Judges 14:1-5

Judges 14:1

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

 

Samson was all grown up now and had gone to Timnath.  Timnath was about 18 miles (29 km) north of Eshtaol where Samson lived.  Timnath was originally given to the tribe of Judah but then it became property of the tribe of Dan and now it was in the hands of the Philistines.  This was the beginning of the delivery of Israel from the Philistines.  Samson goes to Timnath and now he sees a woman that he wants for his wife.  He should have chosen one from the stock of Israel but this gave him a way into the camp of the Philistines as he was beginning to set up his “covert” operation.

 

Judges 14:2

And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

 

Samson must have been a very demanding man since he came back to his parents and told his parents that he saw woman among the Philistines that he wanted for a wife.  Notice that he did not ask his parents if they would get her for his wife he just told them to get her for his wife.  The fathers would probably meet and come up with an agreement between them so their children could get married even though the customs would be different between the two groups.

 

Judges 14:3

Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

 

Then Samson’s parents desired to keep their family line pure from the heathen nations that surrounded them and they knew that the Lord had forbidden any of the children of Israel from intermingling, especially in marriage, with the pagan nations and their false gods.  They asked Samson is there no woman among our people that you would desire as a wife?  Samson did not move from his original request as he basically orders his father to go get her for him.

 

Judges 14:4

But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

 

Samson had known that since he was born for the purpose of delivering the Israelites from Philistine oppression, he had to get inside their camp and somehow win their affection so they would not be suspicious of his real motive which was to free Israel from them.  His parents were not privy to this information because the Lord was keeping it a secret that He was beginning the process of freeing Israel from the Philistines since they had dominion over Israel at this time which would have been twenty years at this point.

 

Judges 14:5

Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

 

Samson and his parents were now travelling to Timnath from Eshtaol, probably to meet the woman and her parents.  This was not Delilah as she came on the scene later.  They were travelling by the vineyards of Timnath.  This area was known for its many vineyards including this part which was held by the Philistines.  This may have been the Valley of Sorek.  And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.  (Judges 16:4, KJV)  As normal, there were many lions in the land of Palestine and as Samson and his parents were travelling, he encountered a lion, not a cub but a young, strong lion which roared and was probably ready to pounce on him.  Samson and his parents must have been separated by a little distance during this time.

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