Judges 16:25
New International Version
While they were in high spirits, they shouted, “Bring out Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars,

New Living Translation
Half drunk by now, the people demanded, “Bring out Samson so he can amuse us!” So he was brought from the prison to amuse them, and they had him stand between the pillars supporting the roof.

English Standard Version
And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.

Berean Standard Bible
And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars.

King James Bible
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

New King James Version
So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars.

New American Standard Bible
It so happened when they were in high spirits, 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.

NASB 1995
It so happened when they were in high spirits, 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.

NASB 1977
It so happened when they were in high spirits, 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.

Legacy Standard Bible
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.

Amplified Bible
Now when they were in high spirits, they said, “Call for Samson, so that he may amuse us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.

Christian Standard Bible
When they were in good spirits, they said, “Bring Samson here to entertain us.” So they brought Samson from prison, and he entertained them. They had him stand between the pillars.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When they were drunk, they said, “Bring Samson here to entertain us.” So they brought Samson from prison, and he entertained them. They had him stand between the pillars.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them. And they set him between the pillars:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when their heart was pleased, they said: “Call for Samson to dance before us!” And they called Samson from the house of prisoners, and he was dancing before them, and they stood him between the pillars

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when their heart was merry, then they said, Call Sampson out of the prison-house, and let him play before us: and they called Sampson out of the prison-house, and he played before them; and they smote him with the palms of their hands, and set him between the pillars.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And rejoicing in their feasts, when they had now taken their good cheer, they commanded that Samson should be called, and should play before them. And being brought out of prison he played before them, and they made him stand between two pillars.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made sport before them: and they set him between the pillars.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When all the Philistines were enjoying themselves, they said, "Call Samson in to entertain us." Samson was called from the prison, and he made them laugh. They made him stand between two columns.

International Standard Version
Because they all got good and drunk, they ordered, "Go get Samson, so he can entertain us." So they called for Samson from the prison, and he entertained them while they made him stand between the pillars.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said: 'Call for Samson, that he may make us sport.' And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them; and they set him between the pillars.

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, when their heart [is] glad, that they say, “Call for Samson, and he entertains for us”; and they call for Samson out of the prison-house, and he entertains their faces, and they cause him to stand between the pillars.

Majority Standard Bible
And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars.

New American Bible
When their spirits were high, they said, “Call Samson that he may amuse us.” So they called Samson from the prison, and he provided amusement for them. They made him stand between the columns,

NET Bible
When they really started celebrating, they said, "Call for Samson so he can entertain us!" So they summoned Samson from the prison and he entertained them. They made him stand between two pillars.

New Revised Standard Version
And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, and let him entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. They made him stand between the pillars;

New Heart English Bible
And it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may entertain us." So they called for Samson out of the prison; and he performed before them. And they were striking him. And they set him between the pillars;

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

World English Bible
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;

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, when their heart is glad, that they say, 'Call for Samson, and he doth play before us;' and they call for Samson out of the prison-house, and he playeth before them, and they cause him to stand between the pillars.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Samson's Vengeance and Death
24And when the people saw him, they praised their god, saying: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy who destroyed our land and multiplied our dead.” 25And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars. 26Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them.”…

Cross References
Judges 16:24
And when the people saw him, they praised their god, saying: "Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy who destroyed our land and multiplied our dead."

Judges 16:26
Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Lead me where I can feel the pillars supporting the temple, so I can lean against them."

Judges 19:6
So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl's father said to the man, "Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry."

Esther 1:10
On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him--Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas--


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.

their hearts

Judges 9:27
And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

Judges 18:20
And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

Judges 19:6,9
And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry…

them.

Job 30:9,10
And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword…

Psalm 35:15,16
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: …

Psalm 69:12,26
They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards…

Jump to Previous
Cause Entertain Entertained Heart Hearts High House Joy Merry Performed Pillars Play Playeth Prison Prison-House Samson Shouted Spirits Sport Stand Stood
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Cause Entertain Entertained Heart Hearts High House Joy Merry Performed Pillars Play Playeth Prison Prison-House Samson Shouted Spirits Sport Stand Stood
Judges 16
1. Samson at Gaza escapes, and carries away the gates of the city
4. Delilah corrupted by the Philistines, entices Samson
6. Thrice she is deceived
15. At last she overcomes him
21. The Philistines take him, and put out his eyes
22. His strength renewing, he pulls down the house upon the Philistines and dies














(25) When their hearts were merry.--Comp. Judges 9:27; 1Samuel 25:36; Esther 1:10.

That he may make us sport.--Whether by his forced jests, or by feats of strength, or merely by being made to submit to insults, we cannot tell. Josephus says that they sent for Samson "that they might insult him over their wine."

He made them sport.--The LXX says (Cod. B), "And he played before them, and they beat him with rods."

Verse 25. - When their hearts were merry. They would not have acted so imprudently as to bring Samson out of his prison had not their judgment been clouded with drink. That he may make us sport. And he made them sport. The two verbs are not the same in Hebrew, but they have much the same meaning. It is not certain whether the idea conveyed is that of the A.V., that Samson was brought there to be as it were baited by the populace, jeered and jested at, reviled and reproached, perhaps struck or pelted; or whether the words do not simply mean to dance with music, which is certainly the meaning of the latter verb (he made sport before them, A.V. and margin) in 1 Samuel 18:7 (played, A.V.; see ver. 6); 2 Samuel 6:5, 21; 1 Chronicles 13:8; 1 Chronicles 15:29. They set him between the pillars, i.e. when he had done dancing; because he must have been dancing outside the house for the people on the roof to see him.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And
וַֽיְהִי֙ (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

while their hearts
לִבָּ֔ם (lib·bām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

were merry,
כְּט֣וֹב (kə·ṭō·wḇ)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

they said,
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ (way·yō·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Call
קִרְא֥וּ (qir·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

for Samson
לְשִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן (lə·šim·šō·wn)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8123: Samson -- a deliverer of Israel

to entertain us.”
וִישַֽׂחֶק־ (wî·śa·ḥeq-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7832: To laugh, to play

So they called
וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ (way·yiq·rə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

Samson
לְשִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן (lə·šim·šō·wn)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8123: Samson -- a deliverer of Israel

out of the prison
מִבֵּ֣ית (mib·bêṯ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

to entertain them.
וַיְצַחֵק֙ (way·ṣa·ḥêq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6711: To laugh outright, to sport

And they stationed
וַיַּעֲמִ֥ידוּ (way·ya·‘ă·mî·ḏū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

him
אוֹת֖וֹ (’ō·w·ṯōw)
Direct object marker | third person masculine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

between
בֵּ֥ין (bên)
Preposition
Strong's 996: An interval, space between

the pillars.
הָעַמּוּדִֽים׃ (hā·‘am·mū·ḏîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5982: A column, a stand, platform


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OT History: Judges 16:25 It happened when their hearts were merry (Jd Judg. Jdg)
Judges 16:24
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