What Does Judges 14:2 Mean in the King James?
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 get her for me to wife.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Samson’s “I have seen” becomes “take her for me” in one sentence, turning sight into a request for possession.
THE MEANING
The verse puts a familiar movement in view: a gaze becomes a decision, then a claim. Samson asks his parents to take the woman he has seen as his wife, while she has no voice in the request.
THE ROOT
קְחוּ
qechu
GROWS FROM
לקח
laqach
To take, receive, or take away.
“get” in this verse is qechu. The Hebrew imperative means “take,” and Samson addresses it to his parents; לִי means “for me.” The wording makes his desire a request that they obtain her on his behalf.
ALSO GROWS
leqichah: Taking or acquisition.
לְקִיחָה
This branch makes the taking shade in Samson’s request visible.
leqach: Teaching or instruction.
לֶקַח
This branch names what is received as teaching; in this verse, the requested taking concerns a person.
רָאִיתִי
ra'iti
GROWS FROM
ראה
ra'ah
To see, look at, or perceive.
This root appears in words for seeing and for appearance. Here “I have seen” is followed immediately by “take her,” making sight the hinge between attention and action.
ALSO GROWS
mar'eh: Appearance or sight.
מַרְאֶה
This branch keeps the focus on what comes into view before Samson makes his request.
ro'eh: One who sees; a seer.
רֹאֶה
This branch names the perceiver, bringing attention back to the one whose gaze drives the sentence.
THE PATTERN
When desire makes the gaze decisive, seeing can be followed by an attempt to take.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.THE THREAD
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.Genesis uses the same two roots, ראה (ra’ah, “see”) and לקח (laqach, “take”), as the scene moves from looking to taking. The repeated sequence makes the movement in Judges visible: seeing is followed by a request to take.
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