Judges 16:22

¶ Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

Howbeit the hair {H8181} of his head {H7218} began {H2490} to grow again {H6779} after {H834} he was shaven {H1548}.

However, after the hair on his head had been cut off, it began growing back again.

However, the hair of his head began to grow back after it had been shaved.

Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

Commentary

Judges 16:22 KJV Commentary

Context

Judges 16:22 appears at a pivotal and somber moment in the story of Samson, one of Israel's judges. Samson was set apart from birth as a Nazarite unto God, a vow that included a prohibition against cutting his hair, which symbolized his dedication and was the visible sign connected to his supernatural strength. After a series of infatuations and compromises, Samson finally revealed the secret of his strength to Delilah, who then betrayed him to the Philistines. They captured him, put out his eyes, and forced him to grind grain in their prison in Gaza. This verse, "Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven," immediately follows this devastating fall, offering a subtle yet profound hint of divine patience and a potential turning point in Samson's tragic narrative.

Key Themes

  • Divine Patience and Grace: Even after Samson's profound disobedience, broken vows, and humiliation, God's grace was not entirely withdrawn. The regrowth of his hair signifies that the covenant relationship, though severely strained by Samson's actions, was not irrevocably severed by God. It hints at a window for God's enduring mercies.
  • Hope in Humiliation: Despite his blindness, imprisonment, and public shame, this verse introduces a glimmer of hope. It suggests that Samson's physical condition was not static and, more importantly, that his spiritual potential for God's purposes was not extinguished.
  • The Nature of Strength: The verse subtly reinforces that Samson's strength was not inherently in his hair, but in his obedience to the Nazarite vow, of which the long hair was a sign. As the hair grew, it represented the possibility of renewed dedication and, consequently, renewed strength through God's power. It implies that God was preparing him for one last, significant act.
  • Consequences and Potential for Restoration: Samson faced severe consequences for his choices, yet this verse opens the door for a final act of redemption, demonstrating that even significant failure does not always preclude a path to restoration with God.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV phrase "Howbeit" serves as a strong conjunction, emphasizing a contrast or a turning point. It signals that despite Samson's dire circumstances – blinded, shaven, and imprisoned – something significant was changing. The simple declaration that his hair "began to grow again" is profound in its understatement, carrying immense symbolic weight. It's not just a physiological process; it's a divine signal of potential renewal and a testament to God's long-suffering nature.

Practical Application

Judges 16:22 offers powerful lessons for believers today:

  • God's Unfailing Grace: This verse is a powerful reminder that even when we fail God greatly, His grace and mercy can extend to us. Our deepest failures do not necessarily mean the end of God's plan or our usefulness to Him.
  • Hope in Despair: When we find ourselves in our lowest points, stripped of our former abilities or dignity due to our own choices, this verse encourages us to look for the subtle signs of God's continued work in our lives. There is always hope for restoration and a second chance.
  • The Source of True Strength: Like Samson, our true strength comes not from external appearances or human abilities, but from our obedient relationship with God. When we return to Him, He can restore what was lost.
  • Spiritual Growth: Just as Samson's hair grew physically, this can symbolize a period of quiet spiritual growth and repentance even in the midst of suffering. It suggests that God often works in our brokenness to prepare us for new purposes, leading to Samson's final act of judgment against the Philistines in Judges 16:28-30.
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Cross-References

  • Psalms 107:13 (6 votes)

    Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, [and] he saved them out of their distresses.

  • Psalms 107:14 (6 votes)

    He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

  • Psalms 106:44 (5 votes)

    Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry:

  • Psalms 106:45 (5 votes)

    And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

  • Leviticus 26:44 (4 votes)

    And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I [am] the LORD their God.

  • Deuteronomy 32:36 (4 votes)

    For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that [their] power is gone, and [there is] none shut up, or left.