Judges 14:1-7

Samson and the Woman of Timnath Judges 14:1-7

And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
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.
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.
4 But his father and 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.
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.
6 And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

1.

Where was Timnath? Judges 14:1

Timnath appears in many different place names. For example, Timnath-serah appeared in Joshua (Joshua 19:50 and Joshua 24:30). A town by the name of Timnath is mentioned in Joshua 15:57 and located in the southern part of the hill country of Judah, some eight miles west of Bethlehem. The Timnath where Samson went to get his bride must have been a town on the northern border of Judah (Joshua 15:10). This place lay between Beth-shemesh and Ekron. This place was assigned to Dan (Joshua 19:43). Being on the frontier, it must have changed hands from time to time. Ahaz took it from the Philistines (2 Chronicles 28:18), and we learn from Assyrian inscriptions that Sennacherib captured a Tamna after the battle of Alteka before he attacked Ekron. A deserted ruin called Tibneh now stands on the southern slopes of the Wady es Surar, or the valley of Sorek. The spot is thus two miles west of Beth-shemesh, where there are a spring and evident signs of antiquity.

2.

Why did Samson ask his parents to get a wife for him? Judges 14:2

It was not customary in the era of the judges for a boy to make arrangements for his own marriage. Throughout patriarchal times the father made arrangements for the marriage of his son. Abraham sent Eliezer to seek a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24), and Jacob arranged with Hamor for Shechem, Hamor's son, to marry Dinah, Jacob's daughter (Genesis 34). Such a custom prevails today, demanding that a man have a near kinsman to speak to the father of his intended bride. When the dowry has been arranged, an engagement is announced. After considerable time, a wedding feast is held; and the marriage is consummated.

3.

Why did Samson's parents try to discourage his intentions? Judges 14:3

Manoah and his wife called the Philistines by the same epithet used by David when he met Goliath. They looked upon the people as uncircumcised Philistines. There was no stigma upon the Philistines because they failed to practice the rite of circumcision insofar as any physical strength or weakness may have been involved. The stigma arose from the fact of their not being under the covenant which God made with Abraham. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant. Those who were circumcised belonged to God. These Philistines were descendants of Ham and were not a part of the covenant nation of God. As a result, Samson's parents felt it was inadvisable for him to marry such a woman. They would have much preferred his marrying some girl from Israel.

4.

In what way was God seeking an occasion against the Philistines? Judges 14:4

Christians believe all things work together for good to those who love God (Romans 8:28). Looking back upon many unfortunate circumstances, Christians can still see the hand of God in their lives. Such was the interpretation of the relationship of Samson with the woman of Timnath. The author of the book of Judges declares it was God's will for strife to arise between the Israelites and the Philistines. Samson was an instrument in God's hand. This does not mean God approved of Samson's intentions to marry a wife from among the uncircumcised Philistines. God often uses the wickedness of men to bring honor and glory to His Name. He works out His will in spite of the weakness of men.

5.

Were lions plentiful in Palestine? Judges 14:5

Samson met a lion on the way down from his home in Dan to the home of the father of his bride-to-be in Philistia. Benaiah, one of David's mighty men, distinguished himself by killing a lion in a pit in the time of snow (2 Samuel 23:20). Such wild animals do not seem to be numerous in the Promised Land, but one of the curses which was pronounced upon the people when they turned their backs upon God was the sending of wild animals among the Israelites (Leviticus 26:22). We do not read of the kings of Israel or Judah going on lion hunts or of the people themselves engaging in such pursuits of wild beasts. This indicates the scarcity of such wild animals in Israel. Such a reference as this of Samson's killing a lion is unusual by its very nature.

6.

Why did Samson not tell his parents about killing the lion? Judges 14:6

One of the parts of Samson's Nazarite vow was his oath to refrain from touching a dead body. When he killed a lion, he violated this part of his vow. He must have refused to tell his parents about this encounter because he knew of their desire for him to keep his vow. He was not proud of this feat of strength, for he was unwilling to keep his vow perfectly.