Judges 14:1
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
And Samson went down to Timnath,.... A city which by lot fell to the tribe of Judah, but was afterwards given to the tribe of Dan, and now in the hands of the Philistines,
Joshua 15:57. Judah is said to go up to it, because the place where he lived lay below it, Genesis 38:13, but Samson is said to go down to it, because he lived above it. The Jews {t} differ about the reconciliation of these two places; some say there were two of this name, the one is a descent, and the other is an ascent; others say there was but one, so situated, that they that came to it on one side ascended, and they that came to it on the other side descended. Bochart {u} approves of the former. According to Bunting {w}, this was twelve miles from Eshtaol, where Samson lived:
and saw a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines; who at this time dwelt there; he saw no doubt many other women besides her, but he took special notice of her, and entertained a particular affection for her; or, in other words, on sight of her fell in love with her.
{t} T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 10. 1.
{u} IIierozoic. par. 1. l. 3. c. 4. col. 763, 764.
{w} Travels, &c. p. 115.