Judges 14:4
New International Version
(His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)

New Living Translation
His father and mother didn’t realize the LORD was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.

English Standard Version
His father and mother did not know that it was from the LORD, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)

King James Bible
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

New King James Version
But his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

New American Standard Bible
However, his father and mother did not know that this was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. And at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

NASB 1995
However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

NASB 1977
However, his father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
However, his father and mother did not know that it was of Yahweh, for He was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

Amplified Bible
His father and mother did not know that it was of the LORD, and that He was seeking an occasion [to take action] against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who wanted the Philistines to provide an opportunity for a confrontation. At that time, the Philistines were ruling Israel.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. At that time, the Philistines were ruling over Israel.

American Standard Version
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of Jehovah; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.

Contemporary English Version
At that time, the Philistines were in control of Israel, and the LORD wanted to stir up trouble for them. That's why he made Samson desire that woman.

English Revised Version
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
His father and mother didn't know that the LORD was behind this. The LORD was looking for an opportunity to do something to the Philistines. (At that time the Philistines were ruling Israel.)

Good News Translation
His parents did not know that it was the LORD who was leading Samson to do this, for the LORD was looking for a chance to fight the Philistines. At this time the Philistines were ruling Israel.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, his father and mother did not know that she was from the LORD, because he had been seeking a favorable opportunity concerning the Philistines, since the Philistines were dominating Israel at that time.

Majority Standard Bible
(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.)

NET Bible
Now his father and mother did not realize this was the LORD's doing, because he was looking for an opportunity to stir up trouble with the Philistines (for at that time the Philistines were ruling Israel).

New Heart English Bible
But his father and his mother did not know that it was of the LORD, for he sought for an opportunity against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

World English Bible
But his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of Yahweh; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And his father and his mother have not known that it [is] from YHWH, that He is seeking a meeting of the Philistines; and the Philistines are ruling over Israel at that time.

Young's Literal Translation
And his father and his mother have not known that from Jehovah it is, that a meeting he is seeking of the Philistines; and at that time the Philistines are ruling over Israel.

Smith's Literal Translation
And his father and his mother knew not that it was from Jehovah that he seeking an occasion from Philisteim; for in this time Philisteim was ruling over Israel.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now his parents knew not that the thing was done by the Lord, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now his parents did not know that the matter was done by the Lord, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

New American Bible
Now his father and mother did not know that this had been brought about by the LORD, who was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines; for at that time they ruled over Israel.

New Revised Standard Version
His father and mother did not know that this was from the LORD; for he was seeking a pretext to act against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But his father and his mother did not know that it was of the LORD, that he might seek vengeance against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And his father and his mother were not aware that she was from LORD JEHOVAH, so that a penalty would be required for bloodshed from the Philistines, and at that time the Philistines were authorized over Israel
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines had rule over Israel.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought to be revenged on the Philistines: and at that time the Philistines lorded it over Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samson's Marriage
3But his father and mother replied, “Can’t you find a young woman among your relatives or among any of our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me, for she is pleasing to my eyes.” 4(Now his father and mother did not know this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines; for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.) 5Then 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,…

Cross References
Genesis 50:20
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Joshua 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.

1 Samuel 2:25
If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.

1 Kings 12:15
So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

2 Chronicles 10:15
So the king did not listen to the people, and indeed this turn of events was from God, in order that the LORD might fulfill the word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

Isaiah 10:5-7
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. / I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets. / But this is not his intention; this is not his plan. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off many nations.

Isaiah 46:10
I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’

Acts 2:23
He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.

Acts 4:27-28
In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. / They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.

Proverbs 16:4
The LORD has made everything for His purpose—even the wicked for the day of disaster.

Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

Jeremiah 25:9
behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.

Jeremiah 27:6
So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. I have even made the beasts of the field subject to him.

Daniel 4:35
All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”


Treasury of Scripture

But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

It was of the Lord.

Joshua 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

1 Kings 12:15
Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

2 Kings 6:33
And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?

had dominion

Judges 13:1
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

Judges 15:11
Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.

Deuteronomy 28:48
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

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Confront Destruction Dominion However Israel Meeting Mind Mother Occasion Parents Philistines Purpose Rule Ruling Seeking Sought Time
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Confront Destruction Dominion However Israel Meeting Mind Mother Occasion Parents Philistines Purpose Rule Ruling Seeking Sought Time
Judges 14
1. Samson desires a wife of the Philistines.
6. In his journey he kills a lion
8. In a second journey he finds honey in the carcass
10. Samson's marriage feast
12. His riddle by his wife is made known
19. He strikes down thirty Philistines
20. His wife is married to another.














Now his father and mother did not know
This phrase highlights the limited understanding of Samson's parents regarding the divine plan. In Hebrew culture, parental guidance was highly esteemed, yet here, their lack of knowledge underscores the mysterious ways in which God operates. The Hebrew root for "know" (יָדַע, yada) implies an intimate understanding, suggesting that God's plans often transcend human comprehension.

that this was from the LORD
The phrase emphasizes divine sovereignty. The Hebrew term for "LORD" (יְהוָה, Yahweh) is the covenant name of God, indicating His personal involvement in the affairs of Israel. This reflects the biblical theme that God orchestrates events for His purposes, even when they seem contrary to human expectations.

who was seeking an occasion
This phrase reveals God's proactive role in the unfolding narrative. The Hebrew root for "seeking" (בָּקַשׁ, baqash) conveys a deliberate pursuit, indicating that God is actively working to fulfill His purposes. It suggests that God uses even the flawed actions of individuals to bring about His divine will.

to move against the Philistines
Here, the phrase indicates God's intention to confront Israel's oppressors. The Philistines were a significant threat to Israel during this period, and God's movement against them signifies His commitment to deliver His people. Historically, the Philistines were known for their military prowess, making God's intervention necessary for Israel's survival.

for at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel
This phrase sets the historical context of the narrative. The Philistine domination was a result of Israel's disobedience, as recorded in the cyclical pattern of sin and deliverance in the Book of Judges. The Hebrew term for "ruling" (מָשַׁל, mashal) implies a harsh dominion, highlighting the need for divine intervention to restore Israel's freedom.

(4) That it was of the Lord.--All that can be meant is that in this marriage God was overruling the course of events to the furtherance of His own designs. He makes even the weakness and the fierceness of man redound to His praise. (Comp. Joshua 11:10; 2Chronicles 25:20.) See the same phrase in the story of Rehoboam's folly (1Kings 12:15). "Behold this evil is of the Lord," says Elisha in 2Kings 6:33. It is the strong sense of the Divine rule which we find even in heathen writers, so that in the very opening lines of Homer we find the poet saying, "that amid all the crimes and passions of men the counsel of Zeus was being accomplished."

"Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring

Of woes unnumbered, heavenly goddess sing:

That wrath which hurled to Pluto's gloomy reign . . .

Verse 4. - It was of or from the Lord. It was the method decreed by God's providence for bringing about a rupture with the Philistines. That he sought. Rather, because he sought. The writer explains the purpose of the providence. It is doubtful whether "he" refers to Samson or to the Lord. Most commentators refer it to Samson; but it is contrary to the whole tenor of Samson's impetuous course, and to all probability, that he should have asked for the Timnathite damsel merely for the sake of quarreling with the Philistines; whereas the statement that Samson s obstinate determination to take a Philistine wife was the means which God's secret purpose had fixed upon for bringing about the eventual overthrow of the Philistine dominion is in exact accordance with other declarations of Holy Scripture (cf. e.g. Exodus 7:3, 4; Joshua 11:20; 1 Samuel 2:25; 1 Kings 12:15; 2 Chronicles 10:15; 2 Chronicles 22:7; 2 Chronicles 25:20). An occasion. The noun only occurs here; but the verb, in its several conjugations, means, to happen at the right time; to bring a person or thing at the right time (Exodus 21:13, deliver, A.V.); to be brought at the right time (Proverbs 12:21, happen, A.V.); to seek the right time for injuring any one (2 Kings 5:7, seeketh a quarrel, A.V. ).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
(Now his father
וְאָבִ֨יו (wə·’ā·ḇîw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

and mother
וְאִמּ֜וֹ (wə·’im·mōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

did not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know
יָדְע֗וּ (yā·ḏə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know

this
הִ֔יא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

was from
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the LORD,
מֵיְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

who
הֽוּא־ (hū-)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

was seeking
מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ (mə·ḇaq·qêš)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1245: To search out, to strive after

an occasion to move
תֹאֲנָ֥ה (ṯō·’ă·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8385: Occasion or time of copulation

against the Philistines;
מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים (mip·pə·liš·tîm)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

for at that
הַהִ֔יא (ha·hî)
Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

time
וּבָעֵ֣ת (ū·ḇā·‘êṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

the Philistines
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים (pə·liš·tîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 6430: Philistines -- inhabitants of Philistia

were ruling
מֹשְׁלִ֥ים (mō·šə·lîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 4910: To rule, have dominion, reign

over Israel.)
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (bə·yiś·rā·’êl)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


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OT History: Judges 14:4 But his father and his mother didn't (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 14:3
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