Samson and his father traveled to the bride’s community, arranged a wedding feast, and began a celebration that set the stage for the events that would follow.
Samson’s father, Manoah, accompanies him to the place where Samson’s prospective bride lived and becomes part of the wedding preparations. We read: “Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this.” (v.10) In ancient times, going “down” typically implies movement from higher ground to lower territory. It is likely referring to the area around Timnah, located in the tribal inheritance of Dan, southwest of the hill country of Judah. This indicates Samson’s family had to travel beyond their local region to arrange his marriage. Historically, Manoah and his family would have lived around the 12th century BC, in the period of the Judges, before the establishment of Israel's monarchy under Saul around 1050 BC.
When “Samson made a feast there” (v.10), he was following the common custom of hosting a celebration for a forthcoming marriage. These feasts often lasted for several days and involved friends, relatives, and the broader community coming together in joy. The feast also reflects a social practice mirrored throughout Scripture, highlighting how God’s people often marked covenantal moments with communal meals (see also the wedding at Cana attended by Jesus in John 2:1-11). Samson’s involvement in hosting and celebration demonstrates that despite his extraordinary calling as a judge of Israel and his miraculous birth (Judges 13), he still participated in the normal social traditions of his day.
This verse underscores the tension between Samson’s unique mission from the Lord and his ordinary human experiences. Even though he was set apart for special purpose (Judges 13:5), Samson adopts many cultural customs of his time, showing that the Lord often works through the everyday events of life to fulfill His greater plans. By making a feast and engaging in a traditional ceremony, Samson’s actions foreshadow the complexities of his life—part dedication to God’s will, and part entanglement with worldly festivities.
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Judges 14:10 meaning
Samson’s father, Manoah, accompanies him to the place where Samson’s prospective bride lived and becomes part of the wedding preparations. We read: “Then his father went down to the woman; and Samson made a feast there, for the young men customarily did this.” (v.10) In ancient times, going “down” typically implies movement from higher ground to lower territory. It is likely referring to the area around Timnah, located in the tribal inheritance of Dan, southwest of the hill country of Judah. This indicates Samson’s family had to travel beyond their local region to arrange his marriage. Historically, Manoah and his family would have lived around the 12th century BC, in the period of the Judges, before the establishment of Israel's monarchy under Saul around 1050 BC.
When “Samson made a feast there” (v.10), he was following the common custom of hosting a celebration for a forthcoming marriage. These feasts often lasted for several days and involved friends, relatives, and the broader community coming together in joy. The feast also reflects a social practice mirrored throughout Scripture, highlighting how God’s people often marked covenantal moments with communal meals (see also the wedding at Cana attended by Jesus in John 2:1-11). Samson’s involvement in hosting and celebration demonstrates that despite his extraordinary calling as a judge of Israel and his miraculous birth (Judges 13), he still participated in the normal social traditions of his day.
This verse underscores the tension between Samson’s unique mission from the Lord and his ordinary human experiences. Even though he was set apart for special purpose (Judges 13:5), Samson adopts many cultural customs of his time, showing that the Lord often works through the everyday events of life to fulfill His greater plans. By making a feast and engaging in a traditional ceremony, Samson’s actions foreshadow the complexities of his life—part dedication to God’s will, and part entanglement with worldly festivities.