Bible Strands
Judges 16:27
Now the temple was full of men and women; all the lords of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand men and women were on the roof watching Samson entertain them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator describes the interior and roof of the temple immediately before Samson positions himself against the supporting pillars. Philistine rulers and a crowd are gathered to watch his performance.
The words — The Hebrew מָלֵא (ma.Le') literally means "was full," stating the temple's capacity. סַרְנֵי (sar.Nei) translates to "rulers of," identifying the specific Philistine leaders present.
The thread — Deuteronomy 22:8 commands constructing a railing around a new house roof to avoid bloodguilt. Joshua 2:8 records Rahab going up onto a roof, and 2 Samuel 11:2 notes David walking on a palace roof to observe a woman bathing.
Why it lands — The text quantifies the audience and locates them on the roof to establish the physical scale of the impending collapse. A reader must note the precise number and placement of witnesses before evaluating the narrative's structural tension.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 22:8 If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.
- Joshua 2:8 Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof
- 2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
- Judges 9:51 But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.