Samson’s Riddle

14 Samson went down to Timnah(A) and saw a young Philistine woman there. He went back and told his father and his mother, “I have seen a young Philistine woman in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”

But his father and mother said to him, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines for a wife?”

But Samson told his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” Now his father and mother did not know this was from the Lord,(B) who wanted the Philistines to provide an opportunity for a confrontation.[a] At that time, the Philistines were ruling Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:4 for a confrontation supplied for clarity

Samson’s Marriage

14 A while later, Samson went down to Timnah and observed a woman in Timnah who was of Philistine origin.[a] Then he returned and told his father and mother, “In Timnah I saw a woman of Philistine origin.”[b] He ordered them, “Get her for me as a wife. Now!”[c]

His father and mother asked him, “Isn’t there a woman suitable[d] among the daughters of your relatives or among all of our people, since you’re going to get your[e] wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?”

But Samson retorted to his father, “Get her for me, since she looks fine to me.” Meanwhile, his father and mother did not know that she was from the Lord, because he had been seeking a favorable opportunity concerning the Philistines, since[f] the Philistines were dominating Israel at that time.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 14:1 Lit. Timnah from the daughters of Philistines
  2. Judges 14:2 Lit. woman from the daughters of Philistines
  3. Judges 14:2 Or So get her
  4. Judges 14:3 The Heb. lacks suitable
  5. Judges 14:3 Lit. a
  6. Judges 14:4 Lit. and