Judges 14:7

Jdg 14:7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

Ver. 7. And he went down, and talked with the woman.] Treated with her about the marriage, and perhaps was contracted to her; for that also was in use amongst the heathens.

“ Placuit despondi, nuptiis hic dictus est dies. ” - Terent.

The Hebrews say that Samson converted her to the true religion by this conference; but that is uncertain.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

he went down, and talked with the woman--The social intercourse between the youth of different sexes is extremely rare and limited in the East, and generally so after they are betrothed.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 7. And talked with the woman] That is, concerning marriage; thus forming the espousals.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(7) Talked with the woman.—His father and mother seem to have preceded him, and made the betrothal arrangements; otherwise he would not have been allowed by Eastern custom to talk with her. It cannot mean “talked about the woman,” as Rosenmüller says.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. Samson acts on his own account; the parents remain at home, and take no part in the arrangements.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he went down, and talked with the woman,.... Entered into a conversation with her, that he might the better judge of her other qualifications, besides that of outward form and beauty, whether she would be a suitable yoke fellow for him; and he talked with her about marriage, and proposed it to her, or talked about her to her father and near relations; and, as the Targum expresses it, asked the woman, not only asked of her consent, but demanded her of her friends: it may refer, as Abarbinel observes, to his father, that he went down and talked with the woman and with her relations about her, concerning the affair of his son's marriage with her:

and she pleased Samson well; he liked her conversation as well as her person, and the more he conversed with her, the more agreeable she was to him, and the more desirous he was to marry her. Though some observe from hence, that she did not please the father of Samson as himself; so Abarbinel.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Spoke. Septuagint, "they spoke;" both Samson and his parents (Menochius) asked the young woman in marriage, Genesis xxiv. 57., and Canticle of Canticles viii. 8. (Calmet) --- That had. Protestants, "and she pleased Samson well," as at first, ver. 3. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

7. Talked with the woman — He had only seen her before, (Jdg_14:1,) but found no opportunity to talk with her till the betrothal was arranged by his parents.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Went down, as in ver. 1, where see note.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When he came to Timnath he talked with the girl, and she pleased him. He had only seen her before (Jdg 14:1); but now that his parents had asked for her, he talked with her, and found the first impression that he had received of her fully confirmed.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

she pleased Samson

This means that he thought she was very beautiful. AT: "he was pleased by how beautiful she was" or "he thought she was very beautiful" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

he turned aside

This means that he left his path to do something. AT: "he left the path" (See: Idiom)

carcass

dead body

And, look, there was a swarm of bees

Here the word "look" is used to draw the reader's attention to something surprising that happens in the story. AT: "He found a swarm of bees" (See: Idiom)

swarm

large group of insects

scraped up

"gathered up"

translationWords

Samson

lions

honey

body

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

And discussed [lit. spoke with] the woman. He spoke of the woman with her relatives. This is Targum Yonasan's rendition.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.