Judges 14:1

1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines;

Judges 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Judges 14:1 In-Context

1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines;

2 And when he came back he said to his father and mother, I have seen a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines: get her now for me for my wife.

3 Then his father and mother said to him, Is there no woman among the daughters of your relations or among all my people, that you have to go for your wife to the Philistines, who are without circumcision? But Samson said to his father, Get her for me, for she is pleasing to me.

4 Now his father and mother had no knowledge that this was the purpose of the Lord, who had the destruction of the Philistines in mind. Now the Philistines at that time were ruling over Israel.

5 Then Samson went down to Timnah (and his father and his mother,) and came to the vine-gardens of Timnah; and a young lion came rushing out at him.