Giudici 14:1

1 Sansone scese a Timnah, e vide quivi una donna tra le figliuole de’ Filistei.

Giudici 14:1 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 14:1

And Samson went down to Timnath
A city which by lot fell to the tribe of Judah, but was afterwards given to the tribe of Dan, and now in the hands of the Philistines, ( Joshua 15:57 ) ( 19:43 ) . Judah is said to go up to it, because the place where he lived lay below it, ( Genesis 38:13 ) , but Samson is said to go down to it, because he lived above it. The Jews ^F20 differ about the reconciliation of these two places; some say there were two of this name, the one is a descent, and the other is an ascent; others say there was but one, so situated, that they that came to it on one side ascended, and they that came to it on the other side descended. Bochart ^F21 approves of the former. According to Bunting ^F23, this was twelve miles from Eshtaol, where Samson lived:

and saw a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines;
who at this time dwelt there; he saw no doubt many other women besides her, but he took special notice of her, and entertained a particular affection for her; or, in other words, on sight of her fell in love with her.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F20 T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 10. 1.
F21 IIierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 4. col. 763, 764.
F23 Travels p. 115.

Giudici 14:1 In-Context

1 Sansone scese a Timnah, e vide quivi una donna tra le figliuole de’ Filistei.

2 Tornato a casa, ne parlò a suo padre e a sua madre, dicendo: "Ho veduto a Timnah una donna tra le figliuole de’ Filistei; or dunque, prendetemela per moglie".

3 Suo padre e sua madre gli dissero: "Non v’è egli dunque tra le figliuole de’ tuoi fratelli e in tutto il nostro popolo una donna per te, che tu vada a prenderti una moglie tra i Filistei incirconcisi?" E Sansone rispose a suo padre: "Prendimi quella, poiché mi piace".

4 Or suo padre e sua madre non sapevano che questo veniva dall’Eterno, poiché Sansone cercava che i Filistei gli fornissero un’occasione di contesa. In quel tempo, i Filistei dominavano Israele.

5 Poi Sansone scese con suo padre e con sua madre a Timnah; e come furon giunti alle vigne di Timnah, ecco un leoncello farglisi incontro, ruggendo.