Judges 14:1
Judges 14:1 in Multiple Translations
One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines;
One day Samson went to Timnah, where a young Philistine woman attracted his attention.
Nowe Samson went downe to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistims,
And Samson goeth down to Timnath, and seeth a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines,
Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Then Samson went down to Thamnatlia, and seeing there a woman of the daughters of the Philistines,
One day when Samson was in Timnah town, he saw a young Philistine woman there.
Berean Amplified Bible — Judges 14:1
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Judges 14:1 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יֵּ֥רֶד
שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן
תִּמְנָ֑תָ/ה
וַ/יַּ֥רְא
אִשָּׁ֛ה
בְּ/תִמְנָ֖תָ/ה
מִ/בְּנ֥וֹת
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים
וַ/יֵּ֥רֶד
yârad
H3381
to go down
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן
Shimshôwn
H8123
Samson
N-proper
תִּמְנָ֑תָ/ה
Timnâh
H8553
Timnah
N-proper | Suff
וַ/יַּ֥רְא
râʼâh
H7200
Provider
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
אִשָּׁ֛ה
ʼishshâh
H802
woman
N-fs
בְּ/תִמְנָ֖תָ/ה
Timnâh
H8553
Timnah
Prep | N-proper | Suff
מִ/בְּנ֥וֹת
bath
H1323
Bath (Shua)
Prep | N-fp
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים
Pᵉlishtîy
H6430
Philistines
Ngmpa
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Judges 14:1
וַ/יֵּ֥רֶד
yârad
H3381
"to go down"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
To go down or descend, like going to a lower place or falling. It appears in Genesis and Exodus, describing people and things moving downwards.
Definition: 1) to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go or come down 1a2) to sink 1a3) to be prostrated 1a4) to come down (of revelation) 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to bring down 1b2) to send down 1b3) to take down 1b4) to lay prostrate 1b5) to let down 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought down 1c2) to be taken down
Usage: Occurs in 345 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, [idiom] indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take down. See also: Genesis 11:5; Judges 3:28; 2 Kings 1:15.
שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן
Shimshôwn
H8123
"Samson"
N-proper
Samson, meaning like the sun, was a Danite and a judge of Israel for 20 years. He was a Nazarite for life, and his story is first mentioned in Judges 13:24, where he is described as the son of Manoah.
Definition: A Judge living before Israel's Monarchy, first mentioned at Jdg.13.24; son of: Manoah (H4495); married to Delilah (H1807) Also named: Sampsōn (Σαμψών "Samson" G4546) § Samson = "like the sun" a Danite, son of Manoah, a Nazarite for life, and a judge of Israel for 20 years
Usage: Occurs in 37 OT verses. KJV: Samson. See also: Judges 13:24; Judges 15:16; Judges 16:30.
תִּמְנָ֑תָ/ה
Timnâh
H8553
"Timnah"
N-proper | Suff
Timnah is a place in Palestine, mentioned in the Bible as a town in the hill country of Judah, meaning portion. It appears in the book of Joshua and Judges.
Definition: § Timnath or Timnah or Thimnathah = "portion" a town in the hill country of Judah
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: Timnah, Timnath, Thimnathah. See also: Genesis 38:12; Joshua 19:43; 2 Chronicles 28:18.
וַ/יַּ֥רְא
râʼâh
H7200
"Provider"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms
The Hebrew word for provider means to see or look after, and is used to describe God's care for his people. It appears in various forms throughout the Bible, including in Genesis and other books.
Definition: (Lord will) Provide, cause to be seen. This name means to see, look at, inspect, look after
Usage: Occurs in 1206 OT verses. KJV: advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 41:41; Exodus 33:13.
אִשָּׁ֛ה
ʼishshâh
H802
"woman"
N-fs
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Definition: : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English. See also: Genesis 2:22; Genesis 34:4; Numbers 5:12.
בְּ/תִמְנָ֖תָ/ה
Timnâh
H8553
"Timnah"
Prep | N-proper | Suff
Timnah is a place in Palestine, mentioned in the Bible as a town in the hill country of Judah, meaning portion. It appears in the book of Joshua and Judges.
Definition: § Timnath or Timnah or Thimnathah = "portion" a town in the hill country of Judah
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: Timnah, Timnath, Thimnathah. See also: Genesis 38:12; Joshua 19:43; 2 Chronicles 28:18.
מִ/בְּנ֥וֹת
bath
H1323
"Bath (Shua)"
Prep | N-fp
The Hebrew word for daughter is used to describe a female child or a woman, and can also be used figuratively. In the Bible, it is used to describe women like Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and later of King David.
Definition: A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.38.2; daughter of: Shua (H7770); married to Judah (H3063); mother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956) the wife of Uriah whom David had murdered, having had adulterous relations with her; subsequently wife of David and mother of Solomon, Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan (alternate spelling to 'Bathsheba')
Usage: Occurs in 498 OT verses. KJV: apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village. See also: Genesis 5:4; Exodus 2:21; Ruth 1:13.
פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים
Pᵉlishtîy
H6430
"Philistines"
Ngmpa
A Philistine is a person from the region of Philistia, which was inhabited by immigrants from other places. The Philistines were known for their conflicts with the Israelites, as recorded in the Bible. They were a distinct ethnic group.
Definition: Philistine = "immigrants" an inhabitant of Philistia; descendants of Mizraim who immigrated from Caphtor (Crete?) to the western seacoast of Canaan Another name of ga.dol (גָּדוֹל "Great( Sea)" H1419J)
Usage: Occurs in 244 OT verses. KJV: Philistine. See also: Genesis 10:14; 1 Samuel 17:8; 1 Chronicles 10:1.
Study Notes — Judges 14:1
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Judges 14:1 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Judges 14:1
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 14:1
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Judges 14:1
- Trapp's Commentary on Judges 14:1
- Ellicott's Commentary on Judges 14:1
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Judges 14:1
- Cambridge Bible on Judges 14:1
- Barnes' Notes on Judges 14:1
- Whedon's Commentary on Judges 14:1
- Sermons on Judges 14:1
Context — Samson’s Marriage
1One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.
2So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.” 3But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua 15:10 | The border curled westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), went down to Beth-shemesh, and crossed to Timnah. |
| 2 | Joshua 19:43 | Elon, Timnah, Ekron, |
| 3 | 1 John 2:16 | For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. |
| 4 | Genesis 38:12–13 | After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah. When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” |
| 5 | 2 Samuel 11:2 | One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. |
| 6 | Genesis 6:2 | the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose. |
| 7 | Genesis 34:1–2 | Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. |
| 8 | Job 31:1 | “I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin? |
| 9 | Psalms 119:37 | Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word. |
Judges 14:1 Summary
This verse tells us that Samson, a strong and important leader in the Bible, went to a place called Timnah and saw a woman he liked. He wanted to marry her, even though she was not an Israelite, as we see in Judges 14:2. This shows us that even strong leaders can be tempted to follow their own desires instead of God's will, as seen in James 1:14-15, where we are advised to be careful not to be tempted by our own desires. We can learn from Samson's example to seek to follow God's will, as seen in Romans 12:2, which advises us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and to trust in Him with all our heart, as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Samson go down to Timnah?
The Bible does not specifically state why Samson went down to Timnah, but it is likely that he was drawn there by his own desires, as we see in Judges 14:1, where he saw a young Philistine woman, and later asked his parents to get her for him as a wife, as seen in Judges 14:2.
Was it wrong for Samson to be interested in a Philistine woman?
In the context of the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded not to intermarry with the surrounding nations, as seen in Deuteronomy 7:3-4, and Exodus 34:15-17, so Samson's interest in a Philistine woman could be seen as disobedience to God's commands.
What can we learn from Samson's actions in this verse?
We can learn that our desires and actions have consequences, and that we should seek to follow God's will, as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6, which advises us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.
How does this verse relate to the rest of Samson's story?
This verse sets the stage for the rest of Samson's story, as his desire for the Philistine woman leads to his marriage to her, and ultimately to his downfall, as seen in Judges 16:1-22, where his love for Delilah, another Philistine, leads to his capture and blindness.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I am being drawn away from God's will, and how can I seek to follow Him more closely?
- How can I balance my own desires with the need to follow God's commands, as seen in Psalm 37:4, which advises us to delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our heart?
- What are some potential consequences of disobeying God's commands, and how can I seek to avoid them, as seen in 1 Samuel 15:22-23, where disobedience is compared to witchcraft and idolatry?
- How can I seek to trust in the Lord with all my heart, as advised in Proverbs 3:5-6, and lean not on my own understanding, especially in areas where I am unsure of God's will?
Gill's Exposition on Judges 14:1
And Samson went down to Timnath,.... A city which by lot fell to the tribe of Judah, but was afterwards given to the tribe of Dan, and now in the hands of the Philistines, Joshua 15:57.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 14:1
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. Timnath - now Tibna, about three miles from Zorah, his birthplace. Saw a woman ... of the Philistines.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Judges 14:1
JUDGES CHAPTER 14 Samson desires to wife a daughter of the Philistines of Timnath; and this of the Lord, for an occasion against them, . His parents go down with him to Timnath: a young lion meets him; he kills it, ; in his return he findeth honey in the carcass, ,9. Keepeth a marriage feast: hath thirty companions adjoined to him; to whom he propoundeth a riddle; with promise of a present, . His wife extorts from him the explication, and discovereth it, . He slayeth thirty Philistines of Ashkelon, and therewith payeth his present, . His wife is given to another, . After he was come to mature age. Timnath; a place not far from the sea; of which see 19:43.
Trapp's Commentary on Judges 14:1
Judges 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.Ver. 1. And Samson went down to Timnath.] Whether to the market, or the sports, or some great feast, &c., it is not recorded; but God had an overruling hand in this journey for the punishment of the Philistines, though Samson cannot be altogether excused; for he went "after the sight of his eyes and lust of his heart." Ill guides. And saw a woman in Timnath.] This licentious eye should have been plucked out. A little otherwise than Democritus the philosopher put out his eyes, because he could not look upon a woman but he must lust after her; wherein he did nothing else, saith Tertullian, but lay open his own folly to the whole city where he dwelt. How much better David, who prayed, "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity," and Job, who voweth and imprecateth against these oculorum dolores, as great Alexander called the Persian maids. In Apolog.
Ellicott's Commentary on Judges 14:1
(1) To Timnath.—This town, of which the site still retains the name Tibneh, is perhaps the same as that in Genesis 38:12, unless that be a town in the mountains of Judah, as Judah is there said to have “gone up” not as here, “down” to it. In Joshua 15:10 it is assigned to Judah, but appears to have been afterwards ceded to Dan (Joshua 19:45). The name means “a portion,” and is found also in Timnath-serah, where Joshua was buried (Joshua 24:30). Of the daughters of the Philistines.—This was against the spirit of the law, which forbad intermarriages with Canaanites (Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3-4). The sequel showed the wisdom of the law (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Judges 14:1
CHAPTER XIV Samson marries a wife of the Philistines, 1-4. Slays a young lion at Timnath, in the carcass of which he afterwards finds a swarm of bees, 5-9. He makes a feast; they appoint him thirty companions, to whom he puts forth a riddle, which they cannot expound, 10-14. They entice his wife to get the interpretation from him; she succeeds, informs them, and they tell the explanation, 15-18. He is incensed, and slays thirty of the Philistines, 19, 20. NOTES ON CHAP. XIV Verse 1. Went down to Timnath] A frontier town of the Philistines, at the beginning of the lands belonging to the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:57; but afterwards given up to Dan, Joshua 19:43. David took this place from the Philistines, but they again got possession of it in the reign of Ahaz, 2 Chronicles 28:18.
Cambridge Bible on Judges 14:1
1. Timnah] now Tibneh, about 4 m. S.W. of Zorah, on the low hills of the Shephçlah: hence went down is the word for reaching it from Samson’s house (Judges 14:1; Judges 14:5; Judges 14:7; Judges 14:10), and go up, for the journey in the opposite direction, Judges 14:2 and 1 Samuel 29:9. According to Joshua 15:10 Timnah lay on the N. border of Judah (cf. 2 Chronicles 28:18), and is assigned to Dan, ib. Joshua 19:43 (P). It is mentioned in the Prism Inscr. of Sennacherib as one of the places which he captured after Altaḳ ?u (Eltekeh), just before he ravaged Judah in 701 b.c., Keil. Bibl. ii. 92 f.
Barnes' Notes on Judges 14:1
Timnath - See Joshua 15:10 and note. It was below Zorah Judges 13:2, about three miles S. W. of it.
Whedon's Commentary on Judges 14:1
1. Went down to Timnath — About five miles southwest from Zorah, and identical with the modern Tibneh.
Sermons on Judges 14:1
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The History, Mystery and Tragedy of Samson - Part 4 by Ian Paisley | This sermon delves into the life of Samson, focusing on the lessons learned from his associations and the consequences of his choices. It emphasizes the importance of avoiding dang |
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When Jesus Is King by Erlo Stegen | Erlo Stegen emphasizes the importance of having Jesus as King in our lives, contrasting the chaotic times of the Judges with the unity and devotion of the early Christians in Acts. |
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The Great Sin (Reading) by C.S. Lewis | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the issue of pride and conceit in the Christian life. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing our need for repentance and seeking the Lord |
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(So Great a Salvation) Overcoming the World by Paris Reidhead | In this sermon, the speaker recounts an encounter with a young man at a retreat center. The young man expresses his desire to have victory in his life but admits that he often fail |
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(Genesis) Genesis 3:6-7 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher discusses how Satan uses the same tactics to deceive people today as he did in the Garden of Eden. The preacher explains that Satan appeals to the lust |
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Satan's Steps in Temptation by Dwight Pentecost | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the steps of temptation that led David to disgrace and how Satan uses these same steps to lead individuals away from God's will. The preacher |
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2 Chronicles 24:1-15 by Kevin Turner | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing God as the creator and ourselves as His creation. He shares a personal experience from his trip to Kenya that s |