Albert Barnes Commentary Judges 14
Albert Barnes Commentary
Judges 14
Albert Barnes Commentary
Judges 14
"And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines." — Judges 14:1 (ASV)
Timnath - See Joshua 15:10 and note. It was below Zorah (Judges 13:2), about three miles southwest of it.
"And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife." — Judges 14:2 (ASV)
Get her for me - namely, by paying the requisite dowry (see marginal references) and gifts to relations. Therefore, the frequent mention of parents taking wives for their sons (Exodus 34:16; Nehemiah 10:30), because the parents of the bridegroom conducted the negotiation, and paid the dowry to the parents of the bride.
"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." — Judges 14:3 (ASV)
The uncircumcised Philistines— Compare (1 Samuel 14:6); (1 Samuel 17:26); (1 Samuel 31:4), for a similar use of the term as one of reproach. Also (Acts 11:3).
"But his father and his mother knew not that it was of Jehovah; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel." — Judges 14:4 (ASV)
His father and mother very properly opposed Samson’s marriage with a Pagan woman, the daughter of the oppressors of his people. But they could not prevail, because it was the secret purpose of God by these means to seek occasion against the Philistines; that is, to make the misconduct of the father of Samson’s wife, which He foresaw, the occasion of destruction to the Philistines. Compare the marginal references for similar statements.
"And after a while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey." — Judges 14:8 (ASV)
After the formal dowry and gifts had been given by Samson’s father, an interval, varying according to Eastern custom from a few days to a full year, passed between the betrothal and the wedding. During this time, the bride lived with her friends. Then came the essential part of the marriage ceremony, namely, the removal of the bride from her father’s house to that of the bridegroom or his father.
The carcass of the lion - The lion, slain by him a year or some months before, had now become a mere skeleton, fit for bees to swarm into. It was a widespread belief among the ancients that bees were generated from the carcass of an ox.
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