Judges 16:27 (WEB)

Passage

Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were on the roof about three thousand men and women, who saw while Samson performed.

Nearby Context

Judges 16:25 When their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may entertain us.” They called for Samson out of the prison; and he performed before them. They set him between the pillars;

Judges 16:26 and Samson said to the boy who held him by the hand, “Allow me to feel the pillars whereupon the house rests, that I may lean on them.”

Judges 16:27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were on the roof about three thousand men and women, who saw while Samson performed.

Judges 16:28 Samson called to Yahweh, and said, “Lord Yahweh, remember me, please, and strengthen me, please, only this once, God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.”

Judges 16:29 Samson took hold of the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and leaned on them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "house", "full", "women", "lords", "philistines", "roof", "three", and "thousand". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "house" and "full", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "and Samson said to the boy who..." into verse 28's "Samson called to Yahweh and said Lord...", so "house" and "full" 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 "house" and "full" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.