‏ Judges 10

Summary for Judg 10:1-5: 10:1-5  ^a Each of the five minor judges (see also 12:8-15  ^b) judged Israel for a specific number of years; in this period of decline after Gideon, the formula “there was peace in the land” (3:11  ^c, 30  ^d; 5:31  ^e; 8:28  ^f) never recurs. The details given for these enigmatic figures include their places of origin and burial, and perhaps a brief genealogy or something notable about their families. Four of the five names appear in other genealogical records: Tola and Puah as clans of Issachar (Gen 46:13  ^g; Num 26:23  ^h), Elon as a descendant of Zebulun (Gen 46:14  ⁱ; Num 26:26  ^j), and Jair at various points (see Num 32:41  ^k; Deut 3:14  ^l; Josh 13:30  ^m; 1 Kgs 4:13  ⁿ). The lack of specific military exploits and the common reference to “judging” suggests that they had some kind of administrative or judicial function. 10:1  ^o Tola was the first of five minor judges; little is known about him. Of the five, only Tola was said to rescue Israel. He came after Abimelech died, when Israel was in need of rescue, though not from a foreign enemy.
Summary for Judg 10:3-4: 10:3-4  ^p Jair was apparently a descendant of an earlier Jair of the tribe of Manasseh (see Num 32:41  ^q; Deut 3:14  ^r; cp. 1 Kgs 4:13  ^s). The Towns of Jair that Jair and his sons controlled had been conquered by the earlier Jair.
Summary for Judg 10:6-16: 10:6-16  ^t The Lord responded to his people’s total apostasy by allowing crushing oppression (10:8  ^u). As usual, Israel cried out to the Lord for help (10:10  ^v) only after experiencing great distress (10:9  ^w). Normally, Israel’s cry led to divine intervention, but God’s decision to leave them to their chosen gods marks a shift in the cycle described in 2:10-19  ^x. Only when the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord did he again act to redeem them (10:17–11:33  ^y). 10:6  ^z Again the Israelites did evil. ... They abandoned the Lord: This period of apostasy was more complete than any described earlier—it included the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth along with other local gods.
Summary for Judg 10:7-8: 10:7-8  ^aa The Philistines: See study notes on 3:3; 13:1.

• The Ammonites lived east of the Jordan (see study note on 3:12-13), and they began by oppressing the Israelite tribes of Transjordan; then they attacked the tribes west of the Jordan as well.
Summary for Judg 10:17-18: 10:17-18  ^ab The narrative returns to the Ammonite oppression, which sets the stage for Jephthah’s story.
10:18  ^ac The leaders of Gilead, in their desperation for leadership, did not consult the Lord (cp. 1:1  ^ad; 20:18  ^ae) but said that whoever stepped up to lead would become ruler over Gilead.

‏ Judges 11

Summary for Judg 11:1-3: 11:1-3  ^af In Jephthah, inspired leadership took a new turn. He had humble origins, attracted followers, was eloquent in debate, and had Spirit-filled military prowess, but all of these were overshadowed by the fatal flaws of his untimely vow (11:30-31  ^ag, 34-35  ^ah) and his petulant civil war with Ephraim (12:1-6  ^ai). Even his victory was short-lived (“six years,” 12:7  ^aj). The period of decline was underway, which increased the demand for kingship.
Summary for Judg 11:1-2: 11:1-2  ^ak great warrior: Jephthah had military prowess and possibly social prominence (see study note on 6:12, where great warrior is translated “mighty hero”). Gilead was a descendant of Manasseh (Num 26:29-33  ^al; 32:39-40  ^am; 1 Chr 7:14-17  ^an). Jephthah’s social standing raised his visibility despite the ignominy of his prostitute mother. His half brothers had no obligation to accept Jephthah’s status or leadership.
11:3  ^ao Jephthah’s worthless rebels are reminiscent of Abimelech’s “reckless troublemakers” (see 9:4  ^ap), but Jephthah had no need to buy their loyalty.
11:4  ^aq Ammonites ... war: See 10:17  ^ar.
Summary for Judg 11:5-6: 11:5-6  ^as These elders were apparently distinct from Jephthah’s brothers, although Jephthah’s initial response (11:7  ^at) appears to equate the two groups. They had promised (10:18  ^au) that whoever took the military initiative and attacked the Ammonites would become the ruler. Here, in typical Middle Eastern bargaining style, they only offered the status of commander, trying to diminish their initial promise.
Summary for Judg 11:7-8: 11:7-8  ^av When Jephthah challenged the offer, the elders returned to the stronger word, ruler.
Summary for Judg 11:9-10: 11:9-10  ^aw Jephthah made sure that the elders really were offering him the position of ruler, not just “commander.”
11:11  ^ax At the end of the negotiations, Jephthah was sworn in as both ruler and commander.

• This Mizpah (“watchtower”) was a shrine east of the Jordan in Gilead, which was Jephthah’s home (10:17  ^ay; 11:29  ^az, 34  ^ba); it should not be confused with Mizpah in Benjamin, the place near Bethel where the tribes later assembled and swore oaths for the final battle of Judges (20:1  ^bb; 21:1  ^bc).

• The ceremony at Mizpah in the presence of the Lord appears to have been the making of a suzerain-vassal covenant, in which a ruler (the suzerain) promises to protect and defend a vassal people in exchange for authority over them (see study note on Exod 20:1–23:33; see also Deuteronomy Book Introduction, “Literary Form”).
Summary for Judg 11:12-28: 11:12-28  ^bd Jephthah initially tried to solve the problem by diplomatic rather than military means (cp. Deut 20:10-11  ^be).

• Unlike the nomadic, marauding Midianites of Gideon’s day, the Ammonites were a settled tribe whose territory lay to the east of Israel’s holdings in Transjordan (east of the Jordan); Rabbah was the Ammonite capital. The Ammonites, like the Moabites (both descendants of Lot) and the Edomites (Esau’s descendants), were to be left alone, as their territories were assigned to them by the Lord (Deut 2:16-23  ^bf).

• Contrary to the Ammonite king’s contention, the Amorites, not Ammon or Moab, lived between the Arnon and Jabbok rivers at the time of the conquest. In response to Sihon’s refusal to let Israel pass, the Lord had given the land of the Amorite kings Sihon and Og to Israel. The Ammonite king had no legitimate quarrel with Israel.
11:17  ^bg Kadesh had been Israel’s base for spying out the land (Num 32:8  ^bh; Deut 1:19  ^bi; 2:14  ^bj). The name comes from the Hebrew root qadesh (“holy”) and presumably is named for a shrine.
11:24  ^bk Chemosh was the god of the related tribe of Moabites. If the land occupied by Israel east of the Jordan originally belonged to Moab (see study note on 11:25), the Ammonite king would still have regarded Chemosh as the god of that land. Whether Jephthah regarded Chemosh as a god or was accommodating himself to the king’s belief system is not clear.
11:25  ^bl Moab and Ammon were related (descendants of Lot). Moab, as opposed to Ammon, may have had a legitimate claim to the land that Israel occupied north of the Arnon, which was taken from them earlier by Sihon, king of the Amorites (Num 21:24  ^bm). The Israelites had conquered Sihon and annexed the disputed territory, but Moab had not attempted to claim it. Neither should Ammon, because the land in question had never belonged to them.
11:26  ^bn Whether the conquest and settlement took place in the 1400s BC or the 1200s BC (see Judges Book Introduction, “Chronology of the Judges Era”), Jephthah’s 300 years is probably a round figure.
11:27  ^bo Jephthah appealed to the Lord, the great judge, to decide between Israel and Ammon. The Lord’s response (11:29-33  ^bp) was his answer.
Summary for Judg 11:29-31: 11:29-31  ^bq The Spirit of the Lord, a consistent sign of inspired authority, came upon Jephthah, and he journeyed through the tribal lands of Gilead and Manasseh, including his hometown of Mizpah in Gilead, gathering troops. During this time leading up to battle, he made his infamous vow.
11:31  ^br Nowhere does the Lord demand such bargaining for his favor. Vows were made under a variety of circumstances and usually involved some gift (offering) dedicated to the Lord in response to his aid (cp. Gen 28:20-22  ^bs). The more common preparation for battle was priestly sacrifice (1 Sam 13:8-12  ^bt). Jephthah’s vow created the possibility that some person in his household would become a human sacrifice, an act strictly forbidden in Israelite law (Deut 18:10  ^bu).
11:32  ^bv No connection is drawn between the victory, which was the Lord’s gift, and Jephthah’s vow.
11:35  ^bw Having made an impulsive vow, Jephthah now compounded his folly by blaming the result on his daughter and by failing to respond in light of Scripture. Vows taken were usually inviolable (Num 30:2  ^bx), though the Old Testament recognizes a few circumstances under which an unwise vow could be set aside (Num 30:6-8  ^by). Since human sacrifice was forbidden in the law, a substitute could have been made (see Lev 27:1-8  ^bz). Jephthah was apparently unaware of these principles in God’s law, perhaps because of his upbringing in an area far from Israel’s major centers.
11:39  ^ca Jephthah kept the vow by sacrificing his daughter—there is no evidence that he merely kept her permanently celibate (cp. 11:37  ^cb). Jephthah’s folly demonstrates just how far Israel’s society had descended into lawlessness and apostasy.

‏ Judges 12

Summary for Judg 12:1-6: 12:1-6  ^cc Ephraim once again felt neglected (cp. 8:1-3  ^cd) and sought revenge. In contrast to Gideon’s policy, Jephthah’s response blamed Ephraim and resulted in civil war. 12:1  ^ce Zaphon was just east of the Jordan River, across from the tribal area of Ephraim.
12:2  ^cf There is no record of Jephthah’s earlier appeal.
12:4  ^cg It is unclear why the people of Ephraim were taunting the men of Gilead. Perhaps they resented or looked down on the Israelites who lived east of the Jordan River.
12:5  ^ch The Jordan River could only be forded at shallow crossings where tributaries had deposited silt, as was probably the case where the Jabbok flowed into the Jordan.
12:6  ^ci The term Shibboleth has come to mean any password used to identify imposters. Such linguistic litmus tests have been used by armies throughout history.

• 42,000 Ephraimites: This number could possibly be translated as “42 troops” (see study note on Exod 12:37).
12:7  ^cj six years: Like all the judges after Gideon, Jephthah’s years as judge were specific and short (see study note on 8:28). Jephthah was buried honorably, so despite his limitations he was an inspired and successful warrior (11:29  ^ck; contrast Abimelech, study note on 9:54-55).
Summary for Judg 12:8-15: 12:8-15  ^cl The account continues with these minor judges (see study note on 10:1-5). 12:8  ^cm If this was the northern Bethlehem located in Zebulun, it can be understood as part of the structure of Judges, in which each of the tribes supplies one of the twelve judges (see Judges Book Introduction, “Summary”).
12:15  ^cn The Amalekites had earlier occupied parts of Ephraim (5:14  ^co).

‏ Judges 13

Summary for Judg 14:1-16:31: 13:1–16:31  ^cp Samson, who receives more attention in the book of Judges than any other judge, is even more of an enigma than Jephthah. Samson reflects a high level of inspiration as a leader. He also personifies the inexorable march toward chaos that highlights the need for a more centralized society under a godly ruler. 13:1  ^cq Though mentioned earlier, the Philistines (3:3  ^cr; 10:7  ^cs) were a relatively new presence in the territory of Canaan, which would later be named for them (Palestine). This warlike race of sea people were of Greek rather than Canaanite ancestry and settled into the southwestern coastal areas about 1200 BC. From then on, Philistia was Israel’s natural enemy and increasingly threatened its national existence. Israel’s institutions, such as kingship, developed partly in response to the Philistine challenge.
13:2  ^ct Prior to their migration to the extreme north (ch 18  ^cu), the tribe of Dan attempted to settle in Israel’s southwest (Josh 19:40-48  ^cv). This put them in direct conflict with the incoming Philistines.

• Zorah was west of Judah, in the area newly occupied by the Philistines. Both Dan and neighboring Judah submitted to Philistine dominance (Judg 14:4  ^cw; 15:11  ^cx).
Summary for Judg 13:3-5: 13:3-5  ^cy Manoah’s wife was promised a son who was to be set aside from his birth as a Nazirite (see Num 6:1-21  ^cz; cp. 1 Sam 1:11  ^da). The requirement that Samson’s hair must never be cut would be central to his story.
13:4  ^db any forbidden food: See Lev 11  ^dc.
Summary for Judg 13:6-7: 13:6-7  ^dd Several times in Scripture, an angel appeared to women who were unable to become pregnant (13:2  ^de) to announce divine intervention through the birth of a child (see Luke 1:5-25  ^df; cp. Gen 18  ^dg; 1 Sam 1  ^dh).
Summary for Judg 13:12-13: 13:12-13  ^di In light of 13:4-5  ^dj, Manoah’s question may seem redundant, but from 13:8  ^dk it is apparent that Manoah felt a keen personal responsibility for raising such a child. The angel responded graciously, but again stressed the wife’s responsibility, which explains why it was she, not Manoah, who was first approached.
Summary for Judg 13:15-16: 13:15-16  ^dl Manoah would only send a visitor on his way after providing a meal, in accord with eastern hospitality. The angel insisted that any food be given as a sacrifice to the Lord. That and his reluctance to eat (cp. Gideon’s visitor, 6:17-22  ^dm) suggest that this was a theophany (an appearance of God). To that point, Manoah had failed to recognize his visitor’s divinity.
Summary for Judg 13:17-18: 13:17-18  ^dn The Lord’s name is a divine secret (Gen 32:29  ^do; Exod 3:13-14  ^dp). God knows our names, but in addressing him we are limited to terms of wonder and adoration, for the true essence of the infinite cannot be expressed or understood by the finite.
Summary for Judg 13:19-22: 13:19-22  ^dq It is not possible for human beings to take in the full revelation of God’s holy presence and still live (cp. 6:20-24  ^dr; Exod 19:21  ^ds; 33:20  ^dt). The Old Testament frequently reports divine visitations on earth in human form; these visitations foreshadow the full appearance of God on earth in the incarnation of Jesus.
13:25  ^du Inspired leaders are filled with the divine Spirit. In spite of Samson’s evident failures, the Spirit’s presence was powerfully at work in him.

• Mahaneh-dan (literally camp of Dan) is mentioned again in 18:12  ^dv; the phrase could describe a temporary settlement rather than a fixed location.

• Zorah (13:2  ^dw) and Eshtaol were in the valley of Sorek, about fifteen miles west of Jerusalem at the pass that leads down to Philistine territory.

‏ Judges 14

Summary for Judg 14:1-15:17: 14:1–15:20  ^dx Samson’s choice to marry a Philistine woman was the Lord’s means (14:4  ^dy) of beginning to confront the Philistine challenge (see 13:5  ^dz). One thing led to another, punctuated by three occasions when the Spirit came powerfully upon him (14:6  ^ea, 19  ^eb; 15:14  ^ec). Throughout these events, Samson was a powerful but flawed hero. 14:1  ^ed Timnah was probably about four miles down the valley of Sorek from Mahaneh-dan, at the intersection of the Israelite and Philistine territories.
14:2  ^ee Samson’s choice of a bride was informed only by his pleasure in her appearance. Intermarriage was a significant mark of covenant infidelity (Josh 23:12-13  ^ef), but God is able to work through human sinfulness.
14:3  ^eg The epithet pagan (literally uncircumcised) was regularly applied to Philistines, who, unlike many nations in the Middle East, did not practice any form of circumcision.
Summary for Judg 14:5-6: 14:5-6  ^eh Samson was first explicitly empowered by the Spirit (cp. 13:25  ^ei) when he was attacked by a lion.
14:11  ^ej The reason for thirty ... companions is not clear (cp. 2 Sam 23:13  ^ek). Companions, a word that normally means “friends,” may lend a touch of irony here (Judg 14:12-20  ^el).
14:12  ^em Riddles were common tests of skill or a form of entertainment that usually employed double meanings. Despite some evidence for bees building hives in the bodies of dead animals, there was no apparent way to crack the mystery apart from knowing what Samson knew.
Summary for Judg 14:14-19: 14:14-19  ^en Israel’s hero, like Sisera, was defeated by a woman (4:21  ^eo; see study note on 8:20-21).
14:18  ^ep It was common to answer a riddle with another riddle. In this case, the Philistines used a similar poetic couplet, not to reveal all they knew, but simply to win the contest.
14:19  ^eq Samson kept his side of the deal (cp. 1 Sam 18:20-27  ^er). He apparently returned home without consummating his marriage, which traditionally would have happened at the end of the seven days of feasting.
14:20  ^es According to some ancient customs, giving the bride to the best man, even if the marriage was not consummated, was forbidden. The father’s action appears to have been treacherous (cp. 15:2-3  ^et, 6  ^eu).

‏ Judges 15

15:1  ^ev Wheat harvest came at the end of May; how long this was after the wedding feast is not known. There was some precedent for a bride’s remaining in her parents’ home for a few months before moving to the groom’s home, while allowing conjugal visits.
15:2  ^ew The father may have thought that his daughter had been abandoned (see study note on 14:20). The father’s offer of the younger sister might have been an attempt to remedy his own treachery.
Summary for Judg 15:3-5: 15:3-5  ^ex In revenge, Samson devastated the harvest of grain, wine (vineyards), and cooking oil (olive groves).
Summary for Judg 15:6-10: 15:6-10  ^ey The chain of revenge was complicated (cp. 9:7-21  ^ez). First, Samson took revenge on the community of Philistines, not on his in-laws. Next, the Philistines accepted that Samson was a victim of injustice (see study note on 14:20) and took revenge on Samson’s in-laws, which then led Samson to avenge his in-laws by attacking the Philistines. It all triggered a potential war with Israel. God was beginning to rescue Israel through Samson (13:5  ^fa; cp. 1 Sam 7:3  ^fb).
15:11  ^fc Completely missing what might have been a divine opportunity to throw off Philistine oppression, the tribe of Judah showed itself ready to continue living under foreign occupation. We can only wonder what might have happened if the Judeans had been fully committed to the Lord’s covenant, which provided for them to take the land and drive out the inhabitants (see study note on 1:1).
15:12  ^fd promise that you won’t kill me: Samson’s superhuman abilities might have been limited to use against the enemies of Israel; he broke these ropes only after the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (15:14  ^fe).
15:13  ^ff New ropes were stronger, more pliable, and less brittle than older ones.
Summary for Judg 15:14-15: 15:14-15  ^fg Both Samson and the Judeans seem to have been satisfied with this relatively small victory and did not follow up by overthrowing Philistine oppression. This failure reflects Israel’s declining confidence in God’s promises.
15:16  ^fh Like other warrior-heroes (e.g., Moses, Deborah, and David), Samson celebrated his victory in poetry, a short couplet that combines colorful speech with wordplay. “Lehi” (15:9  ^fi) and jawbone are the same Hebrew word (lekhi), as are heaps and donkey (Hebrew khamor).

• piled them in heaps! Or made donkeys of them.
15:18  ^fj Samson cried out to the Lord, as he feared dying of thirst and falling prey to the defeated pagans (literally uncircumcised ones; see study note on 14:3). Samson twice prayed deep and passionate prayers, once when he feared being attacked, and once when he was attacking others (16:28-30  ^fk).
15:20  ^fl Though this summary formula is repeated in 16:31  ^fm, its occurrence here indicates that Samson’s period as judge was effectively over (cp. 10:2  ^fn, 3  ^fo; 12:7  ^fp). He had done little more than show Israel the potential of rescue; the Philistines still dominated the land.

‏ Judges 16

Summary for Judg 16:1-31: 16:1-31  ^fq There is nothing of judgeship in this last chapter of Samson’s checkered history. Samson effectively abandoned his calling and was eventually stripped of his gifting as well. Only in his final encounter, when he again turned to the Lord in prayer, did any of his heroic stature revive.
Summary for Judg 16:2-3: 16:2-3  ^fr City gates of the period were locked during the night to prevent passage in or out, and the men of the city, having seen the gates locked, probably slept (kept quiet) in one of the gate houses, thinking that they could resume their vigil in the morning.
16:3  ^fs Samson had to pick up the entire six- to twelve-foot-wide gate system and take it to the hills across from Hebron, a town about forty miles distant. Samson humiliated the Philistines but did nothing to defeat them.
Summary for Judg 16:4-22: 16:4-22  ^ft Samson’s dissipation and defeat by Delilah the temptress has the universal appeal of great tragedy.
16:5  ^fu The Philistine rulers knew that direct confrontation with Samson would not succeed, so they resorted to subterfuge. The generous offer by the rulers (literally lords) of the five Philistine cities (3:3  ^fv) shows how seriously the Philistines took this matter.
16:6  ^fw The desire for silver rather than self-preservation (cp. 14:15  ^fx) seems to have motivated Delilah; she apparently did not reciprocate Samson’s love.
16:7  ^fy Bowstrings were commonly made of dried animal tendons or gut. Seven was a symbolic number, perhaps connected with the Philistines’ sense of magical power. Samson seems more at home in a Philistine cultural setting than in keeping his Israelite vows that bound him as a Nazirite.
16:11  ^fz Brand-new ropes had already been tried (15:13-14  ^ga).
Summary for Judg 16:13-14: 16:13-14  ^gb Possibly Samson’s hair was woven into the fabric as weft on the loom’s warp, which was then tightened as in normal weaving.
16:16  ^gc Samson should have recognized his danger (cp. 14:17  ^gd), but spiritual blindness had led to mental exhaustion.
Summary for Judg 16:17-19: 16:17-19  ^ge Samson’s hair was the sign of his vow to the Lord; when his hair was shorn, his vow would be broken. The seven braided locks were only a sign; the Lord’s presence was the reality behind his strength.
16:18  ^gf After being fooled three times, the rulers had given up and left. Now, however, they returned with the money in their hands—they knew that this was the moment they had dreamed of.
16:20  ^gg Like the remorseful but presumptuous earlier Israelites (Num 14:40-45  ^gh), Samson didn’t realize that his hair was gone and that the divine presence had departed (cp. Hos 7:9  ^gi).
16:22  ^gj There was no certainty that the Lord would revive Samson’s strength when his hair began to grow back; there was only the hope that the Lord’s earlier promise—that he would begin to rescue Israel through this strange and now broken hero—still stood.
Summary for Judg 16:23-24: 16:23-24  ^gk In their boundless rejoicing, the Philistines gave all the credit to their god, Dagon. In the pagan mind, the relative strength of nations reflected the power of their gods.
Summary for Judg 16:28-30: 16:28-30  ^gl Though only for personal revenge, Samson furthered God’s purpose of rescuing his people.