners. Typically, the language of a riddle worked on two levels: it conveyed a direct meaning and a symbolic or allegorical point that only discerning people understood.
Probably the best known riddle in the Bible is the one Samson said at his wedding feast. Samson’s riddle was the kind of diversion often used at weddings, banquets, parties, and intellectual gatherings in the ancient world. His boyfriend, Samson, entertained and challenged his thirty male Philistine guests by asking them to solve a riddle in seven days. The prize offered by Samson was thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothing for the deserving guest. If no one solved the puzzle, the guests would have to give Samson an identical prize. Samson’s riddle consisted of a poetic couplet: “From the devourer, something to eat; / from the strong, something sweet” (Judges 14:12–14). Unable to solve the riddle, the thirty men threatened Samson’s Philistine girlfriend for the answer, which also came in the form of a riddle: “What is sweeter than honey? / What is stronger than a lion? (verse 18). Samson’s anger at his “deception” resulted in the death of thirty Philistine men (verse 19), which in turn led to an escalation of violence and the death of Samson’s bride (Judges 15:6).
The same word used for Samson’s riddle, ḥīdhāh, translates as “hard questions” that the queen of Sheba put to King Solomon: “When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame and his relationship with the Lord, she came to test Solomon with difficult questions. Arriving in Jerusalem with a very large caravan, . . . she came to Solomon and talked with him about everything that was on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain” ( 1 Kings 10:1–3 ). Someone who could solve puzzles was considered a wise and insightful person. Like Solomon, Daniel was a skillful interpreter of riddles ( Daniel 5:11–12 ).
Some proverbs, such as those found in Proverbs 30:15–31, were initially considered riddles. These proverbs employed riddles as a way of teaching and testing wisdom (Proverbs 1:6) as well as exposing vices. In Ezekiel 17:1–10, a symbolic riddle compares King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to an eagle. And, in the New Testament, a mathematical puzzle appears in the mysterious number of the beast, 666 (Revelation 13:18).
Jesus sometimes used riddles to outwit his opponents, such as when he asked, “How can Satan cast out Satan?” in Mark 3:23. In another passage, Jesus used a riddle to silence religious leaders when they challenged his authority in Matthew 21:23–27.
The predominant reason for the use of riddles in the Bible was to hide information from the hard-hearted who rejected the truth while revealing it to true believers. In Matthew 13:10, the disciples asked Jesus why he spoke to the people in parables. Jesus replied, “For to you has been given the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to them” (verse 11). Then Jesus pointed to the book of Isaiah: “For the hearts of this people are hardened; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and be converted, and I will heal them” (verse 15, quoting Isaiah 6:10).
Due to the condition of their hearts, people who lacked faith could not understand the meaning of the parables. However, the people of faith had received the favor of God’s grace and the ability to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Unbelief will cause a person to hear the truth and yet become more and more wrapped up in their decision not to believe. However, those who receive and respond to God’s Word with an open heart will discover an ever-expanding insight and revelation of spiritual truth.
Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to cover up a matter; to scrutinize a matter is the glory of kings.” God is glorified by withholding information because a certain level of mystery about spiritual matters heightens our sense of wonder and quest for discovery. God hides some truth so that we must seek it. Just like searching for seashells or panning for gold, we rarely find the most valuable treasures scattered on the surface of God’s Word. God includes riddles in the Bible because treasured truth is to be sought as we trust in the Spirit of God.