Chapter 14: Shimshon Kills a lion & Gets married

1.       Shimshon requests to marry a Philistine woman:

• Shimshon descended to Timna, and he saw a woman there from the daughters of the Philistines.
• Shimshon asks his parent’s permission to marry: Shimshon went up to his father and mother and informed them that he had seen a woman from amongst the Philistines and he wished that they take her for him as a wife. His parents replied: Are there not any daughters from amongst your brothers and nation who are fit for you as a wife that you must take a Philistine woman, who come from the uncircumcised. Shimshon repeated his request to his father that he take specifically that woman to be his wife, as she finds favor in his eyes.
• G-d’s desire of the marriage: Shimshon’s parents did not know that his marriage to this woman was destined by G-d, as Shimshon was searching for a way to undermine the Philistines, who ruled over the Jewish people at that time.

2.       Shimshon travels to Timna, meets a lion, kills it, and proposes:

• Shimshon and his father and mother descended towards Timna. They arrived at the vineyards of Timna [and Shimshon went on his own through the vineyard] and met a young lion who was roaring towards him [to kill him].
• Killing the lion: The spirit of G-d [i.e. bravery, strength, and courage] rested upon Shimshon, and he tore the lion apart as easily as one would tear a young goat. He did this with his bare hands, not having any weapons with him.
• He did not inform his parents of what happened.
• The proposal: Shimshon descended [towards Timna] and spoke with the woman [and her family[1]] about marriage. She found favor in his eyes.
• Removing honey from the lion corpse: After some time, Shimshon returned [to Timna] to marry her and he traveled through his original path to go see what was left of the lion. Behold, he saw a colony of bees inside the corpse of the lion, and they had created honey within it. Shimshon went ahead and removed the honey with his hands and ate from it. He gave some to his father and mother, and they also ate from it. He did not inform them that he retrieved the honey from the corpse of the lion.

[1] Rashi 14:7