Judges Chapters 1,2,3 Commentary

JUDGES CHAPTERS 1-3 Title of the Book: The title of the book (“Judges”) is based on the type of leadership Israel experienced between the days of the elders who ruled after Joshua and the rise of King Saul. “The establishment of the office of judge was first mentioned by Moses (Deuteronomy 16:18; 17:9; 19:17). A sopet (Judge) was to stand by the side of the high priest as the supreme judge or leader in Israel. The function of the office of judge included more than mere civil service activities. In many cases their responsibilities included leadership in both military and religious affairs. Generally they were summoned directly to their work by divine appointment (3:15; 4:6; 6:12). The majority of judges functioned more in the role of ‘deliverer’ from foreign oppression than as a civil judge. After deliverance was accomplished, the judge became a civil leader” 1

Authorship and Date: According to Jewish tradition, Samuel was the author of the book.

Various internal factors argue for a date of composition around the time of Israel’s first king 1. The frequent expression, “In those days there was no king in Israel” (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25), indicates that the book was written after the establishment of the monarchy under Saul. 2. According to Judges 1:21 the Jebusites still controlled Jerusalem. This would place the time of writing before David’s capture of the city about 990 B.C., see 2 Samuel 5:6.

Major Themes:

1

Conquest and Crisis, John J. Davis, p. 93.

“The principal theme of the Book of Judges is ‘Failure through Compromise’, which is in contrast to the main theme in the Book of Joshua which was ‘Victory through Faith’. The Book of Judges is a commentary on the nature and characteristics of spiritual apostasy. The writer not only presents the theological trends involved in apostasy, but vividly describes the practical consequences of apostasy in every-day life…The key verse of the Book of Judges is 17:6 which says, ‘In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes’ (cf. 21:25). Moral and spiritual relativism led to anarchy in those days” (Davis p. 94). “In our time, the winds of the ‘me-generation’ are blowing a strong and deadly virus. ‘Doing your own thing’ has been enshrined as the national life-style, and the virus of relativism has infected every area of life, especially our concepts of spiritual truth and moral absolutes…If ever a verse of the Bible has the ring of the twentieth century about it, it is the motto of the times of the judges: ‘Everyone did what was right in his own eyes’” 2 This book presents a continuous cycle of apostasy, punishment, a turning to God, deliverance, and then a return to apostasy (Judges 2:11-19).

Time Period: “We may be surprised to discover that the book of Judges covers about one-quarter of the historical period described in the Old Testament.

About 300 to 350 years pass between Judges 1 and Judges 21” (Inrig p.

13). The events described in this book cover a period which begins about 1380 B.C. and lasts until the rise of Saul in 1043 B.C. There are some secular documents which seem to endorse the various details mentioned in Judges. “The first is a satirical letter describing the journey of an Egyptian envoy through Syria and Palestine. The document is generally dated in the second half of the thirteenth century B.C. It describes the roads of Palestine as being overgrown with cypresses, oaks and cedars that were very tall, thereby making travel rather difficult. It makes mention of the fact that lions were numerous, thus confirming some of the details of the Samson story (Judges 14:15). The envoy twice encountered thieves, indicating the difficulty of unhindered travel (cf. Judges 5:6-7). Most significant among the details of the document, however, are the many reflections of the unsettled conditions in the land and the problem with robbers and thieves. This story reflects the same situation described in Judges. ‘Every man did that which was right in his own eyes’” (Davis p.

95).

Basic Outline: 2

Hearts Of Iron Feet Of Clay, Gary Inrig, p. 5.

I. The Failure of a Second Generation: 1:1-3:6 II. The Salvation of a Long-suffering God: 3:7-16:31 III. The Confusion of an Unfaithful People: 17-21

Chapter 1 1:1 This verse connects us to the end of the previous book (Joshua 24:29).

This book begins the same way the Book of Joshua does; namely, with the death of a great leader (Joshua 1:1). “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites”: The death of Joshua had triggered a renewed interest in driving out the Canaanites. Without the leadership of Joshua, a man who was inspired of God, they sought God’s guidance in this matter.

Judges deals with a second movement of the conquest. In the book of Joshua, the major areas of power and resistance in Canaan had been broken. Judges chapter 1 emphasizes the process of possessing the land in which separate tribes or tribal groups were to follow up the previous conquest and nail down and settle their assigned territories. 1:2-8 The tribes of Judah and Simeon band together against the remaining Canaanites in their territory. 1:4 “Bezek”: (BEE zeck). 1:5 “Adoni-bezek”: (a DAWN ih BEE zek). This title means lord or prince of Bezek.

1:6 “Cut off his thumbs and big toes”: This practice was designed to render one useless for military service. “Incapacitated him as a warrior and as a priest, a dual function common to many kings” (Gaebelein p. 386). This ruthless Canaanite king still had a conscience which could be pricked.

He even acknowledged that his suffering was deserved. God had not commanded the Israelites to mutilate their enemies, but rather to destroy them. Mutilation was a Canaanite practice, and here we start to see maybe the first little crack in the wall of faithfulness. 1:8 Jerusalem was taken, and yet the Jebusites apparently quickly reoccupied the site (Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21).

1:10-15 This information is also found in Joshua 15:13-19. Hebron, is some 19 miles south of Jerusalem, has the highest elevation of any city in Judah (3000 feet), and is famous as being the home of Abraham. Othniel will become a Judge in chapter 3. Thus, long before he judges Israel, he has already demonstrated himself as a courageous warrior. “Achsah (ACK sah), is the first woman to appear in the book. She was not merely

chattel, a possession gained by bloody fighting. She was a shrewd, determined, and far-sighted woman” (Smith p. 122).

1:16 “Kenite”: (KEE nights). The Kenites are associated with the Midianites (Judges 1:16), and later, with the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:6). Around the time of the Exodus, they demonstrated kindness to the Israelites (1 Samuel 15:6). Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, is called both a Midianite (Exodus 18:1) and a Kenite (Judges 1:16). Even though Jericho had been destroyed it appears that this tribe which joined Israel had been living in the area around Jericho, or temporarily living in the ruins of the city. “It will be remembered that the curse Joshua placed upon Jericho applied to refortification of the city, not mere habitation” (Davis p. 98). 1:16 “Arad”(A rad). This city was situated about 20 miles south of Hebron. The site today is marked by Tell Arad. 1:17 “Zephath”: (ZEE fath) is believed to be a town about seven miles east of Beersheba. The new name for the city, “Hormah” (meaning devotion or destruction), reflects the belief that the inhabitants were totally devoted to destruction.

1:18 Judah took the initiative to attack the Canaanite strongholds along the southern coast. The capture of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron by Judah must have been temporary. 1:19 Being very successful in the hilly regions of Palestine, Judah failed to control the plains. Consider how God was with Israel, but Israel failed. The verse may imply some unbelief on the part of Israel (2:2-3). It also may tell us that such was only a temporary set back. As Israel grew in strength, she would also be able to win these battles. Smith notes, “Why was Yahweh unable to help them in the lowlands? The problem was that (1) Judah did not press the initial advantage in the lowlands; and (2) failed to settle the areas which had been conquered” (p. 123). 1:21 Benjamin faired even worse. They did not follow up on the initial Judahite victory (1:8). The Jebusites were allowed to return to Jerusalem and fortify this stronghold. 1:22-36 “The author now paints a picture of the progressive failure of the northern tribes to dispossess the Canaanites. The campaigns start well enough, but then tribal efforts slack off” (Smith p. 123). 1:27 “The determination of the Canaanites to remain in key cities guarding the Jezreel Valley was stronger than the faith of the tribe of Manasseh to displace them…

BethShan, strategically located east of the Harod Valley; Ibleam….Taanach, and Megiddo, guarding key entrances into the Jezreel Valley; and Dor, located on the coast south of Mount Carmel” (Bible Knowledge Comm. p. 380).

1:28 Here we see the beginning of compromise. The Canaanites are to be exterminated, while the residents of peaceful cities near Canaan were to be used as forced laborers (Deuteronomy 20:11-17). This book will

remind us of the graphic consequences of compromise and partial obedience. “Partial defense is no defense at all” (Inrig p. 11). 1:29 Gezer was a city strategically located in the foothills, eighteen miles west of Jerusalem. This city guarded the approaches to the foothills and Jerusalem from the northwest. It would be one of the latest major cities in Palestine to come under the full control of Israel. 1:30-36 More failures on the part of other tribes are mentioned. Such failures would have drastic consequences in the future. In the years of come, the strong Canaanite culture located in Tyre and Sidon would have a strong influence on Israel, especially during the reign of Ahab.

“People who bemoan the fate of the poor Canaanites don’t view the conquest from the Bible’s own perspective. They forget one vital fact: the Canaanites were not innocent (Deuteronomy 9:4-6; Leviticus 18:6-30) …Anyway, contemporary western church members who vicariously and avidly gorge themselves on violence via television and cinema have forfeited any right to throw the first stone at the biblical conquest” 3 Be impressed that while Israel controls most of the land, she is being disobedient. “This text carries an admonition for God’s people in any age.

For one thing, it tell us that it is possible for the believer’s life to display the marks of success and yet be a failure in the eyes of God” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 25).

Chapter 2 2:1 “Bochim”: (BOE kem). The language used by this messenger, “I brought you up”, “I have sworn to your fathers”, “I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you’”, seems to suggest that this messenger may have been one of the members of the Godhead. 2:2 “But you have not obeyed Me”: This signals that the failures described in the previous chapter were due to unbelief on the part of the Israelites. They had failed to drive out various Canaanite forces, because they did not believe that such could be accomplished. God labels as disobedience what some might call partial obedience. “Almost” is not an acceptable standard with God. See 1 Samuel 15:22-23. “The deplorable spiritual condition of the Israelites, not their lack of chariots, lay behind their failure to dispossess the Canaanites” (Gaebelein p. 392). In spite of God’s faithfulness and the miracles He had performed in past battles, the tribes refused to believe that a total conquest of the land was possible.

3

Such A Great Salvation, Dale Ralph Davis, pp. 16-17.

2:3 In light of the fact that the Israelites had taken the easy way out and had spared the Canaanites, their new neighbors would prove to be a troublesome burden to them. Compare with Joshua 23:13 and Numbers 33:55. When we make peace with error, we or our children will eventually be ensnared by it. “Living with the Canaanites led to worshipping with Canaanites. Tolerate Baal’s people and sooner or later you bow at Baal’s altar. But it seemed like a rather small matter at the time” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 26). 2:4-5 The name “Bochim” means weeping or weepers. It is a good sign when people can still mourn over their sins (Matthew 5:4).

“Would that it would happen more often! We are either too sophisticated, too refined, too hard-hearted, or, what’s worse, all of these, to cry over our sins” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 27). The text makes us wonder, “Did such tears move the people to action?” It is one thing to cry, it is quite another to change your mind.

“The most miserable people in the world are professing believers who will not commit themselves to the Lord Jesus. They do not have the best of both worlds but the worst. That was true in the time of the Judges, and it is true today. If as Christians we try to walk the tightrope of compromise and partial obedience, we will not know spiritual victory and God’s blessing. We will know the bitterness of defeat and frustration in our Christian lives” (Inrig p. 19).

2:6-9 During the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him, Israel was faithful to the Lord. The previous material (1:19-36), was given to lay the ground work to explain how the apostasy in the remaining verses happened. Joshua’s generation had been faithful, so how could apostasy happen so fast? Small and gradual compromises!

Generation Degeneration 2:10 “Who did not know the Lord”: These children are not atheists, rather they didn’t acknowledge or accept the truth that God had the right to tell them what to do, or that He had indeed done great things for Israel.

Compare with 1 Samuel 2:12. What one generation tolerates, the next will embrace! This new generation didn’t view Canaanite forced labor or Canaanite strongholds as something abnormal, rather they viewed it as the norm. This generation simply didn’t care what God had said. “That is a perennial peril. One generation can rejoice in a living faith, enjoy intimate communion with God, revel in the kingship of Jesus over daily life, even delight to teach the faith to those closest to them; yet the next

generation may come along and care nothing for all that” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 36). “Instead of being filled with wonder that God had reached into Egypt and delivered His people from the hand of Pharaoh, or being moved to praise God when they heard the history of Mount Sinai or Gilgal or Jericho or the Canaanite conquests, they simply yawned with boredom. “Aw, we’ve heard all that before” (Inrig p. 26).

This doesn’t have to happen to every “second generation” of believers, for Joshua’s faithful generation was a “second generation”. Let us remind ourselves that the opposite of love is not necessarily hate, but apathy.

What is so dangerous about lukewarmness in a generation is the effect it has on new converts. “I am convinced that one of the greatest stumbling blocks young Christians must confront is not the opposition of the world, but the apathy of so-called established Christians” (Inrig p. 27). We are setting up the next generation for failure when we: A. Become satisfied with moral and doctrinal compromises. The Israelites had allowed pockets of Canaanite resistance to remain. “Then the second generation came along. Their reaction was, “Why bother? We have all the land we need. Those Canaanites are not so bad (does that found familiar? How many professed believers are arguing, “The denominational world isn’t that bad”?) We can get along with them” (Inrig p. 28). B. They took God’s blessings for granted (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). Ingratitude, forgetting the sacrifices of past generations, forgetting what a struggle it is to restore the true faith, all lead to apostasy (Romans 1:21 “or give thanks”). C. God’s Word is neglected (Hosea 4:6). These people possessed the Scriptures but they chose to ignore it.

2:11-13 Apostasy is very hard to stop once it gets started. In the end there really isn’t such a thing as just a little bit of liberalism or a little bit of worldliness. “Baal” was the Canaanite name for the Syrian god Hadad, the god of storms and wars. The plural “Baals”, suggests the many local varieties of the worship of Baal. In Canaan the goddess Ashtoreth was the consort of Baal. “In Canaanite theology the fertility of the land depended upon the sexual relationship between Baal and his consort. It was believed that sacred prostitution between a Baal believer and a temple prostitute would encourage Mr. and Mrs. Baal to procreate and thus the rain, grain, wine, and oil would flow again. “They forsook the Lord”: When error is tolerated, the truth is forgotten. Jehovah became to this generation, simply one god among the many. One can almost hear someone in this new generation saying to his contemporaries, “Come with me, I have found a new and exciting faith! I feel so alive and renewed, this is a lot better than what we had to endure as kids!” Or, “I found that everything that our parents warned us about was false, these Canaanites

are really nice people, in fact they are a lot more sincere, loving, giving, and emotionally supportive than some Israelites!”

2:14-15 One cannot profit from falling away from God. The apostate is not always as free, happy or “spiritual” as they claim (2 Peter 3:18). 2:16 This verse infers that the people cried out to God for help. False religion doesn’t seem as exciting or refreshing when times are hard! 2:17 Their faithfulness was only temporary. As soon as deliverance arrived with better times, apostasy happened again. 2:19-23 God allowed the Canaanites to remain in the land to test the Israelites. In addition, God could always use the Canaanites to punish His people when they became rebellious. If we wonder why God allows so many counterfeits of the Church to exist, maybe the reason is the same. At the same time consider the depth of God’s mercy and compassion! Am I like these Israelites? During the reign of a Judge, Israel seemed to tolerate an external righteousness. But let the Judge die, let the restraining power to removed, and there is an immediate lapse into idolatry. If the elders were removed, or if our parents were removed, would be remain sound and faithful? What would be the soundness of the congregation if we had the final say concerning what was taught?

Chapter 3 3:1-2 Here another reason is given why God allowed the Canaanites to remain in the land. God didn’t leave this second generation to wallow in their apathy. “Often it is only when the enemy has run all over us, and our resources are gone, that we develop a teachable spirit” (Inrig p. 31).

There is also justice here. Those who will not fight for God, do not deserve to have peace and rest. God was hoping that the existence of such enemies would move the Israelites to place all their trust in Him. Compare with Deuteromony 8:1ff. Let us therefore be thankful that when we find ourselves in the minority and surrounded by error on every side, maybe this is what it takes to place all our trust in God. In addition, remember that any controversy which threatens the church will hopefully succeed in teaching a generation how to fight the good fight.

3:3 The Philistines might be mentioned first because they eventually would become the primary opponents of the Israelites.

3:4 Opposition tests us. In like manner, the faithfulness of each generation of Christians will be tested as to how they react to the errors which confront the church. Will there be compromise or conflict? Will we love

the truth enough to fight for it? 3:5-7 Israel fell into the very trap that God had so clearly exposed (Deuteronomy 7:1ff; Joshua 23:12). Often we think that some really tricky error will ensnare us, and yet how many false doctrines are not exposed by very clear teachings in Scripture? Consider the trend we see in this book. God’s word is compromised, and the Canaanites are tolerated. The religion of the Canaanites is embraced or at least not viewed as being dangerous. The Israelites are so friendly with the Canaanites now, that such have people consenting to their daughters and sons marrying a Canaanite. At this point in history, what do you think the average Israelite thought about the commands in execute all the Canaanites? Judgmental? Strict? Harsh? Backward?

Canaanite-Phobic? Could it be that this generation saw itself as more spiritual, and open-minded, than that of Joshua’s time. If bumper stickers existed back then, would a popular one have been, “Israelite, but not narrow”?

OTHNIEL 3:8 “Cushan-rishathaim”: (koo shan rish ah THAY im). Is a name which means “double wickedness”. It is “a rather strange designation but perhaps intended to be an intimidating one” (Gaebelein p. 398). The term “Mesopotamia” here is literally, “Syria of the Two Rivers”, and probably refers to territory in eastern Syria or northern Iraq. 3:9-11 When the Israelites appealed to God for help, Othniel was commissioned to rescue them. This relative of Caleb has already been introduced in 1:1115 as a successful warrior. This selection of Othniel shows that the children of Israel fell away very quickly after the death of Joshua and the elders who had outlived him. The time period of this deliverance may be around 1375-1367 B.C. God will often use other nations as an instrument to punish His people when they become unfaithful. When the time comes that such a nation “becomes too big for his international britches, when the instrument deludes himself into thinking he is lord rather than the feeble vassal of the Great King. Then Yahweh must bring down his instrumentthat-refuses-to-be-an-instrument” (Dale Ralph Davis p. 52). Compare with Isaiah 10:5 and the Book of Habakkuk.

EHUD

3:12-14 “Eglon”: (EGG lahn). With his allies the Ammonites and the Amalekites, Eglon defeated Israel and occupied the city of Jericho. From that headquarters he was able to wield authority over the Israelites for eighteen years. This probably included being able to extract from them some form of taxation or tribute. In order for these forces to cross the Jordan and occupy Jericho, it is implied that they had first defeated the tribe of Reuben, which had inherited territory east of the Dead Sea. 3:12 “So the Lord strengthened”: God had providentially assisted anyone, friend or foe! Compare with Jeremiah 18:1ff. The time period for this oppression may have been around 1335 B.C. 3:15 “Ehud”: (EE hud).

God’s choice to end the Moabite oppression was a man from Benjamin, a tribe whose territory was adjacent to the enemy’s stronghold at Jericho.

“A left-handed man”-Compare with 20:13-16, 43-47. Benjamin had a large number of ambidextrous warriors as late as David’s time (1 Chronicles 12:2). “Being left-handed would be an advantage for Ehud in the situation in which found himself, for a left-handed person would bind his dagger on the opposite side to that on which it was usually carried a distinct aid in concealing the weapon” (Davis p. 108). Ehud’s task was to make the yearly tribute payment to Eglon to assure him of Israel’s subjection for another year.

3:16 This sword may have been around 18 inches long. 3:17 Note this detail given in Scripture. 3:18 Ehud made sure that his fellow Israelites were well on their way home before making his move. Obviously, the tribute was a considerable sum, or it consisted in such things as oil, wine, and grain. 3:19 Apparently the idols which were at Gilgal were a well known land mark. 3:21-22 “Perhaps the huge size of the king and the unexpected use of the left hand prevented him from seeing Ehud’s move, for it is clear that no cry of alarm was heard outside” (Gaebelein p. 400).

There was nothing deceptive about Ehud’s actions, for this was God’s message for Eglon! 3:23-26 Delay on the part of Eglon’s servants gave Ehud a chance to escape. Ehud quickly made his way past the well known land mark of the idols and headed Seriah, a city in the territory of Ephraim. “Of course some folks have a way of dealing with an embarrassing Old Testament (in their minds). Their solution is that such Old Testament narratives don’t mean what they say. For example, Ehud’s dagger is the ‘sword of the spirit’…But I doubt if King Eglon got the point that way---in fact he probably wished Ehud’s dagger had been ‘only’ the word of God!” (Dale Ralph Davis pp. 57-58).

3:27 “He was in front of them”: Here is a true leader. When we exhort people to teach others the gospel and stand for the truth, let us also be in “in the front”. “Ehud knew that the death of Moab’s kind would throw

the officials and troops at Jericho into confusion---an opportune time to strike” (Gaebelein p. 401). 3:28-30 His battle strategy was to seize the fords of the Jordan (convenient river crossings) where the fleeing Moabites had to cross in order to return to their country. There are some things that should impress us about Ehud. First, what others might have viewed as a handicap (left-handed), he turned into an effective instrument for God’s service. He was a courageous man. All by himself he walked into the palace to deal with Eglon. He was a careful and organized man. He was also a spiritually committed man, for he was very conscious that this battle was the Lord’s.

Shamgar 3:31 “Shamgar”: (SHAM gahr). “After Him”: Apparently he lived during the later days of Ehud and the early days of Deborah and Barak. His exploits were directed primarily against the Philistines of whom he slew 600 with an ox goad. This number may represent a lifetime total or the result of a single battle. The ox goad was an instrument for urging oxen forward.

It typically measured about eight feet long, was pointed at one end with metal tip, and had a chisel shaped blade on the other end for scraping the plow share. “It was a humble weapon indeed, but then God many times uses humble things to accomplish His purpose” (Davis p. 109).

Though very little is said about Shamgar, what is said reveals a few details.

1. From the weapon that he used, it appears he was a farmer or a peasant. Here is a man who delivered Israel without any fancy weapons.

In fact, it appears that he didn’t even own a sword or a “real” spear. God can win great victories with whatever is in the hand of a willing and faithful servant. An apparent lack of resources isn’t a reason to give up!

(Revelation 3:8). 2. He was a man of courage. Only a very brave person with trust in God would take on 600 Philistines with an ox goad. 3.

He may have come from an Israelite family who had given into paganism.

For the name Shamgar is not of Israelite origin, rather it is a Hurrian name, and the name of his father, “Anath”, is the name of the Canaanite god of sex and war. Shamgar’s exploits against the Philistines should be dated about 1300 B.C. or shortly thereafter.

“God’s instruments of deliverance seem to have an interesting if odd collection of tools. Shamgar’s ox-goad joins Ehud’s homemade dagger (3:16), Jael’s hammer (4:21), Gideon’s horns and torches (7:16), the woman’s millstone (9:53), and Samson’s jawbone” (Dale Ralph Davis p.

66).