Judges 16:25 · Bible study
Judges 16:25 Commentary: 'Make Sport'
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An in-depth study of Judges 16:25 examining the original Hebrew of 'make sport' and whether Samson was an active performer or passive object of mockery.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Samson is brought from prison to be mocked before the Philistines; he does not actively entertain but is the passive object of their sport.
- Key words: vitsachek (H7832, Piel), to laugh, mock, make sport; vayitzachek (H6711, Piel), to jest, play, toy with.
- Main debate: Did Samson perform willingly (Barnes) or was he only a humiliated captive (Gill, Clarke, Geneva)?
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty over human contempt; suffering as preparation for deliverance.
- Best use: A study of humiliation, endurance, and the hidden work of God in the lives of the broken.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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;
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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 played before them; and they set him between the pillars.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
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.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y aconteció que, yéndose alegrando el corazón de ellos, dijeron: Llamad á Samsón, para que divierta delante de nosotros. Y llamaron á Samsón de la cárcel, y hacía de juguete delante de ellos; y pusiéronlo entre las columnas.
E aconteceu que, indo-se alegrando o coração deles, disseram: Chamai a Sansão, para que divirta diante de nós. E chamaram a Sansão do cárcere, e fazia de joguete diante deles; e puseram-no entre as colunas.
Dans la joie de leur cœur, ils dirent: Qu’ on appelle Samson, et qu’ il nous divertisse! Ils firent sortir Samson de la prison, et il joua devant eux. Ils le placèrent entre les colonnes.
Da nun ihr Herz guter Dinge war, sprachen sie: Laßt Simson holen, daß er vor uns spiele. Da holten sie Simson aus dem Gefängnis, und er spielte vor ihnen, und sie stellten ihn zwischen die Säulen.
En het geschiedde, als hun hart vrolijk was, dat zij zeiden: Roept Simson, dat hij voor ons spele. En zij riepen Simson uit het gevangenhuis; en hij speelde voor hun aangezichten, en zij deden hem staan tussen de pilaren.
E nella gioia del cuor loro, dissero: “Chiamate Sansone, che ci faccia divertire!” Fecero quindi uscir Sansone dalla prigione, ed egli si mise a fare il buffone in loro presenza. Lo posero fra le colonne;
I stało się, gdy byli dobrej myśli, że rzekli: Zawołajcie Samsona, aby błaznował przed nami. A tak zawołano Samsona z domu więźniów, aby błaznował przed nimi; i postawili go między dwoma słupami.
И когда развеселилось сердце их, сказали: позовите Самсона [из дома темничного], пусть он позабавит нас. И призвали Самсона из дома узников, и он забавлял их, [и заушали его] и поставили его между столбами.
他們正 宴樂的時候，就說：「叫 參孫來，在我們 面前戲耍戲耍。」於是將參孫 從 監 裡提出來，他就在眾人面前 戲耍。他們使他 站 在兩柱 中間。
Now when their hearts were full of joy, they said, Send for Samson to make sport for us. And they sent for Samson out of the prison-house, and he made sport before them; and they put him between the pillars.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Judges 16:25
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that the Hebrew phrases vitsachek (he made sport) and vayitzachek (he played) describe Samson as the object of the Philistines’ derision, not an active entertainer. Gill argues unequivocally that Samson “made them sport not actively, but passively”, he was “the object of their sport and scorn.” Adam Clarke notes that the Septuagint adds “and they buffeted him,” confirming the abusive character of the “sport.” Geneva Bible Notes calls him “a laughing stocke.” The consensus is that Samson did not dance or perform willingly; he was brought out to be humiliated. Cambridge Bible states he was “made sport before them” in the court, then set between the pillars for a closer view. Even Barnes, who suggests “dance and make music,” sees it as the Philistines’ command, not Samson’s choice. Thus the agreed meaning: Samson suffered mockery and abuse, setting the stage for God’s final vindication.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Passive object of mockery: Gill and Clarke argue from the Hebrew context and Septuagint that Samson did not actively entertain; he was made a laughingstock against his will.
- Active entertainer: Barnes suggests the word 'play' could include dancing and music, implying some degree of willing performance.
- Typological suffering servant: Some Christian interpreters (Gill, early church) view this as a direct type of Christ's mockery and patient endurance.
What is clear: God's sovereignty is not diminished by Samson's humiliation; the narrative uses this moment of apparent defeat as the pivot for the final deliverance of Israel through Samson's death.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Samson's performance | All commentaries agree the Philistines intended to mock and degrade Samson by making him a spectacle. | Some (Barnes) conclude Samson danced or made music; others (Gill, Clarke) insist he was only a passive object of abuse, not a willing performer. |
| The meaning of 'make sport' | The Hebrew verbs sit in the Piel stem, often used for jesting or sport. | Whether the sport included physical violence (Septuagint's 'buffeted'), verbal insults, or only visual display. |
| Samson's spiritual state at this point | His hair is growing, indicating a return of his Nazirite vow. | Some see his prayer in verse 28 as genuine repentance (Matthew Henry); others (Gill) see it as a plea for personal vengeance. |
| Typological significance | Many Christian commentators see parallels with Christ's mockery and suffering. | The degree of direct typology: some see a direct type (Gill), others an illustrative analogy only. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The verse sits within the Philistine harvest festival honoring Dagon, their chief fish-deity. Keil and Delitzsch describe Dagon as “a fish-deity… a symbol of water and of all the vivifying forces of nature.” The lords gathered to offer “a great sacrifice” (Judges 16:23) and credited Dagon with Samson’s capture. The Hebrew ke-tov libbam (“when their hearts were merry”) echoes a stock phrase for the carefree, often drunken, revelry of feasts (cf. Judges 9:27, 19:6, II Samuel 13:28). At such banquets, especially in victory celebrations, dancing and mockery of captives were common.
Archaeologically, Philistine temples often had a broad porch supported by two central pillars, with a roof area where crowds could watch. The phrase “set him between the pillars” places Samson in that vulnerable, exposed position. The surrounding context (Judges 16:21, 27) reinforces his degradation: he has been blinded, bound in bronze fetters, and forced to grind at the mill, the work of a beast. Now he is led out, probably in chains, to be displayed. The Philistines’ “sport” was cruel taunting, possibly including physical blows (as the Septuagint implies) and verbal abuse (see Job 30:9).
Yet even here, the narrator’s quiet note in verse 22, “the hair of his head began to grow again”, signals that God has not abandoned his humbled judge. The humiliation becomes the prelude to the final act of judgment.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for the Hebrew of Judges 16:25. The Septuagint contains an addition, “and they buffeted him”, which Clarke mentions but which does not appear in the Masoretic Text. This variant does not change the overall sense of humiliation but emphasizes physical abuse.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Judges 16:25 has been read as a somber picture of human cruelty and a foreshadowing of Christ’s passion. Early and medieval interpreters saw Samson as a type of Christ: blinded, bound, mocked by enemies, yet bringing down the house of the oppressor in death. Protestant commentators (Calvin, Matthew Henry, Gill) emphasized divine sovereignty even in Samson’s degradation, God permitted the mockery to set the stage for judgment. In art and hymnody, the image of Samson between the pillars has been used to illustrate perseverance under scorn and the unexpected victory that comes through apparent defeat. More recently, the passage has been examined for its critique of power: the strong who become weak, and the weak through whom God displays strength.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Human mockery meets divine timing. The Philistines celebrate what they think is Dagon’s victory, but God is already at work: Samson’s hair is growing, and the pillars are in place.
- Suffering as a setting for faith. Samson is powerless, blind, and mocked. Yet he will utter the most direct prayer in his story, a cry for strength, not for rescue from pain, but for one final act of justice.
- God uses the deepest humiliation to display his power. The one who destroyed Philistine crops and gates now brings down the house of Dagon. What enemies meant for shame becomes the stage for God’s triumph.
Five-point outline
- The setting: idolatrous celebration and the lie that Dagon has defeated Israel’s God.
- The command: “Call for Samson, that he may entertain us”, the demand for a spectacle.
- The positioning: “They set him between the pillars”, a place of exposure and vulnerability.
- The prayer: Samson’s cry for strength shows his heart has turned back to the Lord.
- The outcome: one blind, shackled man, leaning on the pillars, becomes the instrument of judgment on a thousand.
Illustration hooks
- Workplace humiliation. Imagine a colleague who has fallen from grace being paraded at a staff party to be laughed at. The tension between human cruelty and hidden dignity.
- A champion’s last game. A star athlete, past his prime, brought out for a “charity” exhibition that really mocks his former glory. The crowd cheers not for his skill but for the novelty of his decline.
- The understudy who upstages the show. A play where the villain forces the hero to perform a degrading scene, only for the hero to turn the scene into the climax that saves everyone.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did Samson sin by allowing himself to be a spectacle, or was he acting faithfully in humility?
- How can we trust God when we are being mocked or shamed?
- Does this story justify praying for vengeance? How should Christians understand Samson’s final prayer?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows a man at his lowest point, blinded, imprisoned, and made a laughingstock before a hostile crowd. Yet the story does not end there. Read Judges 16:23, 30 together as a group, focusing on verse 25. Notice the irony: the Philistines think they have won, but the God of Israel has not lost control. Samson’s suffering becomes the catalyst for his greatest victory.
Discussion questions
- Why do the Philistines call for Samson to “make sport”? What does this tell us about their view of God and of human dignity?
- How does the narrator’s comment in verse 22 (“the hair of his head began to grow again”) change the way you read verse 25?
- Samson is placed between the pillars. What does this position suggest about his vulnerability, and about God’s hidden purpose?
- Compare the Philistines’ celebration here with the mockery of Jesus by Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:27, 31). What parallels do you see?
- Why does Samson wait to pray until after he is positioned? What does this teach about crying out to God in moments of helplessness?
- What does it mean for us when we feel exposed, shamed, or made a spectacle? How can this passage shape our response?
- How would you explain the justice of Samson’s final act to someone who sees it as only vengeance?
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)
| Judges 9:27 | They went out into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, celebrated, and went into the house of their god and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech. |
| Judges 18:20 | The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people. |
| Judges 19:6 | So they sat down, ate, and drank, both of them together. Then the young lady’s father said to the man, “Please be pleased to stay all night, and let your heart be merry.” |
| Judges 19:9 | When the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the young lady’s father, said to him, “Behold, now the day draws toward evening, please stay all night. Behold, the day is ending. Stay here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may go home.” |
| II Samuel 13:28 | Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Mark now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant!” |
| I Kings 20:12 | When Ben Hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, he said to his servants, “Prepare to attack!” So they prepared to attack the city. |
| Esther 3:15 | The couriers went out in haste by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed. |
| Job 30:9 | “Now I have become their song. Yes, I am a byword to them. |
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
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the Philistines likely wanted a display of Samson's physical strength, not mere mockery. He points to the Septuagint's account of them buffeting Samson and Josephus's record that they insulted him during their drinking feast, suggesting a mix of entertainment and abuse.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the phrase "make us sport" refers specifically to dancing and making music, not just general amusement. He notes that at an idolatrous feast, such entertainment always included both dance and instrumental music as part of the celebration.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary clarifies the physical setting of the event: Samson first made sport in the court before the temple of Dagon. Afterward, he was placed among the pillars of the open hall or porch, where the crowd could get a closer look at him.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes draw attention to the Philistines' cruel merriment: they summon Samson from prison solely to make sport of him. Setting him between the pillars, they display him as a laughing stock, showing their utter contempt for God's once-mighty judge.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out that Samson did not actively entertain the Philistines; he passively endured their mockery, becoming the object of their sport and scorn. The earlier statement that the people saw him in the temple is spoken by anticipation, as he was still in prison at this point. In this patient suffering of cruel abuse, Samson prefigured Christ.
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 emphasizes that Samson's blindness and grinding in prison become the setting for his spiritual restoration: his suffering drives him to repentance, and as soon as he prays again he is the hero again. For Lange, Samson's final
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.