Judges 16:22 (WEB)

Passage

However the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.

Nearby Context

Judges 16:20 She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that Yahweh had departed from him.

Judges 16:21 The Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he ground at the mill in the prison.

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

Judges 16:23 The lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, “Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.”

Judges 16:24 When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, “Our god has delivered our enemy and the destroyer of our country, who has slain many of us, into our hand.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "however", "hair", "head", "began", "grow", "again", "after", and "shaved". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "however" and "hair", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "The Philistines laid hold on him and..." into verse 23's "The lords of the Philistines gathered them...", so "however" and "hair" 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 "however" and "hair" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.