As with Hebrew riddles generally, this riddle plays on alliteration (with four of its words starting with mem), assonance (words sounding similar, especially on account of the vowel sounds; here, there are four alephs), repetition, and ambiguity. The enigma consists of two sets of self-contradictory statements: a consumer produces food, and a strong person produces sweetness.1 Samson has a lot of wit, even if he has no moral intelligence. The essence of the riddle comes down then to two questions: who is the strong eater and what is the sweet food?
14 And he said to them, “Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet.”And in three days they could not solve the riddle.