Judges 14:2
New International Version
When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”

New Living Translation
When he returned home, he told his father and mother, “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.”

English Standard Version
Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.”

Berean Standard Bible
So 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.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”

New American Standard Bible
So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; so now, get her for me as a wife.”

NASB 1995
So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”

NASB 1977
So he came back and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So he came back up and told his father and mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; so now, take her for me as a wife.”

Amplified Bible
So he went back and told his father and his mother, “I saw a woman in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines; now get her for me as a wife.”

Christian Standard Bible
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.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.”

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
When he got back home, he told his parents, "I saw a Philistine woman in Timnah, and I want to marry her. Get her for me!"

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He went [home] and told his father and mother, "I've seen a Philistine woman at Timnah. Now get her for me so that I can marry her."

Good News Translation
He went back home and told his father and mother, "There is a Philistine woman down at Timnah who caught my attention. Get her for me; I want to marry her."

International Standard Version
Then he returned and told his father and mother, "In Timnah I saw a woman of Philistine origin." He ordered them, "Get her for me as a wife. Now!"

Majority Standard Bible
So 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.?

NET Bible
When he got home, he told his father and mother, "A Philistine girl in Timnah has caught my eye. Now get her for my wife."

New Heart English Bible
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 as wife."

Webster's Bible Translation
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 for a wife.

World English Bible
He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me as my wife.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and comes up and declares [it] to his father and to his mother, and says, “I have seen a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines; and now, take her for me for a wife.”

Young's Literal Translation
and cometh up and declareth to his father, and to his mother, and saith, 'A woman I have seen in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines; and now, take her for me for a wife.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will go up and announce to his father and his mother, and will say, I saw a woman in Timnath from the daughters of Philisteim: and now take her to me for a wife.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He came up, and told his father and his mother, saying: I saw a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Philistines: I beseech you, take her for me to wife.

Catholic Public Domain Version
he went up, and he told his father and his mother, saying: “I saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. I ask that you take her to me as wife.”

New American Bible
On his return he told his father and mother, “I saw in Timnah a woman, a Philistine. Get her for me as a wife.”

New Revised Standard Version
Then he came up, and told his father and mother, “I saw a Philistine woman at Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
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.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he came up and he told his father and his mother and said to them: “I have seen a woman in Tamnath of the daughters of the Philistines. Now get her for me as a wife.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he went up and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Thamnatha of the daughters of the Phylistines; and now take her to me for a wife.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



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
Genesis 24:3-4
and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling, / but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Deuteronomy 7:3-4
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, / because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

Joshua 23:12-13
For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, / know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.

1 Kings 11:1-2
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.

Nehemiah 13:25-27
I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves! / Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin. / Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

Genesis 6:2
the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.

Exodus 34:16
And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.

2 Kings 8:27
And Ahaziah walked in the ways of the house of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

Ezra 9:12
Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’

Malachi 2:11
Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.

1 Samuel 8:5
“Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.”

Matthew 19:4-6
Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ / and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? / So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

get her

Genesis 21:21
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Genesis 24:2,3
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: …

Genesis 34:4
And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

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Daughters Mother Philistine Philistines Timnah Timnath Wife
Judges 14
1. Samson desires a wife of the Philistines.
6. In his journey he kills a lion
8. In a second journey he finds honey in the carcass
10. Samson's marriage feast
12. His riddle by his wife is made known
19. He strikes down thirty Philistines
20. His wife is married to another.














So he went up
This phrase indicates a deliberate action taken by Samson. The Hebrew root for "went up" is "עָלָה" (alah), which often signifies an ascent or a journey with purpose. In the context of ancient Israel, going up often referred to traveling to a place of significance, such as a city or a place of worship. Samson's journey is not just physical but also symbolic of his rising to a pivotal moment in his life, as he begins to fulfill his role as a judge of Israel.

and told his father and mother
The act of telling his parents highlights the cultural importance of family and parental involvement in decisions, especially regarding marriage. In ancient Israelite society, family units were central, and parental blessing was often sought for major life decisions. This reflects the commandment to honor one's father and mother, emphasizing the respect and authority parents held in the family structure.

I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah
The Philistines were one of Israel's primary adversaries during the time of the Judges. The mention of a "Philistine woman" introduces a tension between Samson's personal desires and his divine calling to deliver Israel from Philistine oppression. Timnah, an ancient city, was located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Dan, yet it was under Philistine control, illustrating the complex socio-political landscape of the time.

now get her for me as a wife
This request reflects the customs of arranged marriages in ancient Near Eastern cultures, where parents often negotiated marriages for their children. However, Samson's demand also reveals his impulsive nature and foreshadows the personal and national conflicts that arise from his relationships with Philistine women. His desire for a Philistine wife is contrary to the Israelite law, which discouraged intermarriage with surrounding nations to prevent idolatry and cultural assimilation.

(2) Get her for me to wife.--These arrangements were always left to parents, who paid the marriage dower (Genesis 34:4-12). (Comp. Judges 12:9; Nehemiah 10:30, &c.)

Verse 2. - Get her, etc. Rather, take her. It is the technical phrase

(1) for a man taking a wife for himself, as Genesis 4:19; Genesis 6:2; 1 Samuel 25:39, 43, and vers. 3, 8 of this chapter;

(2) for a man's parents taking a wife for him, as Exodus 34:16; Nehemiah 10:30. The parents of the bridegroom paid the dowry agreed upon (see Genesis 34:12; 1 Samuel 18:25).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So he returned
וַיַּ֗עַל (way·ya·‘al)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

and told
וַיַּגֵּד֙ (way·yag·gêḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

his father
לְאָבִ֣יו (lə·’ā·ḇîw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

and his mother,
וּלְאִמּ֔וֹ (ū·lə·’im·mōw)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

“I have seen
רָאִ֥יתִי (rā·’î·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

a daughter
מִבְּנ֣וֹת (mib·bə·nō·wṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

of the Philistines
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

in Timnah.
בְתִמְנָ֖תָה (ḇə·ṯim·nā·ṯāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8553: Timnah -- 'territory', two cities in Judah

Now
וְעַתָּ֕ה (wə·‘at·tāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 6258: At this time

get
קְחוּ־ (qə·ḥū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 3947: To take

her
אוֹתָ֥הּ (’ō·w·ṯāh)
Direct object marker | third person feminine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

for me
לִּ֖י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

as a wife.”
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (lə·’iš·šāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female


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OT History: Judges 14:2 He came up and told his father (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 14:1
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