Shofetim 15:2

2 And her av said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion; is not her younger achot fairer than she? Take her now, instead of her.

Shofetim 15:2 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 15:2

And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly
hated her
Not only thought so, but said so, and had said it over and over again; for the words are, "saying I said" ^F20, affirmed it confidently and constantly, that "in hating thou hast hated her" ^F21, with an implacable hatred, that there was no hope of any reconciliation:

therefore I gave her to thy companion;
this he said to excuse his daughter, and soften his resentment, that it was not his daughter's doing, but his, and that he had disposed of her not to anybody, but to a companion of Samson's; and what follows seems to be said with the same view, for he might be in some fear of Samson, knowing him to be a man of spirit and strength:

is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee,
instead of her;
that is, to wife; and two things he observes to recommend her, her youth and beauty, in which she was preferable to her sister. Such incestuous marriages were common with the old Canaanites, and it seems still continued; but were condemned by the law of God, and not allowed an Israelite, which Samson knew full well, and therefore listened not to the proposal; see ( Leviticus 18:3 Leviticus 18:18 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (ytrma rma) "dicendo dixi", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator.
F21 (htanv anv) "odiendo odires eam", Pagninus, Montanus; so Piscator.

Shofetim 15:2 In-Context

1 5 But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of katzir chittim, that Shimshon visited his isha with a young goat; and he said, I will go in to my isha into the cheder. But her av would not allow him to go in.

2 And her av said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion; is not her younger achot fairer than she? Take her now, instead of her.

3 And Shimshon said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Pelishtim, though I do them ra’ah.

4 And Shimshon went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned them tail to tail, and put a torch in the midst between two tails.

5 And when he lit eish to the torches, he let them go into the standing grain of the Pelishtim, and burned up both the harvested grain and also the standing grain, and also olive orchards.