Judges 14:1

KJV

¶ And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.

KJV (with Strong's)

And Samson {H8123} went down {H3381} to Timnath {H8553}, and saw {H7200} a woman {H802} in Timnath {H8553} of the daughters {H1323} of the Philistines {H6430}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Shimshon went down to Timnah, and in Timnah he saw a woman who was one of the P'lishtim.

Berean Standard Bible

One day Samson went down to Timnah, where he saw a young Philistine woman.

American Standard Version

And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Judges 14:1 introduces Samson, the divinely appointed judge of Israel, as he initiates a pivotal series of events by traveling to the Philistine city of Timnath and encountering a woman there. This seemingly personal decision, driven by attraction, sets in motion the unfolding of God's sovereign plan to begin Israel's deliverance from Philistine oppression, even as it highlights the inherent tension between Samson's human desires and his sacred calling.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse immediately follows the miraculous annunciation of Samson's birth and his consecration as a Nazarite from the womb in [Judges 13](/judges/13 "Judges 13 - The Birth of Samson"). The narrative has established Samson as a figure uniquely set apart by God to "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines" ([Judges 13:5](/judges/13-5 "Judges 13:5 - Samson's Divine Purpose")). Judges 14:1 marks Samson's first recorded independent action as an adult, signaling the commencement of his public ministry, albeit in a highly unconventional manner. It sets the stage for a series of personal entanglements with Philistine women that, paradoxically, become the catalysts for his confrontations with Israel's oppressors, ultimately serving God's larger redemptive purpose, as explicitly stated in [Judges 14:4](/judges/14-4 "Judges 14:4 - God's Sovereign Plan in Samson's Actions"). The chapter then details his marriage, riddle, and subsequent violent encounters.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The period of the Judges was characterized by a cyclical pattern of Israel's apostasy, oppression by foreign powers, their cry for deliverance, and God raising up a judge to save them. The Philistines, a powerful "Sea Peoples" group who had settled on the southwestern coastal plain of Canaan, were a dominant force, technologically superior (especially in ironworking), and posed a significant threat to Israel's security and religious purity. Timnath was a Philistine city, strategically located in the Shephelah, a region of foothills bordering the Philistine plain and the Israelite tribal territories. Samson's "going down" from the hills of Zorah to Timnath was a literal geographical descent. Culturally, intermarriage with foreign peoples, particularly those who worshiped other gods, was strictly forbidden by Mosaic Law ([Deuteronomy 7:3-4](/deuteronomy/7-3 "Deuteronomy 7:3-4 - Prohibition of Intermarriage")). This prohibition was not merely ethnic but primarily theological, aimed at preventing Israel's assimilation into idolatrous practices and preserving their covenant relationship with Yahweh. Samson's choice, therefore, immediately signals a potential compromise of his Nazarite vows and Israel's covenant identity.
* **Key Themes:** This verse introduces several crucial themes that permeate the Samson narrative and the book of Judges as a whole. Firstly, it highlights the tension between **Samson's personal desires and his divine calling**. Samson's actions often appear driven by immediate gratification rather than a clear strategic plan for Israel's deliverance, yet God sovereignly orchestrates these seemingly flawed choices for His purposes. Secondly, it underscores **divine sovereignty amidst human imperfection**. While Samson's choice of a Philistine woman seems a clear violation of covenant law and personal consecration, [Judges 14:4](/judges/14-4 "Judges 14:4 - God's Sovereign Use of Samson's Choices") explicitly states that "it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines." This reveals God's ability to use even the wayward paths of His chosen instruments to advance His redemptive agenda. Lastly, the verse foreshadows the **inevitable conflict** between Israel and the Philistines. Samson's personal entanglements become the very means by which God instigates the confrontations necessary for Israel's deliverance, setting a pattern for his entire judgeship.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **went down (Hebrew, יָרַד, _yarad_):** This verb literally means "to descend" and is geographically accurate for travel from the hill country of Judah, where Samson's hometown of Zorah was located, to the Philistine plain where Timnath lay. However, in biblical narrative, "going down" can often carry a symbolic weight, hinting at a spiritual or moral descent, a movement towards compromise or trouble. In Samson's case, it subtly foreshadows his entanglement with foreign women and the challenges to his Nazarite vows that will characterize his story.
* **saw (Hebrew, רָאָה, _ra'ah_):** While a simple verb for physical sight, "saw" in biblical contexts often implies more than mere observation; it can denote a gaze that leads to desire, covetousness, and subsequent action. This is reminiscent of Eve "seeing" the forbidden fruit ([Genesis 3:6](/genesis/3-6 "Genesis 3:6 - The Temptation of Eve")) or David "seeing" Bathsheba ([2 Samuel 11:2](/2_samuel/11-2 "2 Samuel 11:2 - David and Bathsheba")). Here, Samson's "seeing" is the initial spark of attraction that ignites his personal desire, setting him on a path that deviates from the expected conduct of a Nazarite judge.
* **daughters of the Philistines:** This phrase is crucial as it immediately identifies the woman's ethnic and religious background. The Philistines were the primary oppressors of Israel at this time, and their polytheistic religion was anathema to Yahweh worship. The Mosaic Law explicitly prohibited intermarriage with such peoples to prevent spiritual assimilation and idolatry. Samson's attraction to a "daughter of the Philistines" is therefore not merely a personal preference but a direct challenge to the covenant stipulations and his own consecrated status, highlighting the profound spiritual danger inherent in his choice.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And Samson went down to Timnath":** This clause establishes Samson's deliberate action and destination. His journey from the Israelite territory to a Philistine city signifies a crossing of boundaries, both geographical and, implicitly, spiritual. It marks the initiation of his active engagement with the Philistines, though not in the expected manner of a judge leading an army.
* **"and saw a woman in Timnath":** This part of the verse reveals the immediate catalyst for Samson's presence and subsequent actions: a personal, visual attraction. The emphasis on "saw" suggests that his desire was initiated by sight, which is a recurring theme in the Samson narrative and a common human vulnerability.
* **"of the daughters of the Philistines":** This final phrase is the most significant, highlighting the problematic nature of Samson's attraction. It immediately identifies the woman as belonging to the very people Israel was commanded to remain separate from, and from whom Samson was specifically called to deliver his people. This detail sets up the central tension of Samson's story: his personal desires often leading him into compromising situations with the enemy, yet God sovereignly using these very entanglements to fulfill His larger purpose.

#### Literary Devices
Judges 14:1 is rich in **Foreshadowing**, subtly hinting at the challenges and compromises Samson will face. His "going down" to Timnath, while geographically accurate, also serves as a symbolic descent into moral and spiritual entanglement, predicting his future struggles with temptation and his ultimate capture. There is a strong element of **Irony** in this opening scene: Samson, consecrated from birth to deliver Israel from the Philistines, immediately seeks a relationship with one of them, rather than engaging in direct confrontation. This sets up a narrative pattern where Samson's personal failings become the unlikely instruments of God's judgment against the Philistines. The verse also employs **Contrast**, juxtaposing Samson's divine calling and Nazarite vows with his immediate, self-serving desire for a forbidden relationship. Finally, **Symbolism** is present in Timnath itself, which represents enemy territory and the allure of the world that threatens to compromise God's chosen people.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Judges 14:1 serves as a profound theological statement on the interplay between human free will and divine sovereignty. While Samson's choice appears to be a personal, even disobedient, act driven by carnal desire, the subsequent narrative reveals that God was orchestrating these events for His redemptive purposes. This does not excuse Samson's choices, nor does it imply God condones sin; rather, it highlights God's immense power to work through imperfect vessels and even their failings to achieve His ultimate will. The verse underscores the constant tension between Israel's covenant obligations to remain separate and holy, and their recurring temptation to assimilate with the surrounding pagan cultures. Samson's actions here reflect the broader spiritual condition of Israel during the period of the Judges, where "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" ([Judges 21:25](/judges/21-25 "Judges 21:25 - The Chaos of the Judges Period")), often leading to compromise and suffering.

* [Deuteronomy 7:3](/deuteronomy/7-3 "Prohibition of Intermarriage with Foreigners")
* [Judges 2:1-3](/judges/2-1 "Consequences of Disobedience in Judges")
* [Proverbs 4:23](/proverbs/4-23 "Guard Your Heart")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Samson's initial encounter in Timnath offers a potent lesson for believers today. It reminds us that our choices, even those that seem purely personal or driven by natural attraction, can have profound spiritual and communal implications, particularly when they involve compromising our identity in Christ. Samson, called to be separate and holy, was drawn to the very people he was meant to oppose, illustrating the constant need for discernment in our relationships and pursuits. We are called to be "in the world but not of the world" ([John 17:16](/john/17-16 "Believers Not of the World")), meaning we must navigate cultural influences with spiritual wisdom, ensuring our associations do not lead us away from God's commands or compromise our witness. While God's sovereignty means He can work through our imperfections and even our failures to accomplish His ultimate purposes, this truth should never be an excuse for intentional disobedience. Instead, it should inspire awe at His grace and power, and motivate us to pursue holiness, recognizing that every decision, big or small, contributes to the narrative of our lives and God's unfolding plan.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might my personal desires conflict with my divine calling or spiritual commitments?**
* **How can I better exercise discernment in my relationships and choices to avoid compromising situations?**
* **What "Timnaths"—places or influences that challenge my faith—do I encounter, and how should I respond to them?**
* **How does understanding God's sovereignty in Samson's story encourage me when I make less-than-ideal choices?**

### FAQ
**Why was Samson's choice of a Philistine woman problematic according to biblical law?**

Answer: Samson's choice was problematic primarily because the Mosaic Law, given to Israel by God, explicitly prohibited intermarriage with foreign peoples, especially those who worshiped other gods ([Deuteronomy 7:3-4](/deuteronomy/7-3 "Deuteronomy 7:3-4 - Prohibition of Intermarriage")). This command was not based on racial prejudice but on the spiritual danger of assimilation into idolatrous practices, which would lead Israel away from their covenant with Yahweh. For Samson, a Nazarite from birth, this choice was a direct violation of the principles of separation and holiness that defined his calling.

**Does Judges 14:4 imply that God approved of Samson's disobedient choice?**

Answer: No, Judges 14:4 ("But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines") does not imply God approved of Samson's sin or disobedience. Instead, it highlights God's profound sovereignty and His ability to use even the flawed and disobedient choices of His people to accomplish His greater redemptive purposes. God did not cause Samson to desire a Philistine woman, but He sovereignly *used* that desire and the subsequent events as an "occasion" to initiate conflict with the Philistines, thereby beginning Israel's deliverance, as He had promised in [Judges 13:5](/judges/13-5 "Judges 13:5 - Samson's Divine Purpose"). It demonstrates God's power to work through human imperfection without condoning it.

**What is the symbolic significance of "going down to Timnath"?**

Answer: "Going down to Timnath" has both a literal and a symbolic significance. Literally, Timnath was geographically lower than Samson's hometown of Zorah, so it describes a physical descent. Symbolically, however, it can represent a spiritual or moral descent. Samson, a Nazarite consecrated to God, was moving into enemy territory, engaging with a forbidden people, and initiating a relationship that would compromise his vows. This "going down" foreshadows the trajectory of Samson's life, marked by a series of compromises and entanglements that ultimately lead to his downfall, even as God uses these very events for His purposes.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Samson, as a judge, was raised by God to begin Israel's deliverance from their oppressors, the Philistines. However, his story, beginning with his self-willed descent to Timnath, is marked by profound human weakness, compromise, and a tragic inability to fully embody the holiness of his Nazarite calling. He is a flawed deliverer, a type of Christ who ultimately points to a greater, perfect Savior. While Samson was entangled with the "daughters of the Philistines" and ultimately brought low by his own desires, Jesus Christ, the true and ultimate Judge and Deliverer, perfectly fulfilled the will of God, remaining untainted by sin despite being "tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sin" ([Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Christ's Sinlessness")). Samson's strength was physical and often misused; Christ's strength is spiritual, moral, and redemptive, exercised in perfect obedience to the Father. Samson's confrontations with the Philistines were violent and personal; Christ's victory over the true enemies—sin, death, and the devil—was achieved through His self-sacrifice on the cross, where He disarmed the powers and authorities and "made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" ([Colossians 2:15](/colossians/2-15 "Colossians 2:15 - Christ's Triumph Over Powers")). Samson's life highlights the need for a Deliverer who is not merely strong, but perfectly holy and obedient, one who truly takes away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")), a role perfectly fulfilled by Jesus Christ.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.