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Judges 14:2
ESV 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.”
NIV 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.'
NASB 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.'
CSB 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."
NLT 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.'
KJV 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.

What does Judges 14:2 mean?

Common practice throughout much of ancient history has been for parents to arrange the marriages of their children. Often, marriages were composed to build alliances or financial advantage. Samson's story illustrates how marriages could also be arranged at the request of the children. If the heads of the households agreed, they would still handle the details.

Samson has gone to the Philistine-occupied town of Timnah, not far from his home in Zorah. There he saw a young Philistine woman who captivated him. He returns home, up out of the valley, and immediately demands that his parents get this woman for him as a wife. Throughout Samson's life, he will show a marked lack of self-control when it comes to women (Judges 16:1, 4).

This marriage would be a violation of Israel's God-given laws (Exodus 34:15–16). Though the Philistines were not as explicitly forbidden as other groups, intermarrying with idol-worshippers was a sin. It was also a major source of the nation's misery in the book of Judges (Deuteronomy 7:3–4; Judges 2:16–19). Samson's parents will object to his request, though not strongly enough to deny it (Judges 14:3).
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