Judges 16:22 · Bible study
Judges 16:22 Commentary: Hair Growth as Sign of Renewal
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Judges 16:22 marks the quiet turn from Samson's humiliation to restoration. Explore how his regrowing hair signals God's grace after failure.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Although Samson is in captivity, his hair begins to grow, a quiet sign that God’s grace has not abandoned him.
- Key words: tsamach (to sprout) and gullach (to be shaved). The contrast between shaving (vow broken) and sprouting (vow restored) is thematic.
- Main debate: Whether the hair growth reflects Samson’s repentance and Nazarite renewal or is merely a physical process God sovereignly uses.
- Theological theme: Grace after failure; restoration begins before we pray; God works through ordinary means.
- Best use: A sermon or study on hope, repentance, or God’s patient work in broken lives.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
However, the hair of his head began to grow back after it had been shaved.
WEB World English Bible 2000
However, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaved.
KJV King James Version 1769
Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the hair of his head beginneth to shoot up, when he hath been shaven,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But the hair of his head began to grow after he was shaved.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And now his hair began to grow again,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y el cabello de su cabeza comenzó á crecer, después que fué rapado.
E o cabelo de sua cabeça começou a crescer, depois que foi rapado.
Cependant les cheveux de sa tête recommençaient à croître, depuis qu’ il avait été rasé.
Aber das Haar seines Hauptes fing an, wieder zu wachsen, wo es geschoren war.
En het haar zijns hoofds begon weder te wassen, gelijk toen hij geschoren werd.
Intanto, la capigliatura che gli avean tosata, cominciava a ricrescergli.
Potem poczęły włosy na głowie jego odrastać po onem goleniu.
Между тем волосы на голове его начали расти, где они были острижены.
然而他的頭 髮 被剃 之後，又漸漸 長起來了。
But the growth of his hair was starting again after it had been cut off.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Judges 16:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Most commentators read Judges 16:22 as more than a biological note. The Cambridge Bible states that the hair growth happened and his strength simultaneously, preparing for the final scene. Gill, JFB, and Clarke each stress that Samson likely renewed his Nazarite vow in repentance, with Gill adding that the hair probably grew in an extraordinary manner. Keil & Delitzsch point to the temporal phrase as he was shaven (כַּאֲשֶׁר גֻּלָּח), meaning the process began immediately. There is broad agreement that God used this physical sign to restore Samson’s strength and that it marks the beginning of his spiritual recovery. The debate lies in whether the repentance preceded the growth or occurred simultaneously, but all see the hand of grace at work.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Repentance and renewal of Nazarite vow: Gill, Clarke, JFB, and others point to Samson’s later prayer (v.28) and the immediate connection to strength restoration as evidence of a deliberate renewing of the vow.
- Natural process, sovereignly used: The verse itself describes a physical process; the text does not record Samson’s repentance at this point, suggesting God worked through ordinary means without explicit human response yet.
What is clear: The hair growth is a sign of God’s grace and precedes Samson’s final act of faith, which brought down the Philistine temple.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Significance of hair growth | The hair growth marks a turning point in the narrative and is essential for Samson's final act. | Some see it as a literal, natural process that happened to coincide with God’s plan; others view it as a direct sign of Samson’s renewed Nazarite vow and repentance. |
| Role of repentance | Samson’s later prayer (v.28) shows a restored relationship with God. | Clarke, Gill, and JFB assume repentance began when his hair grew; the text itself does not record a prayer or confession at this point, leaving room for the view that God initiated restoration without explicit human repentance. |
| Source of renewed strength | God restored Samson’s strength; it was not an automatic effect of hair growth. | Whether the strength came as a reward for renewed dedication (Arminian-leaning readings) or as a sovereign gift despite ongoing weakness (Reformed-leaning readings). |
| Theological message of the verse | The verse shows that God does not permanently reject those who fail. | Some emphasize human responsibility to return to God; others stress divine grace that pursues even the fallen. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Judges 16:22 sits at a pivot point in Samson’s story. He was a Nazarite from birth (Judges 13:5), a vow that included letting his hair grow as a visible sign of dedication. When Delilah shaved his head, the vow was broken and Yahweh departed from him (v.20). Blinded and grinding grain in a Gaza prison, Samson had hit bottom. The Philistines attributed their victory to Dagon, a fish-deity (Keil & Delitzsch), and planned a great sacrificial festival to celebrate (v.23, 24).
In this context, the quiet note that his hair began to grow again becomes a promise. The Hebrew verb tsamach (H6779) means to sprout or spring up, often used for plants, a natural, organic renewal. The phrase ka'asher gullach (as he was shaven) is interpreted temporally by Keil & Delitzsch: from the moment he was shaved, the hair began to return. This sets the stage for the temple collapse, where Samson’s prayer shows faith restored. Culturally, hair regrowth would signal to readers that the Nazarite dedication could be renewed, and that God had not abandoned his flawed servant.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Judges 16:22. The Hebrew phrase ka'asher gullach (כַּאֲשֶׁר גֻּלָּח) is consistently translated “after he was shaved” or “as he was shaven.” Keil & Delitzsch interpret the kaph (as) in a temporal sense: “from the time when he was shaven.” The Pual form of galach (to be shaved) is standard. The absence of variant readings supports the received Hebrew text.
Reception History
Church history has often seen this verse as a beacon of hope for those who have fallen into serious sin. Bishop Joseph Hall (quoted by Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) wrote: “His hair grew together with his repentance, and his strength with his hairs.” Matthew Henry, in his commentary, highlighted the patience of God in beginning to restore Samson while he was still in prison. John Wesley’s notes connect the verse to the broader theme of God not casting off his people forever. In the Puritan tradition, the verse was used to encourage believers that even after spiritual decline, God can renew the soul as naturally as hair grows. Modern readers continue to draw comfort from the quiet, unassuming way grace returns, no fanfare, just growth.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- God’s grace works through the ordinary. Hair regrowth is a natural process, yet here it carries divine purpose. God uses the everyday to begin restoration.
- Humiliation precedes restoration. Samson’s time in prison and blindness stripped him of pride. The hair growth marks the start of healing, not the end.
- Repentance is more than words. Samson’s renewed strength came after his hair grew, a physical symbol of renewed commitment. True change shows in action.
Five-Point Outline
- The setting: Samson in a Gaza prison, blind and grinding grain, at the lowest point of his life.
- The sign: His hair begins to grow, an invisible process that will become visible.
- The silent work: No prayer is recorded; the Holy Spirit quietly begins to restore.
- The Philistine celebration: They credit Dagon, unaware that God is already moving.
- The final act: Samson’s prayer and strength return, leading to a greater victory in death than in life.
Illustration Hooks
- A seedling pushing through pavement: small, unseen growth that will eventually crack concrete. God’s restorative work often begins just as quietly.
- A broken athlete’s rehab: the first small steps feel pointless, but they are the only path back. Hair growth is Samson’s rehab.
- The slow return of spring after a harsh winter: the ground doesn’t change overnight, but life is already working underneath.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- How can God use me after a major failure? Is restoration even possible?
- Why doesn’t the Bible record Samson repenting here? Is repentance always verbal?
- Does this teach that God rewards religious rituals (the hair) or heartfelt change?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is just a sentence, but it carries the whole story’s turning point. Samson was stripped of everything: sight, freedom, strength, and God’s presence. Then, silently, his hair began to grow. The group’s task is to notice what God does below the surface before the drama explodes.
Discussion Questions
- What was the state of Samson’s life when this verse happens (see v.20, 21)?
- The Hebrew word for ‘grow’ (tsamach) is used for plants sprouting. Why might the author choose that word?
- Several commentators suggest Samson renewed his Nazarite vow around this time. Where in the text do you see evidence, and where is it left unspoken?
- How does the timing of the hair growth (immediately after shaving) affect your view of God’s response to failure?
- In what ways does God use ordinary, natural processes to begin restoration in your own life?
- How does the silence of this verse (no prayers, no fanfare) challenge our desire for dramatic change?
- What does this verse teach about hope when all seems lost? Share a personal example or a story you’ve seen.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 26:44 | Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God. |
| Deuteronomy 32:36 | For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone, that there is no one remaining, shut up or left at large. |
| Psalms 106:44 | Nevertheless he regarded their distress, when he heard their cry. |
| Psalms 106:45 | He remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. |
| Psalms 107:13 | Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. |
| Psalms 107:14 | He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke away their chains. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke suggests that when Samson's hair began to grow again, he likely renewed his Nazirite vow to the Lord. This act of repentance and rededication, in his view, explains why his supernatural strength was restored.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator observes that Samson's hair began to grow again and his strength returned together, not separately. This detail sets up his final great effort. A considerable interval must have passed between his capture and the closing scene.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws attention to the simple historical detail that Samson's hair began to grow again after it was shaved off. The annotators provide no symbolic or theological meaning here, only the literal sequence of events.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Samson's strength returned not because his hair naturally gave him power, but because he repented and renewed his Nazarite vow, of which letting his hair grow was the outward sign. God, accepting his genuine repentance, graciously restored his strength, likely in answer to prayer.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB connects the regrowth of Samson's hair with his inward repentance: as his hair grew back, his resolve to renew his Nazarite vow also returned. The physical restoration and the spiritual turning happened together, so that his strength returned only after his heart had first turned back to God.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists Samson's final act was not suicide but a heroic, God-ordained victory. By pulling down Dagon's temple, Samson vindicated Jehovah's honor against the Philistine fish-deity and proved that God would not let His enemies triumph. The shame of Samson's sin was taken away, and his death brought a greater defeat than his life had.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Samson's final act as a deliberate, prayerful victory, not suicide. The regrowing hair signals spiritual recovery, and his threefold prayer to the thrice-named God shows a restored faith deeper than his earlier confidence. Blindness becomes his means of triumph, and his plea for vengeance is not personal but for his people and God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Samson's final prayer was not mere personal revenge but a plea for God to be glorified over the Philistine idol Dagon. His strength returned as an act of faith, and his death accomplished more for Israel's deliverance than his entire life had done.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley rejects Matthew Henry's claim that the goodness of God's promised land will intensify the punishment of those who perish. He argues that this reasoning fails under predestination: if some are not elected, they never had a genuine offer, and if all the elect are saved, the grant was never free to the others.