Judges 16:24 (LSB)

Passage

Then the people saw him and praised their god, for they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hands, Even the destroyer of our country, Who has slain many of us.”

Nearby Context

Judges 16:22 However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it was shaved off.

Judges 16:23 Now the lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to be glad; and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands.”

Judges 16:24 Then the people saw him and praised their god, for they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hands, Even the destroyer of our country, Who has slain many of us.”

Judges 16:25 So it happened when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may amuse us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he entertained them. And they made him stand between the pillars.

Judges 16:26 Then Samson said to the boy who was holding his hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house is established, that I may lean against them.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "people", "praised", "said", "given", "enemy", "hands", "even", and "destroyer". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "people" and "praised", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "Now the lords of the Philistines assembled..." into verse 25's "So it happened when their hearts were...", so "people" and "praised" belong inside that flow. In Judges context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "people" and "praised" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.