Verse 2:[1] And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly (Judg. 14:19, 20) hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her (Heb. let her be thine[2]), I pray thee, instead of her.
[I thought] Hebrew: I said,[3] that is, in my heart (Piscator, Junius). Thus in Exodus 2:14;[4] Judges 15:3[5] (Junius, Drusius). This was no excuse. For, although divorce was permitted at that time; yet the right of divorce did not belong to the wife, but to her husband. Therefore, Samson was to be asked, whether he would repudiate, tec. (Serarius, Bonfrerius).
I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her, because thou didst desert her in great wrath: but this was not sufficient cause; for he should have endeavoured a reconciliation, or waited for it; and not have disposed of another man’s wife without his consent; which is not only against the law of God, but of nature also.
[But she has a sister, etc.] He offers to him marriage, but an incestuous marriage, contrary to Leviticus 18 and 20 (certain interpreters). [See what things were said there.]
[1] Hebrew: וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אָבִ֗יהָ אָמֹ֤ר אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ כִּי־שָׂנֹ֣א שְׂנֵאתָ֔הּ וָאֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה לְמֵרֵעֶ֑ךָ הֲלֹ֙א אֲחֹתָ֤הּ הַקְּטַנָּה֙ טוֹבָ֣ה מִמֶּ֔נָּה תְּהִי־נָ֥א לְךָ֖ תַּחְתֶּֽיהָ׃
[2] Hebrew: תְּהִי־נָ֥א לְךָ֖.
[3] Hebrew: אָמַרְתִּי.
[4] Exodus 2:14: “And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest (אֹמֵר/sayest) thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.”
[5] Judges 15:3: “And Samson said concerning them (וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן), Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.”
Matthew Henry: 'The repulse [Samson] met with. Her father forbade him to come near her; for truly he had married her to another, Judges 15:2. He endeavours, 1. To justify himself in this wrong: I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her. A very ill opinion he had of Samson, measuring that Nazarite by the common temper of the Philistines; could he think worse of him than to suspect that, because he was justly angry with his wife, he utterly hated her, and, because he had seen cause to return to his father's house for a while, therefore he had abandoned her for ever? Yet this is all he had to say in excuse of this injury. Thus h…