Commentary on Judges Part 5 (No. F007v)

Chapter 18

The Migration of Dan

¹In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in; for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. ²So the Danites sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Esh′ta-ol, to spy out the land and to explore it; and they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came to the hill country of E′phraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. ³When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; and they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” ⁴And he said to them, “Thus and thus has Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest.” ⁵And they said to him, “Inquire of God, we pray thee, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” ⁶And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.” ⁷Then the five men departed, and came to La′ish, and saw the people who were there, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Sido′nians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking^[^a^] nothing that is in the earth, and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sido′nians and had no dealings with any one. ⁸And when they came to their brethren at Zorah and Esh′ta-ol, their brethren said to them, “What do you report?” ⁹They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very fertile. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, and enter in and possess the land. ¹⁰When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is broad; yea, God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.” ¹¹And six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set forth from Zorah and Esh′ta-ol, ¹²and went up and encamped at Kir′iath-je′arim in Judah. On this account that place is called Ma′haneh-dan to this day; behold, it is west of Kir′iath-je′arim. ¹³And they passed on from there to the hill country of E′phraim, and came to the house of Micah. ¹⁴Then the five men who had gone to spy out the country of La′ish said to their brethren, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, teraphim, a graven image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” ¹⁵And they turned aside thither, and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him of his welfare. ¹⁶Now the six hundred men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate; ¹⁷and the five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, and entered and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war. ¹⁸And when these went into Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” ¹⁹And they said to him, “Keep quiet, put your hand upon your mouth, and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and family in Israel?” ²⁰And the priest’s heart was glad; he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. ²¹So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the cattle and the goods in front of them. ²²When they were a good way from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house were called out, and they overtook the Danites. ²³And they shouted to the Danites, who turned round and said to Micah, “What ails you that you come with such a company?” ²⁴And he said, “You take my gods which I made, and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What ails you?’” ²⁵And the Danites said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.” ²⁶Then the Danites went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home. ²⁷And taking what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, the Danites came to La′ish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and burned the city with fire. ²⁸And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any one. It was in the valley which belongs to Beth-rehob. And they rebuilt the city, and dwelt in it. ²⁹And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was La′ish at the first. ³⁰And the Danites set up the graven image for themselves; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. ³¹So they set up Micah’s graven image which he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

Intent of Chapter 18

Migration of Dan

In the early days of the Judges Dan was located in the Southwest (Jos. 19:40-46; Jdg. 1:34; 13:2). However the Philistines forced them to move to the far north.

18:1-10 Spies located a suitable place to settle.

v. 5 The enquiry was probably by casting Lots at the sacred oracle, through the priests. The prophets also performed this function on the New Moons and at the Temple with the priesthood.

v. 7 Laish in the north was near the sources of the Jordan. It is allied with the Sidonian element of the Phoenicians; however, they were fairly distant.

18:11-26 Dan migrates. On the way they steal Micah's priest and images.

18:27-31 Dan captures Laish and settles there.

v. 30 The Shrine of Dan was later one of the two great shrines of the northern kingdom on the division (1Kgs. 12:29).

Dan also developed its maritime expansion after this time. So also Troy fell to the Greeks while Eli was judge in Israel. This saw a Hittite and Semitic expansion to the NW in what became Britian and Ireland with the Hg. R1b Trojans and the Hg. I (Isles) Tuatha de Danaan, (see No. 212F Israel and No. 212E Judah).

Chapter 19

The Levite’s Concubine

¹In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of E′phraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. ²And his concubine became angry withhim, and she went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. ³Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. He had with him his servant and a couple of asses. And he cameto her father’s house; and when the girl’s father saw him, he came with joy to meet him. ⁴And his father-in-law, the girl’s father, made him stay, and he remained with him three days; so they ate and drank, and lodged there. ⁵And on the fourth day they arose early in the morning, and he prepared to go; but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and after that you may go.” ⁶So the two men sat and ate and drank together; and the girl’s father said to the man, “Be pleased to spend the night, and let your heart be merry.” ⁷And when the man rose up to go, his father-in-law urged him, till he lodged there again. ⁸And on the fifth day he arose early in the morning to depart; and the girl’s father said, “Strengthen your heart, and tarry until the day declines.” So they ate, both of them. ⁹And when the man and his concubine and his servant rose up to depart, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Behold, now the day has waned toward evening; pray tarry all night. Behold, the day draws to its close; lodge here and let your heart be merry; and tomorrow you shall arise early in the morning for your journey, and go home.” ¹⁰But the man would not spend the night; he rose up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a couple of saddled asses, and his concubine was with him. ¹¹When they were near Jebus, the day was far spent, and the servant said to his master, “Come now, let us turn aside to this city of the Jeb′usites, and spend the night in it.” ¹²And his master said to him, “We will not turn aside into the city of foreigners, who do not belong to the people of Israel; but we will pass on to Gib′e-ah.” ¹³And he said to his servant, “Come and let us draw near to one of these places, and spend the night at Gib′e-ah or at Ramah.” ¹⁴So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near Gib′e-ah, which belongs to Benjamin, ¹⁵and they turned aside there, to go in and spend the night at Gib′e-ah. And he went in and sat down in the open square of the city; for no man took them into his house to spend the night. ¹⁶And behold, an old man was coming from his work in the field at evening; the man was from the hill country of E′phraim, and he was sojourning in Gib′e-ah; the men of the place were Benjaminites. ¹⁷And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfarer in the open square of the city; and the old man said, “Where are you going? and whence do you come?” ¹⁸And he said to him, “We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote parts of the hill country of E′phraim, from which I come. I went to Bethlehem in Judah; and I am going to my home, and nobody takes me into his house. ¹⁹We have straw and provender for our asses, with bread and wine for me and your maidservant and the young man with your servants; there is no lack of anything.” ²⁰And the old man said, “Peace be to you; I will care for all your wants; only, do not spend the night in the square.” ²¹So he brought him into his house, and gave the asses provender; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank. ²²As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, base fellows, beset the house round about, beating on the door; and they said to the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.” ²³And the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren, do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man has come into my house, do not do this vile thing. ²⁴Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine; let me bring them out now. Ravish them and do with them what seems good to you; but against this man do not do so vile a thing.” ²⁵But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine, and put her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. ²⁶And as morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, till it was light. ²⁷And her master rose up in the morning, and when he opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his way, behold, there was his concubine lying at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold. ²⁸He said to her, “Get up, let us be going.” But there was no answer. Then he put her upon the ass; and the man rose up and went away to his home. ²⁹And when he entered his house, he took a knife, and laying hold of his concubine he divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. ³⁰And all who saw it said, “Such a thing has never happened or been seen from the day that the people of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day; consider it, take counsel, and speak.”

Intent of Chapter 19

The Crime of the Benjaminites

19:1-9 A Levite in Ephraim goes to Bethlehem to bring back his concubine. Ephraim is in the centre of the country and Bethlehem is a few miles south of Jerusalem.

19:10-21 On the return journey they reach Gibeah and are given shelter by an aged fellow countryman living there.

v. 12 Jerusalem was still occupied by the Jebusites of Canaan (2Sam. 5:6). Gibeah was a short distance north of Jerusalem. It was later the home of Saul (1Sam. 10:26).

19:22-26 The Benjaminites demanded the woman and raped her to death. They are thought to have developed this behaviour from the Canaanites (Gen. 19:4-9) (so also OARSV n.). This behaviour was abhorrent to the Hebrews.

19:27-30 The Levite summoned the other tribes to avenge the crime (in a severe manner).

v. 29 We see in 1Sam. 11:7 Saul was to call up the tribes in a strikingly similar manner but with oxen and a threat.

Chapter 20

The Other Tribes Attack Benjamin

¹Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beer-sheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the Lord at Mizpah. ²And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot that drew the sword. ³(Now the Benjaminites heard that the people of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) And the people of Israel said, “Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?” ⁴And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gib′e-ah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. ⁵And the men of Gib′e-ah rose against me, and beset the house round about me by night; they meant to kill me, and they ravished my concubine, and she is dead. ⁶And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed abomination and wantonness in Israel. ⁷Behold, you people of Israel, all of you, give your advice and counsel here.” ⁸And all the people arose as one man, saying, “We will not any of us go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. ⁹But now this is what we will do to Gib′e-ah: we will go up against it by lot, ¹⁰and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may requite Gib′e-ah of Benjamin, for all the wanton crime which they have committed in Israel.” ¹¹So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man. ¹²And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What wickedness is this that has taken place among you? ¹³Now therefore give up the men, the base fellows in Gib′e-ah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel.” But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brethren, the people of Israel. ¹⁴And the Benjaminites came together out of the cities to Gib′e-ah, to go out to battle against the people of Israel. ¹⁵And the Benjaminites mustered out of their cities on that day twenty-six thousand men that drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gib′e-ah, who mustered seven hundred picked men. ¹⁶Among all these were seven hundred picked men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair, and not miss. ¹⁷And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war. ¹⁸The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the Benjaminites?” And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up first.” ¹⁹Then the people of Israel rose in the morning, and encamped against Gib′e-ah. ²⁰And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gib′e-ah. ²¹The Benjaminites came out of Gib′e-ah, and felled to the ground on that day twenty-two thousand men of the Israelites. ²²But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. ²³And the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening; and they inquired of the Lord, “Shall we again draw near to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites?” And the Lord said, “Go up against them.” ²⁴So the people of Israel came near against the Benjamnites the second day. ²⁵And Benjamin went against them out of Gib′e-ah the second day, and felled to the ground eighteen thousand men of the people of Israel; all these were men who drew the sword. ²⁶Then all the people of Israel, the whole army, went up and came to Bethel and wept; they sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ²⁷And the people of Israel inquired of the Lord (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, ²⁸and Phin′ehas the son of Elea′zar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, “Shall we yet again go out to battle against our brethren the Benjaminites, or shall we cease?” And the Lord said, “Go up; for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.” ²⁹So Israel set men in ambush round about Gib′e-ah. ³⁰And the people of Israel went up against the Benjaminites on the third day, and set themselves in array against Gib′e-ah, as at other times. ³¹And the Benjaminites went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and as at other times they began to smite and kill some of the people, in the highways, one of which goes up to Bethel and the other to Gib′e-ah, and in the open country, about thirty men of Israel. ³²And the Benjaminites said, “They are routed before us, as at the first.” But the men of Israel said, “Let us flee, and draw them away from the city to the highways.” ³³And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and set themselves in array at Ba′al-ta′mar; and the men of Israel who were in ambush rushed out of their place west^[^a^] of Geba. ³⁴And there came against Gib′e-ah ten thousand picked men out of all Israel, and the battle was hard; but the Benjaminites did not know that disaster was close upon them. ³⁵And the Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel; and the men of Israel destroyed twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin that day; all these were men who drew the sword. ³⁶So the Benjaminites saw that they were defeated. The men of Israel gave ground to Benjamin, because they trusted to the men in ambush whom they had set against Gib′e-ah. ³⁷And the men in ambush made haste and rushed upon Gib′e-ah; the men in ambush moved out and smote all the city with the edge of the sword. ³⁸Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city ³⁹the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to smite and kill about thirty men of Israel; they said, “Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.” ⁴⁰But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them; and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. ⁴¹Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. ⁴²Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them, and those who came out of the cities destroyed them in the midst of them. ⁴³Cutting down^[^b^] the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah^[^c^] as far as opposite Gib′e-ah on the east. ⁴⁴Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. ⁴⁵And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon; five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways, and they were pursued hard to Gidom, and two thousand men of them were slain. ⁴⁶So all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty-five thousand men that drew the sword, all of them men of valor. ⁴⁷But six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and abode at the rock of Rimmon four months. ⁴⁸And the men of Israel turned back against the Benjaminites, and smote them with the edge of the sword, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns which they found they set on fire.

Intent of Chapter 20

20:1-48 The Punishment of Benjamin.

20:1-11 The Tribes Assemble in Counsel

v. 1 Mizpah – A city on the northern boundary of Benjamin

20:12-36 After two initial defeats the tribes defeat the Benjaminites with a ruse.

v. 17 Some scholars think this number of 400,000 is exaggerated (see OARSV n.). However, the rabbinical scholars do not doubt the numbers of the account (cf. Soncino notes).

v. 18 Bethel This was the sanctuary and at which the Ark of the Covenant was placed. This is the only time it is mentioned in the book (see also Gen. 12:8; 28:11-19). It was one of the two principle sanctuaries of the Northern Kingdom (1Kgs 12:29). It is located a few miles NE of Mizpah (v. 1). Inspired of God (see also 18:5).

v. 23 Wept before the Lord – Deut. 1:45; 2Kgs. 22:19; Jl. 2:15-17.

20:36-48 A further and varying account of the ambush and victory.

Chapter 21

The Benjaminites Saved from Extinction

¹Now the men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, “No one of us shall give his daughter in marriage to Benjamin.” ²And the people came to Bethel, and sat there till evening before God, and they lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. ³And they said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?” ⁴And on the morrow the people rose early, and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. ⁵And the people of Israel said, “Which of all the tribes of Israel did not come up in the assembly to the Lord?” For they had taken a great oath concerning him who did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah, saying, “He shall be put to death.” ⁶And the people of Israel had compassion for Benjamin their brother, and said, “One tribe is cut off from Israel this day. ⁷What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by the Lord that we will not give them any of our daughters for wives?” ⁸And they said, “What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to the Lord to Mizpah?” And behold, no one had come to the camp from Ja′besh-gil′ead, to the assembly. ⁹For when the people were mustered, behold, not one of the inhabitants of Ja′besh-gil′ead was there. ¹⁰So the congregation sent thither twelve thousand of their bravest men, and commanded them, “Go and smite the inhabitants of Ja′besh-gil′ead with the edge of the sword; also the women and the little ones. ¹¹This is what you shall do; every male and every woman that has lain with a male you shall utterly destroy.” ¹²And they found among the inhabitants of Ja′besh-gil′ead four hundred young virgins who had not known man by lying with him; and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. ¹³Then the whole congregation sent word to the Benjaminites who were at the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed peace to them. ¹⁴And Benjamin returned at that time; and they gave them the women whom they had saved alive of the women of Ja′besh-gil′ead; but they did not suffice for them. ¹⁵And the people had compassion on Benjamin because the Lord had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. ¹⁶Then the elders of the congregation said, “What shall we do for wives for those who are left, since the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?” ¹⁷And they said, “There must be an inheritance for the survivors of Benjamin, that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel. ¹⁸Yet we cannot give them wives of our daughters.” For the people of Israel had sworn, “Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin.” ¹⁹So they said, “Behold, there is the yearly feast of the Lord at Shiloh, which is north of Bethel, on the east of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebo′nah.” ²⁰And they commanded the Benjaminites, saying, “Go and lie in wait in the vineyards, ²¹and watch; if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and seize each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. ²²And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us; because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.’” ²³And the Benjaminites did so, and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off; then they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the towns, and dwelt in them. ²⁴And the people of Israel departed from there at that time, every man to his tribe and family, and they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

²⁵In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

Intent of Chapter 21

21:1-25 Stratagems for securing wives for Benjamin

The tribes realized that Banjamin was on the verge of extinction and so they devised two different means of securing wives for Benjamin.

21:1-15 The first was a means of punishing the people of Jabesh-gilead, east of the Jordan, who had refused to heed the summons to assemble against Benjamin. They exterminated all the inhabitants except 400 virgins who they let live and gave them to Benjamin. There were still hundreds of men without wives.

21:16-25 They thus gave Benjamin permission to seize wives for themselves from the dancers at the annual vintage festival at Shiloh. For details of the festival see (1Sam. 1:3,21).

***

Bullinger’s Notes on Chs. 18-21 (for KJV)

Chapter 18

Verse 1

those days. Numbers 17:0 and Numbers 21:0 , thought by some to record earlier events in the days of Othniel by Figure of speech Hysteresis ( App-6 ). See note on Judges 17:1 , and Structure.

no king. No true "house of God" religiously (Judges 17:5 ), leads to "no king" nationally (Judges 18:1 ); and nationally to apostasy. See note on Judges 18:6 , above.

Danites. See note on Genesis 49:17 .

Verse 2

children = sons.

coasts = borders.

men of valour = sons of valour.

mount = hill country of.

Verse 3

the young man. Compare Judges 17:7 .

makest = doest.

Verse 5

Ask counsel. By the use of the ephod. See Judges 17:6 .

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 . Not Jehovah. App-4 .

Verse 7

Laish. Called Leshem. Joshua 19:47 .

quiet and secure. Probably arising from the enervating effects of malaria now endemic there. If so, it may be identified with Tel-el-kadi in the fever ridden district at the head of the Jordan.

man = Hebrew. 'adam. App-14 .

Verse 8

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

Verse 9

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .

Verse 11

appointed = girded.

Verse 12

Mahaneh-dan = camp of Dan (Judges 13:25 ).

Verse 14

Do ye know . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis.

Verse 18

the ephod. Septuagint reads "and the ephod". Compare Judges 18:17 . The Hebrew text has "the carved image of the ephod".

Verse 19

lay thine hand, &c. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct) for "be silent".

better. Man's priest soon gets promotion.

Verse 20

and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton. App-6 .

Verse 21

carriage = goods. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct) for things carried.

Verse 23

that thou comest, &c. Hebrew "that thou hast called thyself out".

Verse 25

life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .

Verse 27

unto. Some codices, with one early printed edition, and Septuagint read "as far as".

Verse 28

business = dealings.

Verse 29

after the name. Compare Joshua 19:0 .

Verse 30

set up. On account of this, Dan is not named in Revelation 7:0 , and Ephraim is there merged in Joseph.

Manasseh. This word is one of the four that has a suspended letter. Here the letter, nun (n), is written partly in the line and partly above the line, to show that originally it formed no part of the word, but was put in to make it spell "Manasseh" instead of "Moses". Jonathan was the grandson of Moses (his contemporary Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, being mentioned in Judges 20:28 ). This was done for two reasons: (1) to spare the honour of Moses' memory and name; (2) to put the sin upon one who committed so gross a sin. The Talmud gives this latter as the reason. Jonathan's name is omitted in 1 Chronicles 23:15 , 1 Chronicles 23:16 , and 1 Chronicles 26:24 . The Chaldee paraphrase says that "Shebuel", there substituted, is meant for Jonathan after his repentance and restoration. Shebuel = "he returned to God". The Authorized Version follows Septuagint and Chaldee by putting "Manasseh" in the text; Revised Version follows Vulgate, and those codices and early editions which have "n" suspended, by putting "Moses" in the text and "Manasseh" in the margin.

Verse 31

the house Of God: i.e. the Tabernacle of Moses, but not recognized as the house of Jehovah, the Covenant God.

Chapter 19

Verse 1

in those days. In the same days as Ch. Judges 18:1 . Soon after the death of Joshua. Figure of speech Hysterologia. App-6 .

no king. See note on Judges 18:1 .

a certain Levite. The house of God neglected. Priests and Levites unemployed and wandering about. Compare Judges 17:7 .

mount = the hill country of.

Verse 2

four whole months. Hebrew "days, four months", so some think = "a year and four months".

Verse 3

friendly. Hebrew "to her heart" = affectionately.

Verse 10

Jebus. At that time still occupied by Canaanites. See Joshua 10:1 ; Joshua 15:63 .

Verse 12

children = sons.

Gibeah. City of Benjamin; later, the residence of Saul (1 Samuel 10:26 ; 1 Samuel 11:4 ).

Verse 15

street = open place.

Verse 18

going. His direction was towards mount Ephraim, not to Shiloh!

the house of the LORD. So Micah's temple was already called. Compare Judges 18:31 .

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

Verse 19

servants. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Aramaean, and Syriac, read "servant" (Singular).

Verse 22

sons of Belial = worthless scoundrels, sons of the devil.

door. Like Sodom (Genesis 19:4 ), a sign of the moral corruption which follows apostasy and accompanies idolatry.

Verse 23

the man. Another Lot in another Sodom.

wickedly. Hebrew. ra'a. App-44 .

Verse 26

door = entrance.

Verse 28

an = the.

Chapter 20

Verse 1

Then. These chapters (20, 21), hy Figure of speech Hysterologia , describe events which took place soon after Joshua's death. See notes on Judges 18:1 with Judges 19:1 .

children = sons.

as one man. All this excitement, unanimity, and bloodshed about an injury done to a woman; no sense of the evil of idolatry and sin against God, recorded in Judges 19:0 .

Verse 2

God. Hebrew. ha - 'Elohim = the [true] God. App-14 . See note on Judges 18:31 .

Verse 3

Now. Note the Figure of speech Parenthesis in this verse. App-6 . Mizpeh on the south-west border of Benjamin, not Mizpeh on the east of Jordan (Judges 10:17 ; Judges 11:11 , Judges 11:29 ).

wickedness. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44 .

Verse 4

the Levite. Hebrew = "the man, the Levite".

Verse 5

men = masters or head-men. for the house of God was in Shiloh (Judges 18:31 ), also the camp of Israel (Judges 21:12 ).

Verse 16

lefthanded. Hebrew lame, or bound, in his right hand.

hair breadth = a hair. No Ellipsis, omit "breadth".

miss. Hebrew. chata'. See App-44 .

Verse 18

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .

Verse 23

And. Note the Figure of speech Parenthesis. App-6 .

before the LORD. At Shiloh (Judges 18:31 ).

asked counsel. By Phinehas, with Urim and Thummim. Compare Judges 20:28 , and see notes on Exodus 28:30 . Numbers 26:55 .

offered = offered up. See App-43 .

Verse 28

Phinehas. The grandson of Aaron, the contemporary of Jonathan the grandson of Moses (Judges 18:30 ). This is the only mention of the high priest throughout the book.

Aaron. Some codices, with Syriac, add "the priest".

Verse 29

coasts = borders.

Verse 30

no such deed done. "The days of Giheah"became proverbial. Compare Hosea 9:9 ; Hosea 10:9 .

Verse 31

the house of God = Beth-el Here it denotes Beth-el. One of the three cities mentioned.

Verse 33

meadows. Probably = forest.

Verse 36

trusted. Confided or placed hope in. Hebrew. batah. App-69 .

Verse 37

drew themselves along = marched forward.

Verse 40

the city = the whole city, or holocaust of the city.

Verse 43

over against = as far as over against.

Verse 47

six hundred. Compare Judges 21:13 .

Verse 48

the men = every one.

Chapter 21

Verse 1

had sworn: i.e. before the fighting of Judges 20:0 .

Verse 2

the house of God. Probably Shiloh, Compare Judges 21:12 with Judges 18:31 .

God. Hebrew. ha-'Elohim, "the [true] God". App-4 .

wept sore. Figure of speech Polyptoton ( App-6 ), "wept a great weeping". See note on Genesis 26:28 . Benjamin is indeed, now, "a son of sorrow" ( Ben-oni, a son of sorrow. Genesis 35:18 ).

Verse 3

LORD God = Jehovah Elohim. App-4 .

Verse 4

offered. Hebrew. 'alah . App-43 .

Verse 5

children = sons.

congregation = military assembly.

Verse 10

children = little children. Hebrew. taph. Compare Judges 13:5 .

Verse 11

man = male. Hebrew. zakar.

Verse 12

young virgins. Hebrew young women, virgins.

virgins. Hebrew. bethulah.

Shiloh. See note on Judges 18:31 .

Verse 13

call peaceably = proclaim peace.

Verse 19

a feast of the LORD. Some codices, with two early printed editions, read "a feast to Jehovah".

yearly. The three feasts had come down to one. Apostasy was the cause of all their internal disorders.

north side, &c. Shiloh and the house of Jehovah were so neglected that these minute instructions were necessary to enable an Israelite to find it. We have the same difficulty to-day; and when we find it we too often find, not the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. but what answers to that which we find in Judges 21:21 .

Lebonah. AUTHORIZED VERSION 1611 reads "Lebanon" by an error. Modern "Lubban", about 3 miles north-west of Shiloh.

Verse 21

dance in dances. This is what "religion" had come to in those days of apostasy, by which we must judge it.

man. Heb, 'ish. App-14 .

Verse 22

at this time, &c.: i.e. "at the time when ye would have incurred guilt [by so doing]".

Verse 23

repaired = rebuilt, or built up.

Verse 25

no king. Note the structural arrangement of the four occurrences of this expression. See note on Judges 18:1 .

did = did continually. This is the Divine summing up of the whole book, by way of Epilogue. All the evil follows as the result of the disobedience in Judges 1:27-36 .

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