And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Upon seeing him, the people praised their god: "Our god has handed over to us our enemy, who destroyed our land and killed so many of us."
Berean Standard Bible:
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.”
American Standard Version:
And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, who hath slain many of us.
And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish [it in] the house of their idols, and among the people.
But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people.
Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, [and] lest they should say, Our hand [is] high, and the LORD hath not done all this.
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Commentary for Judges 16:24
Judges 16:24 is a verse set within the broader narrative of Samson, one of the Israelite judges, renowned for his supernatural strength and his role as a deliverer of Israel from the Philistines. The verse captures a moment of triumph for the Philistines, who are celebrating the capture of their formidable adversary, Samson.
In this verse, the Philistines are gathered in a temple for a great sacrifice to their god, Dagon, to honor him for delivering Samson into their hands. They attribute their success over Samson—whom they refer to as "the destroyer of our country" and the one responsible for the deaths of many Philistines—to the power and favor of Dagon. This celebration is a stark contrast to the previous episodes where Samson had inflicted great losses upon the Philistines, such as when he killed thirty men for their garments to fulfill a wager (Judges 14:19) and when he struck down a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:15).
The historical context of this verse is the period of the Judges, which lasted approximately from the conquest of Canaan until the establishment of the monarchy in Israel. During this time, the Israelites were frequently oppressed by neighboring peoples, including the Philistines, due to their disobedience to God. The cycle of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance is a recurring theme throughout the book of Judges.
Theologically, this verse underscores the Philistines' polytheistic belief system and their reliance on their gods for military success. It also highlights the Israelites' own spiritual infidelity, as they too were prone to worship other gods despite being called to exclusive loyalty to Yahweh. The narrative of Samson serves as a complex portrait of a judge who, despite his anointed role, struggled with personal flaws and moral failures, ultimately pointing to the need for a more faithful and righteous deliverer, which is a typology for the Messiah in Christian theology.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
Strong's Number: H5971 There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: עַם Transliteration: ʻam Pronunciation: am Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people.
Strong's Number: H7200 There are 1212 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: רָאָה Transliteration: râʼâh Pronunciation: raw-aw' Description: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative); advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, [idiom] be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), [idiom] sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, [idiom] surely, [idiom] think, view, visions.
Strong's Number: H1984 There are 140 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: הָלַל Transliteration: hâlal Pronunciation: haw-lal' Description: a primitive root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make ashow, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify; (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool(-ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.
Strong's Number: H430 There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אֱלֹהִים Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym Pronunciation: el-o-heem' Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
Strong's Number: H559 There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אָמַר Transliteration: ʼâmar Pronunciation: aw-mar' Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
Strong's Number: H5414 There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: נָתַן Transliteration: nâthan Pronunciation: naw-than' Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
Strong's Number: H3027 There are 1447 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יָד Transliteration: yâd Pronunciation: yawd Description: a primitive word; in distinction from כַּף, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows); a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),; ([phrase] be) able, [idiom] about, [phrase] armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, [idiom] bounty, [phrase] broad, (broken-) handed, [idiom] by, charge, coast, [phrase] consecrate, [phrase] creditor, custody, debt, dominion, [idiom] enough, [phrase] fellowship, force, [idiom] from, hand(-staves, -y work), [idiom] he, himself, [idiom] in, labour, [phrase] large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, [idiom] mine, ministry, near, [idiom] of, [idiom] order, ordinance, [idiom] our, parts, pain, power, [idiom] presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, [phrase] swear, terror, [idiom] thee, [idiom] by them, [idiom] themselves, [idiom] thine own, [idiom] thou, through, [idiom] throwing, [phrase] thumb, times, [idiom] to, [idiom] under, [idiom] us, [idiom] wait on, (way-) side, where, [phrase] wide, [idiom] with (him, me, you), work, [phrase] yield, [idiom] yourselves.
Strong's Number: H341 There are 481 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אֹיֵב Transliteration: ʼôyêb Pronunciation: o-yabe' Description: or (fully) אוֹיֵב; active participle of אָיַב; hating; an adversary; enemy, foe.
Strong's Number: H2717 There are 36 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: חָרַב Transliteration: chârab Pronunciation: khaw-rab' Description: or חֲרֵב; a primitive root; to parch (through drought) i.e. (by analogy,) to desolate, destroy, kill; decay, (be) desolate, destroy(-er), (be) dry (up), slay, [idiom] surely, (lay, lie, make) waste.
Strong's Number: H776 There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אֶרֶץ Transliteration: ʼerets Pronunciation: eh'-rets Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.
Strong's Number: H2491 There are 85 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: חָלָל Transliteration: châlâl Pronunciation: khaw-lawl' Description: from חָלַל; pierced (especially to death); figuratively, polluted; kill, profane, slain (man), [idiom] slew, (deadly) wounded.
Strong's Number: H7235 There are 211 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: רָבָה Transliteration: râbâh Pronunciation: raw-baw' Description: a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect); (bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for רָבַב), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), [idiom] process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.