III. 1-4. Canaanite nations left to try, and train, the Israelites. Judges 3:5. Evil effects of intermarriages. 8. Tyranny of Clmshan-rishathaim. Judges 3:9. The Israelites delivered by Othniel. Rest of forty years. Judges 3:12. Tyranny of the Moabites and allied nations under Eglon for eighteen ye... [ Continue Reading ]
TO PROVE ISRAEL. — The verb here used is the same as in Judges 2:22 and Judges 3:4, but, as R. Tanchum observes, it is used in a slightly different sense, meaning “to train them.” Symmachus renders it _askçsai._ AS MANY OF ISRAEL AS HAD NOT KNOWN ALL THE WARS OF CANAAN. — This expression clearly im... [ Continue Reading ]
ONLY THAT THE GENERATIONS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MIGHT KNOW, TO TEACH THEM WAR. — The LXX. here render, “Only because of the generations of the children of Israel to teach them war.” The Vulgate is here a mere paraphrase, and the translations vary. The meaning seems _to_ be, “Only that _He_ (Jeho... [ Continue Reading ]
FIVE LORDS OF THE PHILISTINES. — The princes of the Pentapolis, Gaza, Ashdod, Askelon, Gath, Ekron. The word rendered “lords” is evidently a technical or local _title — Seranim._ It is rendered by the LXX. _“satrapies,”_ and by the Vulgate, “satraps.” It is variously derived from _seren,_ “a hinge”... [ Continue Reading ]
TO PROVE ISRAEL. — See Judges 2:22.... [ Continue Reading ]
DWELT AMONG THE CANAANITES... — These nations are enumerated also in Exodus 33:2; Exodus 34:1. In Joshua 24:11 the Girgashites are added; in Ezra 9:1 the Ammonites and Moabites. (See Notes on those places.) At this verse begins the second great section of the book (Judges 3:5), which Prof. Cassel su... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY TOOK THEIR DAUGHTERS. — This beginning of intermarriages shows that we are now a generation removed from the days of Joshua. Such marriages had been forbidden in Deuteronomy 7:3. but are not among the sins denounced by the Angel-messenger at Bochim (Judges 2:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD. — Rather, _did the evil,_ as in Judges 2:11. AND THE GROVES. — Rather, _and the Asheroth, i.e.,_ the wooden images of the nature-goddess, Asherah (which are called also Asherim). The LXX. render the word Asherah by _alsos,_ “a grove,” and other versions follow them... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO THE HAND OF CHUSHAN-RISHATHAIM. — If the reading of all the MSS. be correct, this must be a term of hatred rather than a name, for it means “Cushan of the double wickedness.” Some MSS. of the LXX. have Chousarsathaim. Josephus (_Antt. v._ 3, § 3) shortens it into _Chousarthes_; and St. Clemens... [ Continue Reading ]
CRIED UNTO THE LORD. — “In the time of their trouble, when they cried unto Thee, Thou heardest them from heaven; and according to Thy manifold mercies Thou gavest them saviours” (Nehemiah 9:27). “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses” (Psalms 107:1... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON HIM. — Here the Targum has “the spirit of prophecy” (comp. Isaiah 61:1), perhaps with reference to Numbers 11:25. They render the same phrase in Judges 6:34, “spirit of courage from Jehovah.” This expression constantly recurs in this book (Judges 6:34; Judges 11:29;... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND HAD REST FORTY YEARS. — Rabbi Tanchum interprets this to mean, “till forty years after the death of Joshua.” For the very difficult chronology of this period, see the Introduction. Many questions have been raised, such as — Do the forty years _include_ or _exclude_ the period of servitude?... [ Continue Reading ]
DID EVIL AGAIN. — Literally, _“_added to do evil.” We find this Hebraism even in the New Testament. “He added (_prosetheto_) to send” (Luke 20:11). EVIL. — Literally, _the evil,_ with special reference to idolatry, as in Judges 2:11, &c. STRENGTHENED EGLON THE KING OF MOAB. — See this event referre... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF AMMON. — They were closely allied with the Moabites by affinities of race and character. (Genesis 19:37.) We find them united with Moab against Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:1. (See Judges 11:24.) It has been supposed that _Chepharhaammonai_ (Joshua 18:24), or “the village of the Am... [ Continue Reading ]
SERVED EGLON. — One instance of that receiving of “a yoke of iron” which had been threatened as a punishment of apostasy (Deuteronomy 28:47). The narrative, however, shows that the Moabite dominion did not extend beyond the borders of Ephraim (Judges 3:13).... [ Continue Reading ]
EHUD THE SON OF GERA. — In Genesis 46:21 Gera is a son of Benjamin; in 1 Chronicles 8:3 he is a son of Bela, son of Benjamin. The name Gera was hereditary in the tribe of Benjamin (see 2 Samuel 19:18; 1 Chronicles 8:1), and the Jews so constantly omit steps in their genealogies that we can never be... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE HIM A DAGGER WHICH HAD TWO EDGES. — Probably, as in other servitudes, the children of Israel had been disarmed. The “two edges” (comp. Revelation 1:16) show that it was not a mere knife (comp. Psalms 144:6; Hebrews 4:12). Jerome, in the Vulgate, after rightly rendering the word _ancipitem,_ add... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BROUGHT THE PRESENT. — Literally,”caused it to come near.” Josephus, in his version of the story, evidently means to insinuate a parallel between the deed of Ehud and that of Harmodius and Aristogiton. He calls Ehud a young man who lived in familiarity with Eglon, and who had won his favour by fr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE. — The tribute-bearers, headed by Ehud, would carry their offerings in long and pompous array, according to the fashion of the East, which always aims at making a present seem as large as possible (see Genesis 32:16). “Fifty persons often bear what one man could easily carry” (Chardin, ii... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE HIMSELF TURNED AGAIN. — The plan of Ehud was deeply laid. He wished (1) to secure his end, which would be more difficult amid the soldiers and attendants who would guard the king during the presentation of the tribute; (2) to avoid endangering his comrades; (3) to provide, if possible, for hi... [ Continue Reading ]
EHUD CAME UNTO HIM. — The previous message had either been spoken at some distance, in a loud voice, or had been merely a message sent to the king by the attendants. IN A SUMMER PARLOUR. — Literally, _a parlour of cooling_ (comp. Amos 3:15). The room is one of the kind known in the East as _alijah_... [ Continue Reading ]
THRUST IT INTO HIS BELLY. — This would involve _certain,_ though not necessarily instant death. Josephus says, inaccurately, that he stabbed him to the heart (_Antt. v._ 4, § 2). The assassination is _exactly_ similar to that of Henry III. of France, by the Dominican monk, Jacques Clement, who had p... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HAFT ALSO WENT IN AFTER THE BLADE. — The tremendous violence of the blow marks that resoluteness of character which Ehud shows throughout. The Hebrew for “blade” is “flame,” as the LXX. here render it. It is as though the vivid narrator would make us see the flash of the dagger ere it is buried,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN EHUD WENT FORTH THROUGH THE PORCH. — Rather, _into._ The word rendered “porch” — _misderônah_ — is derived from _seder_ (“order”). The Chaldee represents it by a transliteration of the Greek word _exedra,_ “a hall decorated with pillars.” Kimchi supposes it to mean an ante-chamber where people... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THE DOORS OF THE PARLOUR WERE LOCKED. — It never occurred to them to suppose that they could have been fastened from without. “They were not strictly on the watch, both because of the heat and because they had gone to dinner” (Jos.). SURELY HE COVERETH HIS FEET. — They assumed that the king... [ Continue Reading ]
TARRIED TILL THEY WERE ASHAMED. — See 2 Kings 2:17; 2 Kings 8:11. It is a dangerous matter to intrude on the privacy of an Oriental king. A KEY. — Literally, _the opener._ The ancient key was simply a bar of wood, hooked at the end, which passed through a hole in the door and caught the bolt inside... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO SEIRATH. — Perhaps, rather, _into the bush,_ or _woodland,_ as the word has the article, and does not occur again. When he had got beyond the frontier post of Gilgal, into the district of Ephraim, he was safe from pursuit.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BLEW A TRUMPET. — The word for “trumpet” is _shophar._ The LXX. have “he trumpeted with a horn” (_Esalpisen en keratine_). IN THE MOUNTAIN OF EPHRAIM. — The hill country of Ephraim was always the fastness of Israelitish freedom (Judges 4:5; Judges 10:1; 1 Samuel 1:1; 1 Samuel 13:6; 1 Samuel 14:2... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD HATH DELIVERED YOUR ENEMIES THE MOABITES INTO YOUR HAND. — Comp. Judges 7:9; 1 Samuel 17:47; 1 Kings 22:12. TOOK THE FORDS OF JORDAN. — This was a matter of extreme importance. The fords of Jordan were few, and far distant from each other. (Joshua 2:7.) The steep ravine through which it fl... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THAT TIME. — Apparently in the first surprise of the Moabite forces and garrisons. ALL LUSTY. — Literally, _every fat man and every soldier of strength,_ the word being the same as that used in Judges 3:17 to describe the fatness of Eglon. The choice of the word seems to be dictated by a certain... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND. — Meaning, probably, the southern tribes. FOURSCORE YEARS. — The LXX. add, “And Ehud judged them till he died.” Josephus (_Antt. v._ 5, § 1) seems to have read “eight years.” As to the moral aspect of the assassination committed by Ehud, it is only necessary to say that while his courage,... [ Continue Reading ]
SHAMGAR. — Mentioned here alone, and alluded to in Judges 5:6. THE SON OF ANATH. — There was a Beth-anath in Naphtali, but Shamgar could hardly have belonged to Northern Israel. We know nothing of Shamgar’s tribe or family, but, as neither his name nor that of his father is Jewish, it has been conj... [ Continue Reading ]