Judges 14 · Verse 4

Judges 14:4

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.
Judges 14:4, King James Version

Judges 14:4 in other translations

BSB(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.)
WEBBut his father and his mother didn’t know that it was of the LORD; for he sought an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.
ASVBut 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.
YLTAnd 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.
DARBYAnd his father and his mother did not know that it was of Jehovah, that he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. Now at that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
BBENow his father and mother had no knowledge that this was the purpose of the Lord, who had the destruction of the Philistines in mind. Now the Philistines at that time were ruling over Israel.
WebsterBut 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.

What does Judges 14:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Judges 14:3-4

3-4. Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren--that is, "of thine own tribe"--a Danite woman. Samson said ... Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well--literally, "she is right in mine eyes"; not by her beautiful countenance or handsome figure, but right or fit for his purpose. And this throws light on the historian's remark in reference to the resistance of his parents: they "knew not that it was…

Read the full comment on Judges 14:3-4 →

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Judges 14:1-4

As far as Samson's marriage was a common case, it was weak and foolish of him to set his affections upon a daughter of the Philistines. Shall one, not only an Israelite, but a Nazarite, devoted to the Lord, covet to become one with a worshipper of Dagon? It does not appear that he had any reason to think her wise or virtuous, or any way likely to be a help meet for him; but he saw something in her agreeable to his…

Read the full comment on Judges 14:1-4 →

Judges 14:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאָבִ֨יוve.'a.Vivand father hisH1
וְאִמּ֜וֹve.'i.Moand mother hisH517
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יָדְע֗וּya.de.'Uthey knewH3045
כִּ֤יkithatH3588
מֵיְהוָה֙me.Yah.weh[was] from YahwehH3068
הִ֔יאHi'itH1931
כִּי\־ki-forH3588
תֹאֲנָ֥הto.'a.Nahan occasionH8385
הֽוּא\־hu'-heH1931
מְבַקֵּ֖שׁme.va.Kesh[was] seekingH1245
מִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑יםmi.pe.lish.Timfrom [the] PhilistinesH6430
וּבָעֵ֣תu.va.'Etand at the timeH6256
הַהִ֔יאha.Hi'<the> thatH1931
פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖יםpe.lish.Tim[the] PhilistinesH6430
מֹשְׁלִ֥יםmo.she.Lim[were] rulingH4910
בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל\׃\ \פbe.Yis.ra.'Elover IsraelH3478

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Judges 14:4

  • 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.

  • Psalms 115:3

    But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

  • 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.

  • 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?

  • 2 Chronicles 10:15

    So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

  • 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 Chronicles 22:7

    And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

  • 2 Chronicles 25:20

    But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

  • 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
it was of the Lord.That is, God permitted it, that it might be a means of bringing about the deliverance of Israel. Such marriages were forbidden to the Israelites, to keep them separate from the idolatrous nations.
Jos 11:20; 1Ki 12:15; 2Ki 6:33; 2Ch 10:15; 22:7; 25:20; Ps 115:3
had dominion.
13:1; 15:11; De 28:48

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Judges 14:3

    Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

  • Judges 14:4

    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.

  • Judges 14:5

    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.

Read all of Judges 14

Judges 14:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas su padre y su madre no sabían que esto venía de Jehová, y que él buscaba ocasión contra los Filisteos: porque en aquel tiempo los Filisteos dominaban sobre Israel.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et son père et sa mère ne savaient pas que cela venait de l’ Éternel; car Samson cherchait une occasion de la part des Philistins. Or en ce temps-là les Philistins dominaient sur Israël.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sein Vater und seine Mutter wußten aber nicht, daß es von Jehova war; denn er suchte eine Gelegenheit an den Philistern. Und in jener Zeit herrschten die Philister über Israel.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Parentes autem ejus nesciebant quod res a Domino fieret, et quæreret occasionem contra Philisthiim: eo enim tempore Philisthiim dominabantur Israëli.