Judg. 14 Samson desires to wife a daughter of the Philistines of Timnath; and this of the Lord, for an occasion against them, Judg. 14:1–4. His parents go down with him to Timnath: a young lion meets him; he kills it, Judg. 14:5–7; in his return he findeth honey in the carcass, Judg. 14:8–9.

After he was come to mature age. Timnath; a place not far from the sea; of which see Gen. 38:12, Josh. 15:57, Josh. 19:43.

The uncircumcised Philistines, with whom the Israelites were forbidden to marry, Ex. 34:12;c. And although the Philistines were not Canaanites in their original, Gen. 10:14, Deut.

He sought an occasion against the Philistines; which he knew by very probable conjecture, if not by particular inspiration, that marriage would give him many ways.

His father and his mother accompanied him, either because they were now acquainted with his design, or to order the circumstances of that action which they saw he was set upon, or to watch if they could find any occasion to take him off from his intention.

Came mightily upon him; stirred up and increased his courage and bodily strength. As he would have rent a kid; as soon and as safely. He told not his father or his mother, lest by their means it should be publicly known; for he wisely considered that it was not yet a fit time to awaken the…

After a time, Heb. after days, i.e. either after some days; or rather, after a year, as that word oft signifies; as Ex. 13:10, Lev. 25:29, Num. 9:22, Judg. 17:10, 1 Sam. 1:3, 1 Sam. 1:27, 1 Sam.

He took thereof in his hands, out of the lion’s carcass. Quest. Did not Samson transgress in touching a carcass? Answ. It was in itself a legal pollution; but some such pollutions were involuntary and unavoidable, as in one that hath an issue running in his sleep; and some were necessary duties, as…

When they saw him, or, observed or considered him, his stature, and strength, and countenance, and carriage, which were extraordinary. They brought thirty companions to be with him; partly in compliance with the custom of having bridemen; of which see Matt.

A riddle, i.e. an obscure sentence for you to resolve and explain. The seven days of the feast; for so long marriage-feasts lasted. See Gen. 29:27. Thirty sheets; fine linen clothes, which were used for many purposes in those parts. See Matt. 27:59, Mark 14:51. Thirty change of garments, i.e.

i.e. Out of that strong and devouring creature, the lion, came forth sweet meat, to wit, honey; withal it is covertly implied, that the Philistines, though now they had strength on their side, and dominion over Israel, whom they did devour upon all occasions, yet at last they should become meat to…

On the seventh day; they had doubtless spoken to her before this time, but with some remissness, supposing that they should find it out; but now their time being nigh slipped, they press her with more vehemency, and put her under a necessity of searching it out. To take that we have, i.e.

Though I have had much more experience of their fidelity and taciturnity than of thine.

The seven days, while their feast lasted, i.e. on the residue of the seven days, to wit, after the third day. It is a familiar synecdoche. Or, on the seventh of the days on which the feast was; and then the following clause, on the seventh day, is only the noun repeated for the pronoun, on that…

If you had not employed my wife to find it out, as men plough up the ground with a heifer, thereby discovering its hidden parts: he calls her heifer, either because he now suspected her wantonness and too much familiarity with that friend which she afterwards married; or because she was joined with…

The Spirit of the Lord came upon him; though he had a constant habit of eminent strength and courage, yet that was exceedingly increased upon special occasions, by the extraordinary influences of God’s Spirit.

Samson’s wife was given, by her father, to the chief of the bridemen, to whom he had showed most respect and kindness.