Judges 14:5
ESV
Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring.
NIV
Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him.
NASB
Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion came roaring toward him.
CSB
Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Suddenly a young lion came roaring at him,
NLT
As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah.
KJV
Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
NKJV
So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him.
What does Judges 14:5 mean?
Timnah is where Samson saw a Philistine woman, with whom he demanded his parents arrange his marriage. They objected, preferring he marry an Israelite, but Samson insisted that "she is right in my eyes" (Judges 14:1–4). Samson's parents have agreed to his request and travelled to Timnah to do as their son demanded. They are not with him when the last line of this verse takes place. As with Samson's defiant insistence on marrying the Philistine woman, this incident will prove to be part of God's plan: beginning the process of saving Israel from the Philistines (Judges 13:5).Samson is attacked by a young lion. In the modern era, Asiatic lions are only found in India. In Samson's day, and for centuries after the time of Christ, native lions lived in the Promised Land. Adult male Asiatic lions weigh around 330 pounds, or 150 kilograms. These could threaten livestock and even people in those territories (1 Samuel 17:34–35). Even with modern weapons such as rifles, lions are considered dangerous prey. To face a lion with spears or arrows is intimidating enough; Samson will literally tear this one apart with his bare hands (Judges 14:6).
