Location
Overview
Timnah lay on the border between Judah/Dan and Philistia, in the fertile Sorek valley. It is bound up with the opening of Samson's story.
Samson's Philistine bride
"Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines," and demanded her for his wife — the LORD using the occasion against the Philistines (Judges 14:1–4).
The lion and the riddle
On the way to Timnah Samson tore a lion apart with his bare hands; later, finding a swarm of bees and honey in its carcass, he framed the famous riddle, "Out of the eater came forth meat" (Judges 14:5–14).
A contested border town
Timnah sat on the shifting frontier with Philistia; it was reckoned to Judah and Dan (Joshua 15:10; 19:43) and later changed hands again in the days of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:18).
Events Here
Samson seeks a wife at Timnah and kills a lion
Scripture References
3 versesJudges3 verses
Judges 14:1
And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
Judges 14:2
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.
Judges 14:5
Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. against: Heb. in meeting him
Archaeology & History
Samson's Timnah is generally identified with Tel Batash in the Sorek valley, a mound excavated to reveal a fortified town on the Philistine border with both Israelite and Philistine cultural layers — exactly the frontier setting of the Samson narrative. (It is distinct from Timnath-serah, Joshua's burial place in the hills.)
People who appear here
Frequently asked about Timnah
Where is Timnah today?
Today, Timnah corresponds to Tel Batash, Israel.
What does the name Timnah mean?
The name Timnah means “Allotted portion”.
What happened at Timnah in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Timnah include samson seeks a wife at timnah and kills a lion.
Where is Timnah first mentioned in the Bible?
Timnah is first mentioned in Judges 14:1.
How often is Timnah mentioned in the Bible?
Timnah is mentioned in 3 verses across 1 book: Judges.
What happened at Timnah?
Samson sought a Philistine wife there, killed a lion on the way, and later posed his riddle about honey from the lion’s carcass (Judges 14).
Is this Timnah the same as Joshua’s burial place?
No. Samson’s Timnah is a border town in the Sorek valley; Joshua was buried at Timnath-serah (Timnath-heres) in the hill country of Ephraim — a different place with a similar name.