Judges 15 2

Judges 15:2 kjv

And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.

Judges 15:2 nkjv

Her father said, "I really thought that you thoroughly hated her; therefore I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister better than she? Please, take her instead."

Judges 15:2 niv

"I was so sure you hated her," he said, "that I gave her to your companion. Isn't her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead."

Judges 15:2 esv

And her father said, "I really thought that you utterly hated her, so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead."

Judges 15:2 nlt

"I truly thought you must hate her," her father explained, "so I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her younger sister is even more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead."

Judges 15 verses

Judges 15 2 Meaning

In Judges 15:2, after Samson returns to his Philistine wife's village during the wheat harvest to consummate their marriage, her father confronts him. The father explains that he gave Samson’s wife to Samson's companion, the best man at the wedding, because he perceived Samson’s abrupt departure after the riddle incident as a definitive rejection and utter hatred for his daughter. To mollify Samson and potentially avoid conflict, the father offers Samson her younger sister, asserting she is more beautiful and suggesting she can be Samson's wife instead. This exchange reveals the father’s misjudgment of Samson’s intentions, the breakdown of trust, and the customs and familial authority regarding marriage alliances in that cultural context. It sets the stage for Samson’s subsequent retaliatory actions.

Judges 15 2 Context

Judges 15:2 occurs immediately after Samson returns to Timnah, intending to consummate his marriage to the Philistine woman, carrying a young goat as a gift (Judges 15:1). This follows his abandonment of the wedding feast and his wife’s subsequent betrayal concerning the riddle, leading to his furious departure to his father's house. The specific historical context is the period of the Judges, marked by cyclical disobedience, oppression by foreign powers (here, the Philistines), and God raising up deliverers. Samson’s personal actions, though seemingly driven by personal vengeance and lust, are framed within God's sovereign plan to instigate conflict with the Philistines (Judges 14:4), who at this time were dominating Israel. This verse highlights the tension and mistrust between Samson and his Philistine in-laws, demonstrating Philistine familial customs, which allowed for the transfer of a wife under certain circumstances, and sets the stage for a dramatic escalation of the conflict.

Judges 15 2 Word analysis

• And he said to her, 'I thought for a certainty... (וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ חָשׁוֹב֩ חָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙)
  • וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyō'mer - And he said): This is the Philistine father speaking. It denotes a direct verbal response to Samson's arrival and intent (v. 1).
  • לָ֗הּ (lāh - to her): Though seemingly singular, it’s masculine, referring to Samson (literally "to him"). The preceding verse refers to the daughter, but the dialogue clearly follows Samson’s action, and the father is addressing Samson.
  • חָשׁוֹב֩ חָשַׁ֙בְתִּי֙ (chashov chashavti - literally: "thinking I thought," "I thought a thought"): This is an emphatic construction (infinitive absolute followed by a finite verb of the same root, chashav - "to think/calculate"). It conveys certainty, conviction, or a strong belief on the part of the father. He was genuinely convinced, not just mildly supposing. This emphatic form underscores the father’s perceived justification for his action, presenting his decision as logical and settled in his mind based on Samson's previous behavior.
• ...that you utterly hated her; (שָׂנֹ֣א שְׂנֵאתָ֗הּ)
  • שָׂנֹ֣א שְׂנֵאתָ֗הּ (sano' sne'tehā - literally: "hating you hated her"): Another emphatic construction using the verb sane' ("to hate"). It means "you utterly hated her" or "you really hated her." The father interpreted Samson's prolonged absence and refusal to return immediately after the riddle incident, perhaps as a final, definitive act of loathing and abandonment of his daughter. This extreme language conveys the depth of the father's misunderstanding or perhaps his cynical interpretation of the situation to justify his actions.
• therefore I gave her to your companion. (וָֽאֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה לְרֵֽעֶ֑ךָ)
  • וָאֶתְּנֶנָּה (vā'ettᵉnenna - therefore I gave her): The father explicitly states his action. This highlights his authority within his family and his active role in controlling his daughter's marital status.
  • לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ (l're'eḵa - to your companion/friend): This refers to the best man (rēaʿ) at the wedding, who would have been Samson's temporary close associate during the feast. In ancient cultures, if a groom abandoned his bride or failed to fulfill marital duties, the bride might sometimes be given to the best man or another kinsman, though this practice was usually in levirate-type situations. The father here presents it as a pragmatic solution to a perceived abandonment, possibly also to protect his family's honor or avoid the shame of a daughter deserted. The "companion" now replaces Samson. This is a severe affront to Samson’s honor and possession.
• Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? (הֲל֤וֹא טוֹבָה֙ אֲחֹתָ֣הּ הַקְּטַנָּ֔ה מִמֶּנָּ֖ה)
  • הֲלוֹא (hălô' - Is not?): An interrogative particle indicating a rhetorical question expecting an affirmative answer. The father is suggesting this is an obvious truth, presenting it as a generous offer to placate Samson.
  • טוֹבָה֙ (ṭôḇâ - good/beautiful/better): The Hebrew word tov can mean "good" or "pleasant" or "beautiful." In this context, "more beautiful" or "better" is implied, suggesting a qualitative superiority designed to tempt Samson away from his original bride. It highlights Samson’s weakness for physical attraction.
  • אֲחֹתָ֣הּ הַקְּטַנָּ֔ה (ʾăḥōtāh haqqᵉṭannâ - her younger sister): This directly identifies the alternative wife. This proposal indicates a callous disregard for his elder daughter's well-being or her relationship, emphasizing transactional marital arrangements and a manipulative attempt to prevent conflict.
  • מִמֶּנָּ֖ה (mimmennâ - than she): The comparative "than her" directly contrasting the elder and younger sisters.
• Please let her be yours instead. (קַח־לְךָ֣ אֶת־זֹֽאת)
  • קַח־לְךָ֣ (qaḥ-ləḵā - Please take for yourself): An imperative, presented as a request or invitation, yet it's a very pointed proposition from the father attempting to mitigate the conflict arising from his initial action.
  • אֶת־זֹֽאת (ʾeṯ-zō’t - this one): Referring to the younger sister. It emphasizes the substitute, solidifying the idea that the younger sister is being offered as a replacement.

Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:

• "I thought for a certainty that you utterly hated her": This phrase reveals the Philistine father's perspective. It highlights either a profound misinterpretation of Samson's abandonment or a cynical excuse to justify his transfer of the bride. Samson's intense emotional reaction to his wife's betrayal in the previous chapter, leading to him abandoning her, could have been construed as hatred in the cultural context where emotional abandonment was equated with rejection. The double emphatic constructions ("thought for a certainty," "utterly hated") emphasize the father's conviction, possibly feigned, to lend credibility to his decision.

• "therefore I gave her to your companion": This indicates the Philistine father's immediate action based on his "certainty." It signifies a patriarchal authority to re-assign a daughter in marriage. The act of giving her to the "companion" (the best man) suggests a breach of normal marital protocol and a deep insult to Samson, even if framed as a culturally permissible response to desertion. This act effectively divorces Samson from his wife without his consent, usurping his role as husband and claiming ownership of a marital covenant.

• "Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please let her be yours instead.": This proposition is a blatant attempt at appeasement and manipulation. The father uses flattery ("more beautiful") and a convenient substitute to avert Samson’s expected rage. This offer disregards the sanctity of Samson's previous betrothal and also exhibits a pragmatic, transactional view of his own daughters, essentially "trading up" to satisfy the powerful Israelite. It preys on Samson’s known weakness for women (Jdg 14:3), particularly Philistine women.

Judges 15 2 Bonus section

The Philistine father's choice to give the daughter to the "companion" may imply a Philistine custom allowing such a transfer in cases of abandonment or unfulfillment of marital duties. This would differ from typical Israelite practices where divorce required a written decree from the husband (Deut 24:1-4). This forced separation, driven by Philistine cultural norms and misjudgment, is presented as an honorable resolution by the father, but is perceived as a profound insult and betrayal by Samson. This specific action then becomes the direct trigger for Samson's escalating acts of vengeance, revealing how perceived injustices and cultural clashes contribute to wider conflict between Israel and its oppressors. It's an example of how a seemingly personal family dispute can ignite wider ethnic strife, used by God to further His plan.

Judges 15 2 Commentary

Judges 15:2 captures a critical turning point in Samson’s narrative. The Philistine father’s actions, while presented as a reasonable response to Samson’s previous abandonment, are deeply provocative. His conviction of Samson’s "utter hatred" for the older daughter is a self-serving justification for reassigning her to Samson’s "companion," essentially usurping Samson's marital rights and honor. This move, rooted in Philistine societal practices, also shows a profound disregard for the spiritual and covenantal aspects of marriage as understood by Israel. The father's subsequent offer of the younger sister, appealing to physical beauty and offering a convenient "upgrade," exposes the transactional and superficial nature of these relationships for the Philistines. This act directly provokes Samson's intense, personal vengeance, setting the stage for his subsequent violent acts that, remarkably, are ultimately aligned with God's purpose to vex the Philistines. The scene highlights the clash of cultural norms, personal desires, and divine intention, illustrating how human failings can be woven into God's larger redemptive plan.