RIDDLE (ricl'd'i). (Heb. khee-daw', liter ally tied in a knot, something intricate or compli cated), elsewhere "dark sentence," "hard question," "dark saying," etc.
(1) Meaning. The Hebrew word is derived from an Arabic root meaning "to bend off," to twist," and is used for artifice (Dan. viii :23), a proverb (Prov. i :6), a song (Ps. xlix :4 ; lxxviii: 2), an oracle (Num. xii :8), a parable (Ezek. xvii: 2), and in general any wise or intricate sentence (Ps. xciv :4 Hab. ii :6, etc.), as well as a riddle in our sense of the word (Judg. xiv :12-19).
(2) Examples. An example of a riddle oc curs in Judg. xiv:12-19, where Samson proposes to the thirty young Philistines who attended his nuptials, an enigma, derived from the circum stance of his having lately found a swarm of bees and honey in the skeleton of the lion, which he had killed some months before, when he had come to espouse his wife. (See BEE.) This riddle or enigma, though unfair in regard to those who ac cepted the pledge to unravel it, because they were ignorant of the particular fact by the knowledge of which alone it could be explained by them, never theless answers to the approved definition of an enigma, as consisting of an artful and abstruse proposition, put in obscure, ambiguous, and even contrary terms, in order to exercise the ingenuity of others in finding out its meaning.
Other ancient riddles in verse are that of the Sphinx, and that which is said to have caused the death of Homer by his mortification at being un able to solve it (Plutarch, Vit. Hom.).
The pleasure of the propounder is derived from perplexing his hearers; and theirs from overcom ing the difficulty, which is usually renewed by their proposing another enigma.
This kind of amusement seems to have been resorted to, especially at entertainments, in all ages among different nations; and has even been treated as an art, and reduced to rules. The chief writers on this curious subject are, Nic. Rcusner (rEnigmatografih.) and F. Menestrier.
(8) Rules. The principal rules laid down for the construction of an enigma are the following: that it must be obscure, and the more obscure the better, provided that the description of the thing, however covered and abstract, and in whatever remote or uncommon terms, be really correct ; and it is essential that the thing thus described be well known. Sometimes, and especially in a witty enigma, the amusement consists in describing a thing by a set of truisms, which tell their own meaning, but which confound the hearer, through his expectation of some deep and difficult meaning. The greater enigma is to be rendered more intri cate and knotty by a multitude of words; the lesser may consist of only one or two remote words or allusions.
(4) Further Illustrations. The speech of Lamech to his wives Adah and Zillah (Gen. iv :23, 24) is, possibly, an enigmatic mode of communi cating some painful intelligence. It is recorded (1 Kings x :i) that the queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon i. e., by engimas. Josephus relates that Hiram, king of Tyre, tried the skill of Solo mon in the same way ; and quotes Dius to attest that Solomon sent riddles to Hiram, and that the Tyrian king forfeited much money to Solomon from his inability to answer them, but redeemed it, upon a man of Tyre named Abdemon being found able to solve them (Antiq. viii:5, 3). The description of the Messiah under the name of the Branch, when considered in regard to the occasion and context, may be considered as a specimen of the lesser enigma (see Lowth upon the passage).
'The number of the beast' (Rev. xiii:18), may be also considered as an enigma. This belongs to a class of riddles very common among Egyptian mystics, the Gnostics, some of the Fathers, and the Jewish Cabalists. The other instances in which the Hebrew word is used all exhibit more or less of the enigmatic character. They are as follows (Num. xii :8), where it means 'an oracle or vis ion ;' (Ps. xlix :5), 'a song;' (Ixxviii:2), 'dark sayings ;' (Prov. t :6), 'intricate proverbs;' (Ezek. xvii :2), 'a parable ;' viii :23), 'artifices;' (Hab. ii :6), 'a song.' In the Apocrypha we find ( \Visd. xlvii :15) a.nigmata; in the New Testa ment (i Cor. mil:12), in ernigmate, in an enigma, which Bretschneider points out as a quotation of Num. xii :8. The word enigma, taken in the ex tensive meaning of its root, ainos, certainly applies to an immense portion of the sacred writings, viz., as a narrative or tale, having an application to present circumstances ; Odyss. xiv :5o8, a fable, bearing moral instruction ; Hes. Oper. 202, which nearly approaches to the nature of a parable. (See PARABLE) ; a pointed sentence, saying, or proverb (Theocritus, xiv:13). (See PROVERB; PROPHECY.) According to Lenncp, the word enigma, taken sub stantively, means 'anything obscure.' As speci mens of the enigmatical style in the Old Testa ment, Winer points out Pros-. xxx :12-19; Is. xxi: 12. In the New we may adduce our Lord's dis course with Nicodemus (John iii :3), and with the Jews (vi :51, etc.), where the enigmatical style is adopted for the purpose of engaging attention, in an unrivaled manner (Winer, Bibl. Arekdol.; Stuck. Antiq. Conviv. iii, 17). J. F. D.