Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 66:1 (Mar 2023)
Article: Does Yahweh Approve Of Samson’s Marriage In Judges 14? An Analysis Of “From Yahweh” (מיהוה)
Author: Gary E. Yates

JETS 66:2 (March 2023) p. 33

Does Yahweh Approve Of Samson’s Marriage In Judges 14? An Analysis Of “From Yahweh” (מיהוה)

Gary Yates

And

Jillian L. Ross*

^* Gary Yates is Professor of Biblical Studies at Liberty University, 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, VA 24515. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Jillian L. Ross is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Liberty University, 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, VA 24515. She may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: The narrator’s statement in Judges 14:4 that Samson’s desire to marry a Philistine woman was “from Yahweh” has perplexed readers. The plain reading of the text suggests that Yahweh approved of the marriage. Scholars have challenged this reading largely through internal evidence within the book of Judges; however, little attention has been given to evidence outside Judges. This article offers a three-pronged, holistic approach. In addition to the book’s internal evidence, it analyzes all “from Yahweh” collocations and considers analogous passages external to Judges 14. It argues that “from Yahweh” is neither a divine endorsement nor an ethical sanction of Samson’s marriage but rather an expression of divine allowance to accomplish an intended outcome.

Key words: Judges 14, Judges 14:4, Samson, “from Yahweh,” weak actualization, מן, מאת, מעם

Yahweh’s active role in Samson’s marriage to the Timnite in Judges 14:4 may seem to imply divine sanction for the marriage. The narrator’s straightforward commentary that “it was from Yahweh” (כִּי מֵיהוה הִיא) makes this view appealing. However, we suggest that the “from Yahweh” (מֵיהוה) statement is not intended as a divine sanction or endorsement of the marriage. This phrase instead signifies divine allowance to accomplish a desired outcome. We offer support from the book of Judges, a study of the collocation מִן + יהוה (“from Yahweh”), and a survey of analogous contexts involving the interplay of divine-human intentions.

In a 2017 study challenging the overwhelming scholarly consensus, Brian N. Peterson argued that the narrator’s comment ...