Who Put the Honey in the Lion?

By Ted Mock

February 4, 2026

Judges 14:8-9 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion. 9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

Louis Pasteur disproved the theory of spontaneous generation in the mid 1800’s. Some Scientists of his day tried to explain life that appeared in inanimate material, using the story of bees making honey in the rotting body of the lion in the story found in Judges. They did not understand microbiology because they could not see microbes with their eyes.

Samson’s biggest problem was an eye problem.  “He saw” is a common phrase in the narrative, and in the end, he asked to be revenged for the eyes his enemy took from him.  

Samson saw a woman of Timnath, and his steps followed his eyes.  On the way home he turned aside to “see” the carcase of the lion and “beheld” the honey.

It is not natural for bees to make a hive in a dead carcase, or to produce honey almost overnight.  So, who put the honey in the lion?  

I believe it was Satan.  Another question to be asked would be—would you reach in past the rotting flesh of the lion, take out a honeycomb and start eating it?  I wouldn’t reach in and take out a GLASS JAR of honey and eat it.

Samson’s eyes focused on the honey and ignored the death all around it.  Your eyes can cause you to do things you normally would not do.  Be careful that what happened to Samson doesn’t happen to you.

Reflection—Be careful little eyes what you see.