Judges 14:3

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) Of the uncircumcised Philistines.—This on the lips of Israelites was a term of peculiar hatred (1Samuel 17:36). How repugnant such a marriage would be in the eyes of Manoah and his wife we may see from the story of Simeon, Levi, and the Shechemites (Gen. xxxiv).

She pleaseth me well.—Literally, she is right in my eyes (Judges 14:7; 1Kings 9:12).

Benson Commentary

Jdg 14:3. To take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines — With whom the Israelites were forbidden to marry. For although the Philistines were not Canaanites in their original, yet they were so in their concurrence with them in wickedness, and therefore were liable to the same judgments with them. Get her for me — This action of Samson’s, though against common rules, seems to be warranted by the direction of God, (mentioned in the following words,) which was known to Samson, but not to his parents. Pleaseth me — Not so much for her beauty, as for the design mentioned in the next verse.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:1-4 As far as Samson's marriage was a common case, it was weak and foolish of him to set his affections upon a daughter of the Philistines. Shall one, not only an Israelite, but a Nazarite, devoted to the Lord, covet to become one with a worshipper of Dagon? It does not appear that he had any reason to think her wise or virtuous, or any way likely to be a help meet for him; but he saw something in her agreeable to his fancy. He that, in the choice of a wife, is only guided by his eye, and governed by his fancy, must afterwards thank himself if he find a Philistine in his arms. Yet it was well done not to proceed till Samson had made his parents acquainted with the matter. Children ought not to marry, nor to move towards it, without the advice and consent of their parents. Samson's parents did well to dissuade him from yoking himself unequally with unbelievers. It seems that it pleased God to leave Samson to follow his own inclinations, intending to bring out good from his conduct; and his parents consented, because he was bent upon it. However, his example is not recorded for us to do likewise.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3, 4. Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren—that is, "of thine own tribe"—a Danite woman.

Samson said … Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well—literally, "she is right in mine eyes"; not by her beautiful countenance or handsome figure, but right or fit for his purpose. And this throws light on the historian's remark in reference to the resistance of his parents: they "knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines"—rather, "from the Philistines"—originating on their side. The Lord, by a course of retributive proceedings, was about to destroy the Philistine power, and the means which He meant to employ was not the forces of a numerous army, as in the case of the preceding judges, but the miraculous prowess of the single-handed champion of Israel. In these circumstances, the provocation to hostilities could only spring out of a private quarrel, and this marriage scheme was doubtless suggested by the secret influence of the Spirit as the best way of accomplishing the intended result.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The uncircumcised Philistines, with whom the Israelites were forbidden to marry, Exodus 34:12, &c. And although the Philistines were not Canaanites in their original, Genesis 10:14 Deu 2:23; yet they were so in their habitation, and concurrence with them in wickedness, and therefore were liable to the same censures and judgments with them.

Get her for me: this action of Samson’s, though against common rules, seems to be warranted, partly by the greatness and goodness of his design in it, and principally by the instinct and direction of God, which is mentioned in the following words, which was known to Samson, but not to his parents.

She pleaseth me well; not so much for her beauty, as for the design mentioned in the next verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then his father and his mother said unto him,.... What he might expect, and doubtless did expect:

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? none in their own family, nor in the tribe of Dan, nor among the whole nation of Israel, but must go among the uncircumcised Philistines; for though they were not of the seven nations of the Canaanites, with whom marriage was forbidden, yet they not only dwelt where they did, and where the Israelites should, but were idolaters and impure persons, and therefore affinity should not be contracted with them, as being of a dangerous consequence, which might entice to idolatry. Ben Gersom observes, that their Rabbins say he made her a proselyte first, though he did not acquaint his parents with it, and so Abarbinel; but this seems not likely, for, had this been the case, he would have had an easy and ready reply to this objection of theirs:

and Samson said unto his father, get her for me, for she pleaseth me well; or "is right in mine eyes" (x); not only his eyes were taken with her beauty or external form, but it was right in his sight, in his judgment, to marry her; he having an impulse upon his mind from the Spirit of God unto it, though he did not let his parents know of it, but left them to conclude it sprung from a strong affection to her person. Abarbinel observes, that he only addressed his father, and not his mother, she being most vehemently against the match, and expressing more uneasiness at it than his father did; but it is most likely that he addressed his father particularly, because he was the proper person to negotiate this affair for him.

(x) "recta in oculis meis", Montanus, Junius et Tremellius.

Geneva Study Bible

Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there {a} 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.

(a) Though his parents justly reprove him, yet it appears that this was the secret work of the Lord, Jud 14:4.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. It was the father’s business to arrange a marriage and the amount of the dowry, e.g. Genesis 24:2 ff; Genesis 34:4; Genesis 38:6. Hence the father alone is named in clause b; in cl. a the words and his mother look like an insertion to harmonize with Jdg 14:2 : note my people; said is singular.

the uncircumcised] A standing term of contempt in Judg. and Sam., pointing to the alien origin of the Philistines, the only uncircumcised people known to the early Israelites; see on Jdg 13:1 and cf. 1 Samuel 18:25. A marriage outside the tribe was looked upon with disfavour, Genesis 29:19; both tribal feeling and religious motives would combine against an alliance with a Philistine; cf. Genesis 24:3, Exodus 34:16 (JE), Deuteronomy 7:3.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - Uncircumcised. Cf. Genesis 34:14. A term of reproach here added to deter Samson from the marriage. It is particularly applied to the Philistines (see Judges 15:18; - 1 Samuel 17:26, 36; 1 Samuel 18:29; 1 Samuel 31:4; 2 Samuel 1:20, etc.). Judges 14:3

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

His parents expressed their astonishment at the choice, and asked him whether there was not a woman among the daughters of his brethren (i.e., the members of his own tribe), or among all his people, that he should want to fetch one from the Philistines, the uncircumcised. But Samson repeated his request, because the daughter of the Philistines pleased him. The aversion of his parents to the marriage was well founded, as such a marriage was not in accordance with the law. It is true that the only marriages expressly prohibited in Exodus 34:16 and Deuteronomy 7:3-4, are marriages with Canaanitish women; but the reason assigned for this prohibition was equally applicable to marriages with daughters of the Philistines. In fact, the Philistines are reckoned among the Canaanites in Joshua 13:3 upon the very same ground. But Samson was acting under a higher impulse, whereas his parents did not know that it was from Jehovah, i.e., that Jehovah had so planned it; "for Samson was seeking an opportunity on account of the Philistines," i.e., an occasion to quarrel with them, because, as is afterwards added in the form of an explanatory circumstantial clause, the Philistines had dominion over Israel at that time. תּאנה, ἁπ. λεγ., an opportunity (cf. התאנּה, 2 Kings 5:7).