Judges 14 Footnotes

14:1-4 Did the Lord approve of Samson’s marriage to the Philistine woman of Timnah? Samson’s desire to marry “was from the LORD,” the text indicates, despite the fact that he had expressly forbidden his people to intermarry with the other inhabitants of Canaan because of their false religions (Ex 34:12-16; Dt 7:1-5). Scripture suggests that God can turn human wrongdoing to his praise (Ps 76:10), and to a degree Samson’s career illustrates this truth. To the very end of his life (Jdg 16:28), he consistently acted on the basis of his own physical desires, with little regard for what the Lord wanted. Scripture does not condemn attraction to a beautiful person of the opposite sex under normal conditions (Gn 12:11,14; 26:7; 29:17-18; Dt 21:10-13). But if that person is already married (2Sm 11:2) or, as with the Philistine woman, that person does not serve the one true God (2Co 6:14), such attraction must be resisted.

14:12-13 Just because God used Samson’s desires and actions to accomplish his ends did not mean he approved of all Samson’s actions, including his “gambling” over the Philistine garments. The casting of lots to determine the will of God in a given matter (Jos 18:6-10; Pr 16:33) is not gambling in the usual sense; no exchange of money or items of value is involved. The lot was cast “in the presence of the LORD” (Jos 18:6) to determine the right course of action in situations not covered by scriptural guidelines or where human wisdom lacked sufficient insight. There is no record of the casting of lots for such a purpose after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to indwell the people of God. Biblical references to the casting of lots for one’s personal gain (Jb 6:27; Ps 22:18; Jl 3:3; Nah 3:10; Mt 27:35) present the practice in a less than positive light.