Judges 14:2 (KJV)

What does Judges 14:2 mean?

Judges 14:2 describes Samson telling his parents that he has seen a woman in Timnath, who is one of the Philistines, and asking them to arrange for her to become his wife. The verse shows Samson taking the initiative to seek a marriage outside his own people, which was unusual and significant in his context.

Samson is speaking to his father and mother after returning from Timnath, a Philistine town. He has noticed a Philistine woman and wants his parents to secure her as his wife, following the custom of parents arranging marriages. This request sets up the tension in the story, as the Philistines were Israel’s enemies, and it highlights Samson’s independent and unconventional choices.

The Hebrew behind Judges 14:2

• The word for "get" is לָקַח (laqach), which means "to take" or "to acquire." Here, it refers to the parents’ role in formally arranging or acquiring a wife for their son, showing the family’s involvement in marriage decisions.
• The word for "woman" and "wife" is אִשָּׁה (ishah), the same Hebrew word used for both terms. This highlights that the woman Samson saw is the same one he wants as a wife, and the distinction depends on context rather than different words.
• "Daughters" is בַּת (bat), meaning the women or daughters of the Philistines, emphasizing that the woman is from a group outside of Israel, which would have been controversial for Samson’s family.

Why Judges 14:2 matters

• The verse shows the start of a major conflict in Samson’s story, as his desire to marry a Philistine woman goes against the expectations for Israelites to marry within their own people.
• By using the same word for "woman" and "wife," the verse underscores the cultural process where seeing a woman could lead directly to seeking her as a wife, with the parents’ involvement.
• This moment sets up the larger narrative in Judges, where Samson’s choices—especially regarding the Philistines—lead to both personal and national consequences.