And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
Her father said, 'I really thought you completely hated her, so I gave her to your friend instead. Isn't her younger sister more beautiful than she is? Please, take her younger sister instead.'
The father is trying to make up for giving away Samson's wife by offering him her younger sister as a replacement.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Judges, Samson was a judge of Israel chosen by God to deliver his people from Philistine oppression, and this verse occurs during his ongoing conflicts with the Philistines. After Samson abandoned his Philistine wife following a dispute at his wedding feast, her father assumed he no longer wanted her and gave her to another man as a wife. This decision reflects the cultural norms of the time, where marriages and family alliances were often transactional and influenced by personal grievances.
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