Judges 12:8-15

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon Judged Israel Judges 12:8-15

8 And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel,
9 And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.
10 Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.
11 And after him Elon, a Zebulunite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.
12 And Elon the Zebulunite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
13 And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.
14 And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years.
15 And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

6.

Who was Ibzan? Judges 12:8

Ibzan was the ninth judge of Israel. He is identified as having been from Bethlehem, and Josephus says in his Antiquities of the Jews that he was of the tribe of Judah and from the city of Bethlehem (V, vii, 13). It is not certain that this judge was from the tribe of Judah since no definite note is made to this effect. As a matter of fact, it seems he was probably from the tribe of Zebulun in the North. Elon, who is mentioned as the next judge, was a man of the North. A town by the name of Bethlehem is found in Zebulun in the North. The Bethlehem in Judea is identified in some of the later Chapter s of Judges. In these later references the southern town of Bethlehem is called Bethlehem-judah (Judges 19:1-2).

7.

What state of affairs was indicated? Judges 12:9

Prosperity was apparent. Ibzan did nothing worthy of particular notice as far as any act of deliverance for Israel is concerned. He was blessed with thirty sons and thirty daughters, and he lived to arrange marriages for his children. Specific mention is made of his sending abroad to find wives for his sons. Josephus said he also arranged for the marriages of his daughters (Ibid.).

8.

Who was Elon? Judges 12:11

Elon is positively identified as being a member of the tribe of Zebulun. Like Ibzan, he did nothing worthy of mention, and no memorial was perpetuated in his name. His judgeship was ten years in length, and he was buried in Aijalon.

9.

Where was Aijalon? Judges 12:12

Aijalon is located by the Scriptures within the borders of the land given to the tribe of Zebulun. Another place by the name of Aijalon was in the territory allotted to the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:42). Later this location was designated a Levitical city (Joshua 21:24) and was occupied by the descendants of Kohath (1 Chronicles 6:69). Here Joshua prayed for the moon to stand over the valley (Joshua 10:12). The town in the territory assigned to the tribe of Zebulun is unknown. The only mention of it is made here in reference to the judgeship of Elon.

10.

Who was Abdon? Judges 12:13

Abdon is described as being the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite. Pirathon is located within the land assigned to the tribe of Ephraim. Josephus says he was ordained the supreme governor after Helon (Antiquities of the Jews, VII, v, 15). Public affairs were peaceable in his days as well as in the days of his predecessors. As a result of the security which he found, no glorious action of deliverance is attributed to him. All his people seemed to be skillful in riding horses, and his forty sons and thirty nephews are mentioned as having each possessed an ass colt on which he might ride. His judgeship was eight years in length.

11.

Where was Pirathon? Judges 12:15

Many claims for identification with Pirathon are made for different places in Palestine. One of David's chief captains, Benaiah, was from this place (2 Samuel 23:30, 1 Chronicles 11:31; 1 Chronicles 27:14). W. Ewing in his article on Pirathon in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia concludes that the place should be identified with Fer-'ata, a place about six miles south and west of Shechem. Others conclude that it may have been a site in Benjamin since Abdon was from Benjamin and his family is known as a Benjamite (1 Chronicles 8:23; 1 Chronicles 8:30; 1 Chronicles 9:36). A place known as Pharathon was fortified by Baccahides (1Ma. 9:50).

12.

Where was the mount of the Amalekites? Judges 12:15

The Amalekites were nomadic peoples. They were the first to attack Israel when Israel was making her way out of Egypt (Exodus 17). At that time God foretold their ultimate destruction. They were the people whom Saul, Israel's first king, was told to destroy (1 Samuel 15). At the time of the judges they were living among the Israelites and had evidently settled in a place long enough for the locale to be called the mount of the Amalekites.