[circa 1141 BC] Verse 1:[1] And Samson went down (Gen. 38:13; Josh. 15:10) to Timnath, and (Gen. 34:2) saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
[He went down to Timnath] From this, and because in verse 2 he is said to come up from Timnath unto the city of his birth, it appears to be rightly gathered that Timnath was lower-lying and closer to the sea, just as also the whole region of the Philistines was (Bonfrerius). This city was in the confines of three tribes, namely, Judah, Dan, and Ephraim, between Ptolemais and Gaza (Jerome in Lapide).
Samson went down, etc.: After he was come to mature age. Timnath; a place not far from the sea; of which see Genesis 38:12; Joshua 15:57; 19:43.
[A seeing there, בְּתִמְנָתָה] At Timnath. Perhaps the ה on the end means the same thing as the ב/in,[2] so that it might be a pleonasm of particles, which sort is in לְהָרָה, in the mountain. For, in Jonathan, it is בְתִמְנָת, without the ה (Drusius).
Verse 2:[3] And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore (Gen. 21:21; 34:4) get her for me to wife.
[That ye would take as a wife for me] Both he that gives her in marriage, and he that takes her into his house, are said to take as a wife. The father takes a wife for his son, and the son for himself (Drusius). He was unwilling to marry her without the knowledge and consent of his parents (Martyr).
[1] Hebrew: וַיֵּ֥רֶד שִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן תִּמְנָ֑תָה וַיַּ֥רְא אִשָּׁ֛ה בְּתִמְנָ֖תָה מִבְּנ֥וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃
[2] Thus making it a directional ה.
[3] Hebrew: וַיַּ֗עַל וַיַּגֵּד֙ לְאָבִ֣יו וּלְאִמּ֔וֹ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִשָּׁ֛ה רָאִ֥יתִי בְתִמְנָ֖תָה מִבְּנ֣וֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וְעַתָּ֕ה קְחוּ־אוֹתָ֥הּ לִּ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה׃